From Chickens to Honey: A Busy Transition on the Farm
As summer peaks at Berryton Home Farm, we’re closing one chapter and opening another. Our pastured chicken “season” is winding down, giving way to the honey harvest around August 1. This transition, paired with kind weather and a new piece of equipment, has us poised for a productive season while staying true to our efficient, land-healing approach.
Our pasture-raised chickens have been a cornerstone of the farm, scratching through the native grasses and flowers and building soil health as they grow. We processed a batch for our fantastic helpers this week, a sweaty but satisfying task under the Kansas sun but we got lucky and were protected by a good amount of cloud cover. We changed our timing for receiving our chicks (they come from Pennsylvania) to get them all done in the spring this year and, I have to say, I like it. It keeps them and us from the brutal heat of summer for the most part. This rhythm, inspired by multi-species grazing models, keeps our land vibrant and our days manageable and comfortable.
Now, our focus shifts to honey. The warm, steady weather has been a boon for our bees, with hives buzzing and bearding—a sign they’re thriving but need more room to store their bounty. Bearding, where bees cluster outside the hive to cool it, tells us the colonies are strong and honey production is high. We’ve added supers to give them space, ensuring a robust harvest come August. This cycle of bees pollinating our pastures, which feed our livestock, is the heart of our regenerative system—efficient, interconnected, and sustainable. Walking the dogs in the evenings I can smell the honey in the air as the bees evaporate the excess moisture from the hives, glorious in technique and also scent!
A key upgrade this year is our new uncapping tank, which tackles our biggest bottleneck: uncapping honeycomb frames. Hand-uncapping is slow, eating hours we couldn’t spare. The tank’s clean design lets us uncap frames quickly, but still by hand. Simply we have more space for more people to work together. After all, many hands make light work, and there is also the joy of company and conversation. The uncapping are not wasted either, with the wax and honey flowing into the tank and being strained so that no honey is wasted. This saves time and aligns with our lean operation—quick hive checks, simple wooden boxes, and bees that work in sync with our land. The next batch of wildflower-rich honey will reach you sooner, and we’re excited to share its prairie flavor.
These transitions test our resilience but affirm our purpose. Ranching isn’t really about products; it’s about stewarding land for the long haul and doing the best we can do with what we have. As we move from chickens to honey, we’re building a system that endures, one efficient step at a time. Visit www.berrytonhomefarm.com/farm-store for our latest farm fresh produce free from modern unsustainable practices. Sign up for our newsletter for updates on the honey harvest. If you’re in Topeka, call to visit—see the hives and the land we’re preserving together.