Caring Doodle Companions for Your Family

I grew up on 72 acres of  land in a small rural community in upstate New York—a beautiful mix of farmable fields connected by woodland trails. For years, a neighboring farmer has leased the land from my parents to feed his livestock, while the woods are dotted with hunting stands that have witnessed generations of tradition. Two ponds hold some of my fondest childhood memories, especially ice-skating on crisp winter days. In recent years, like much of upstate New York, we've experienced significant damage to our woods, losing many of our ash trees to disease. Today, I'm fortunate to live just 30 minutes away from my parents and the farm. I can still share the activities of my childhood with my own kids. In 2024, my family took a serious interest in beekeeping, awakening a passion that has transformed how we see our land's potential. We're now looking to the future with purpose—building pollinator fields, restoring our woods, and replacing diseased trees with native hardwoods, with a strong focus on sugar maples. We are the grateful recipients of work done over 100 years ago, tapping sugar maple trees that have watched numerous families come and go from this land. My hope is that we're doing the same for future generations. Building this future is slow—you can't rush Mother Nature—but every day we're learning together as a family and sharing that knowledge with our community. Hopefully, in time, we'll have honey, beeswax, and maple syrup to share as the sweet fruits of our labor.