The Hive & Hen

09/14/2023

🤩🍯🐝🍯🤩

08/26/2023

Howdy folks!
Yay! It’s elderberry season!
The berries, flowers, and bark of the elder (Sambucus) plant have long been prized by herbalists across the globe for its health supporting properties; and modern studies have also substantiated the berries’ ability to help maintain normal, healthy functioning of our immune system.
As we head into the cooler months with shorter days and less access to natural vitamin D from the sun, our bodies can sometimes feel the stress. “NOW”, is an excellent time to support your body by giving it a little boost.
Elderberry is a fantastic plant ally known for promoting resiliency during times when our body’s systems are particularly stressed (such as: returning to school, long distance traveling, and/or the approaching Fall & Winter holiday season!).
We make our Elderberry Elixir using a combination of organic or wildcrafted herbs/spices from trusted sources, elderberries (primarily from onsite), raw honey from our hives and from bees that have collected nectar from sources close to us. We prefer to work in small batches to ensure peak freshness as well as to infuse each batch with 3 important ingredients: care, love and positive vibes!
Our small batch artisanal Elderberry Elixir can be safely consumed by adults & children over the age of one; and is available for pre-orders only from now until September 4th (after which will be available to our roadside customers ). As always, there are limited quantities because we strive to keep the “art” in artisanal. We do anticipate selling out of this year’s edition so, if you’re interested in reserving a bottle or two before we put it out to market send us a message before September 4th to have it held. Pre-orders will be available for pick up within 48 hours unless we sell out first.
Bee well & stay jazzed 🤩,
CC

8oz jar = $15
16oz jar = $25
32oz jar = $40

08/01/2023

Meal inspiration from our Garden Bar to yours….
Picked fresh and made from scratch: Tuscan Summer Squash Soup, sautéed green beans w/bacon, cucumber dill salad, rosemary maple brined smoked chicken on top of a GF savory waffle with cran -raspberry jalapeño sauce. It’s how we roll around here and I hope it inspires you too!😋

07/25/2023

When we decided to bring chickens back to our property it was a decision we didn’t take lightly.
Years ago our previous flock was decimated by predators and the trauma from seeing the carnage was a bit overwhelming for us and our children at the time.
When that happened we took a long pause on how and when to move forward; or, if ever, we would become chicken owners again.
Although we took a long break, it gave us the time to evaluate our desires a bit more. We knew we would do things differently. Needless to say, we are back at it —this time with a lot more wisdom and experience to put to use.
My connection to the Earth, food/nutrition and wellness has been a driving force in every decision that gets made here. I view most things from their foundational level, microscopically, and move upwards from there; connecting the dots and realizing the symbiotic relations between life forms. Understanding how one fits with the other gives me a clearer path to maintaining harmony. Raising chickens is part of this as we’ve formed this circular, mutually beneficial relationship between food, soil and nutrition. Even their social behaviors and personalities have provided hours of entertainment and fulfillment to the soul!

The hens are happy, with ample space to peck and roam; and have been raised by us since day 2 of hatching out. We give them a diet of certified organic crumbles that we rotationally supplement with our own organic garden veg/waste, homegrown composting worms/mealworms and fermented organic grains. This diet, along with their natural instinct to forage on the surrounding herbs and grasses has shown us the value in how important these connections can be. In response, they’ve been providing us with great tasting healthy looking eggs. Physically, spiritually, mentally, nutritionally they are bio energetic “tiny raptors” (loosely termed), that thrive in an environment with balanced cycles; and we invite you to taste the difference.
Organic eggs are now available!! $6/dz.
We are currently working from a call/text ahead standpoint while we work towards streamlining our process to include honey and our herbal line.
Reach us 413.345.2551
We look forward to hearing from you!

If you like our vibe and appreciate what’s happening here, please share our page so that others can follow along too!
Until next time, stay JAZZED! ✌️🐓🥚🐝🍯🤩

07/24/2023

Truth.

07/15/2023

It’s Saturday night!!!
How YOU doin’?!?

07/13/2023

In honor of the late Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac (the OG of Songbird) and whose birthday was yesterday, we’d like to highlight our EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK—the hen we named “Songbird”!
She wears the red #24 anklet and got her name because she is very dramatic when she sings her egg song. She sings like she knows the score and carries on, and on and on…. Sometimes for 30-40 minutes with little break in between! She’s a friendly Barred Rock and is often seen singing the egg song for other hens that just jump off the nest and join the flock without a peep. 🐓🥚

07/11/2023

Welcome to our page! For those just joining us, the following is a snippet of how we came to bee:

The Hive & Hen is run by Carla Chagnon, who has the wild & playful spirit of a curious otter. She grew up learning about agriculture as a "4H Kid", and from her parent's familial lineage of dairy farmers. As a Personal Chef & Caterer in the early 2000's, Carla used "Food as Medicine" approaches while making food for clients with Parkinson's Disease, Diabetes, Autoimmune conditions & food allergies. Later on, after her personal experience of feeling something was "off" within her own health, and not achieving optimum results through conventional medicine alone, her desire to find answers to correct these imbalances grew. She was introduced to genetic biohacking in 2015 and in 2016 her formal Clinical Herbal Path began. Along the way, food energetics and mind-body connections were realized. Through structured educational courses, workshops, apprenticing and simply "doing", she's been able to restore her own well-being and assist family members as well as close friends gain insight into the root causes of their imbalances by supporting them holistically with nutritional food, herbs, mind-body awareness, and simple lifestyle adjustments. She considers herself a lifelong learner and educator; and is currently completing her 6th year of an Advanced Herbal Program.

Having spent the bulk of her adult life growing herbs and vegetables for self fulfillment; and recognizing the energetic connections between food, mind, and body; the concept of The Hive & Hen "Garden Bar & Farmacy" came to fruition with the encouragement of friends & family. It is described as such because of the wide selection of whole food options raised and grown onsite that help support an abundant lifestyle, while optimizing wellness and nutrition without the use of synthetics. It sits on a modest 1.5+acre parcel where she and her husband, Gary, eat what they grow, keep bees, compost and let their hens roam and scratch.
Through their personal experiences they've come to believe that the phrase: "We are what we eat" runs parallel to the famous statement that Hippocrates once said: "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food".
While Gary is a remodeler by trade and "builder of all the things" at The Hive & Hen, Carla is an Herbalist, Apiculturist, Vermiculturist & Independent Life Sciences Researcher. She picked up the art of beekeeping from her father & the love of gardening from her mother. Together they've transformed their lives and residential yard into a modern, micro-homestead birthed from their rooted, self-reliant ambitions to be well and whole. The interplay between the birds, bees, insects and soil have come together nicely to create a harmonious, thriving ecosystem which supports the idea that our food choices can change the world and those choices begin at the source. What will you choose?

07/03/2023

Not only do we keep bees, in 2020 we became a registered Monarch Way-station. Our trees, shrubs and gardens have been mindfully selected to offer shade, shelter and resources to the pollinators to ensure their future existence. We don’t use sprays. We “companion plant” to help keep disease pressure down. Most everything that grows here is edible/medicinal in some form (a list of some of what we have here is available in the comments).
What pollinator-friendly plants do you like to grow?

During Pollinator Week, it's important to acknowledge the reality that many pollinators are at risk of extinction. 🐝🌼 The loss of habitats, pesticide use, climate change, and other factors pose significant threats to these essential creatures. Let's use this week to raise awareness, take action, and support initiatives that protect and restore pollinator habitats, promote sustainable practices, and create a safe environment for our precious pollinators. Together, we can make a difference and ensure a future where pollinators thrive. 🌺

Read more about the 8 Different Ways to Protect HoneyBees: https://www.mannlakeltd.com/blog/8-different-ways-to-protect-honey-bees/

06/28/2023

As we reached the apex of daylight hours on the solstice last week and turned the page to the season of Summer, flowers are blooming, fruit has been set, the bees are buzzing and the hens are laying. It’s the most prolific time of the month when you follow the moon’s cycle and the garden’s growth certainly shows it!

04/20/2023

Folklorically known as “sparrow grass”, asparagus is one of our favorite first “tastes” of spring; and after a long hibernation it’s starting to peek it’s way through the garden beds.
Rich in vitamins, trace minerals, fiber and protein, the amino acid asparagine was first isolated from the asparagus plant and from which it gets its name.

03/30/2023

Just some of the fresh organic produce we grow at the hive & hen. The 2023 season will soon be upon us!

03/25/2023

Meet Rhiannon.
The first lovely lady to be named in our wild heart flock.

03/23/2023

We have a new look!
'BEE' on the look out for big things coming soon!🐣🐝