Wrapping Up Chickens and Preparing for Honey at Berryton Home Farm
Last week at Berryton Home Farm, we leaned into the rhythm of our regenerative ranch, balancing a small chicken harvest with preparations for the August 2 honey season. With my full-time job at the City of Topeka and Sally keeping our family steady as a full-time mom and homemaker, every task is designed for efficiency. Overcast skies and a light drizzle offered a refreshing break from the Kansas heat, while our skilled core team, vermin control success, and healthy pastures kept us on track.
The chicken harvest was smaller this time, but our original team—seasoned hands who know every step—made quick work of it. Under cloudy skies, we processed the birds at our shaded station. The drizzle kept us cool, and by mid-morning, the chickens were in the walk-in freezer, ready for Topeka customers who value pasture-raised meat. This efficiency lets us focus on the land while feeding our community. That same morning two of our regular and valued customers came for 18 of our delicious pasture raised birds. Honestly, it feels good to see the circle closed as we also have the last batch of chickens for the year on the pasture right now, eating bugs and grass in the sun and fresh air. Chicken as nature intended!
Our vermin issues, which plagued us earlier with losses like our turkey flock, have eased. Our trapping efforts—using live cages baited with wet cat food (marshmallows didn’t work)—have thinned out the raccoons enough to halt further damage. We’ve scaled back trapping for now, a relief that saves time and lets us focus on other tasks. It’s a reminder that persistence in managing challenges always pays off, despite the extra time, effort, and the moral implications of trapping healthy animals.
The pastures are thriving, thanks to hot but moist weather with morning dew and scattered rain. The grass, still lush after two grazing cycles this year, supports our livestock and soil health without artificial inputs. To give our main pasture a rest, we’re moving our cattle— including our two new Black Angus heifers—to a nearby off-site pasture. This field, rich with Eastern Gamma grass, is ideal for their growth, promoting weight gain while preserving our land’s vitality through careful rotation. There is always a risk that our single wire electric fencing will not keep the new animals in which is why we have waited a short while before moving them. While still flighty, i’m confident that they will stay with the rest of the herd that they now appear to have integrated with.
With temperatures rising, my mind turns to the August 2nd honey harvest. The heat, amplified by protective bee suits, is a challenge—coming from England, I never quite adjust to it. But our hives are ready, bearding heavily and signaling a strong yield. I’m looking forward to using the new uncapping tank, i’m certain it will streamline the process, easing the bottleneck of hand-uncapping and saving precious hours and make for more conversation in the group (we will all be together this year) This fits our lean approach: bees pollinate our pastures, supporting cattle and chickens that enrich the soil for future seasons.
Ranching tests us, but it’s about building something lasting. We’re grateful for you, our customers, who make this possible. Visit www.berrytonhomefarm.com/farm-store for our latest honey and pasture-raised pork. Sign up for our newsletter for updates on the honey harvest. If you’re in Topeka, call to visit—see the pastures and hives we’re preserving together and don’t forget that we still have whole hives of bees for sale again after the harvest.