Homestead 1870

06/15/2026

I spent so much time designing this little queen bee. I wanted it to be clean and modern. I never expected how long it would take to design something so simple. At any rate, I think it came out as I had hoped. I've still been designing lots of graphics. I hope to do some shopping for myself soon.

Lightweight, cropped comfort with a quietly powerful message. This cropped hooded sweatshirt layers easily over high-waist jeans or leggings, settling at the ribcage for a relaxed, modern silhouette. The soft cotton-rich face and medium-weight fabric feel cozy without weighing you down. A simple, stylized bee emblem and the words "BE KIND" sit centered on the chest in a warm, muted tone — a gentle reminder that fits into everyday life. The adjustable hood, ribbed cuffs, and reinforced seams give it a lived-in durability, while the tear-away label keeps the neckline comfortable. Wear it on slow mornings, breezy walks, or during low-key meetups when you want comfort with quiet intention.

Lightweight, cropped comfort with a quietly powerful message. This cropped hooded sweatshirt layers easily over high-waist jeans or leggings, settling at the ri

06/14/2026

Tested out 6 new meads. Blueberry is a definite favorite. Beautiful color! So, I’ll experiment some more, but I am submitting for approval the Blueberry, the Hawthorn Berry, the Ginger, and the Spiced Bochet.

Now… I need names! Moving away from the goats, I am thinking the purple will be the pups name, Bellatrix. But what about the others?

06/13/2026

Good morning! Someone thought I had goodies as I was unloading the bags of chicken feed. Unfortunately, these aren’t the bags she was looking for. Unfortunately another scorcher today. Not as bad as yesterday, but I have to get into that bee suit.

06/06/2026

At the Hillsboro Appalachian Trail Festival. We are getting set up. I’m joining the main drink sales tent 🏕️.

Old Stone School Hillsboro Virginia

06/04/2026

If you're attending the Appalachian Trail Festival, stop by for some mead.

When: Saturday, June 6th, from 11am to 5pm.
Where: Old Stone School grounds in Hillsboro, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA.

We'll be offering our local, small-batch meads made from raw wildflower honey produced by our own bees at Homestead 1870. Our meads begin with the raw local wildflower honey collected from the nectar of the trees and wildflowers growing along the Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Trail. The nectar collected by our bees becomes the honey that gives life to every glass. Come taste the nectar of the Appalachian Trail from our hives to your glass.

Learn more about the Appalachian Trail Festival

If you're attending the Appalachian Trail Festival, stop by for some mead. When: Saturday, June 6th, from 11am to 5pm.Where: Old Stone School grounds i

05/25/2026

The rainy cold weather unfortunately kept me from the work I have been wanting to do, but I at least spent some of the time making up some fun things to add to the store. What do you all think about this puzzle? Thought it made a great poster and puzzle. What should I make next?

Lose yourself in a cozy, hands-on exploration of the world of honeybees. This illustrated puzzle brings together vintage-style botanical art, labeled bee anatomy, and warm, honeyed tones to create a slow, satisfying experience. Each piece snaps together with a glossy, vibrant print that highlights tiny details — from lavender sprigs to wooden hives — so the image rewards close attention as the scene emerges. The finished puzzle makes a quiet centerpiece for an evening of tea and conversation, or a relaxing solo ritual when you want to unwind and connect with nature.

Lose yourself in a cozy, hands-on exploration of the world of honeybees. This illustrated puzzle brings together vintage-style botanical art, labeled bee anatom

05/24/2026

I find that with a strong culture, one I have been using over time to make yogurt —can yield yogurt in a couple hours.

I choose Chobani, though I find Fage to have a more pleasing texture, because Chobani has 6 live cultures, one more than Fage. In the end, I choose how thick I want the yogurt to be.

It’s a good idea to add a variety of culture to keep them all active. Some cultures can be bought online or at a store, depends on your goals and needs, but most store bought yogurt will get you all of the basic cultures you should have.

Note —buying yogurt at the store doesn’t mean all of the cultures are alive, strong, or active. They are living creatures and can die under different conditions. Building up cultures over time can ensure you maintain many active and strong cultures.

In making this video, starting yogurt again for the first time, it was evident the little cup of yogurt I bought wasn’t doing well. After 5 hours of ferment, there was little coagulation. Normally this would be well beyond the needed time, but there are cultures that take days to max out their colonies, but not the classic commercial strains.

The process is fairly easy, the fermentation takes the longest time, as does the straining process, I let mine strain as much as a day or two. The yogurt is thick, creamy, and a consistency of a soft cream cheese —this thick consistency is excellent if you want to blend in jams, other additives, like cucumber for making a good Tzatziki. There’s no reason to let any of the good cucumber juice go to waste with a good thick yogurt.

One last note, the longer it takes to make, the less whey, means more time, effort and money goes into the process. So, a good healthy yogurt isn’t always the best financial option for a commercial product.

05/20/2026

Raven, sweet girl. Always wants to hang out. Also, always getting into trouble. This is why the licorice and caramelized honey mead was named for her.

05/18/2026

If you attended the farm tour, you saw the demonstration hive. There were questions about the hive and so, this video shows the bees returning to their home.