Something Happening Here

Shannon Benton
Aug 19
3 min read

Family Owned, Parent Taught, Kid Operated

And so the story begins....

And so it was…five years ago.

Matt was driving to the land during his lunch break while we hosted our Nature Group. That day’s lesson was all about bees.

As he pulled in, one of the students came sprinting toward the road in a panic, waving him down. Cars were stuck in the mud from the morning rain, our bees were swarming, and parents and children were stranded at the back of the property waiting to be rescued.

The morning had started so peacefully, besides folks getting stuck in the mud. We decided to take care of that at the end of our time. Until then, one family at a time suited up in bee gear and followed me into the apiary to meet our brand-new hives. The first few tours went perfectly.

Then came the fourth tour.

As I lifted the top hive body to show everyone the brood and freshly laid eggs, I didn’t realize one frame was stuck to the box above it. When it suddenly dropped, the bees were not amused. Within seconds, the air was filled with angry bees. We were fighting to escape the angry swarm, when Matt pulled in.

Matt sprang into action like Superman, pulling vehicles out of the mud, loading families into his truck, and getting everyone to safety. Meanwhile, I tried to keep everyone calm while pretending not to notice the bees continually stinging me. Earlier, I had loaned my full bee suit to one of the mothers, leaving me with only a bee jacket and jeans. A mentor beekeeper had assured me that would be enough.

It wasn’t.

By the end of the day, I had been stung 40 times. Ouch!

The best part came afterward. I ran to check on my kids, expecting complete chaos. Instead, I found them happily rolling in the mud.

“It worked for Winnie the Pooh,” they explained. “So we figured it might work for us!”

Thankfully, everyone made it home safely, and today it’s one of those family stories we laugh about far more than we did that afternoon.

If you missed last week, click here!

Last Week's Story

Meet Our Woodworkers

Elijah

Malachi

Featured Products

An golden brown loaf of sourdough bread bursting with melted cheese and roasted garlic cloves.

Handcrafted Honey Dippers

Beautifully handcrafted by Elijah and Malachi, these honey dippers were made just for you. We believe in preserving the pure goodness of our harvest; since metal spoons can diminish honey's natural nutritional value, the boys carefully lathed each of these wooden dippers to ensure every drop stays as healthy as nature intended.

ORDER YOURS TODAY

Raw, Local Honey

Fresh, Local Honey available this Friday!!

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Sourdough Bread

A peaceful setting with a Bible and leather-bound journals on a weathered homestead table.

Order your sourdough bread by Wednesday each week for Friday or Saturday pickup.

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The Heritage Hideaway

Each week we’ll share practical encouragement from our Heritage Branches: Homesteading, Homemaking, Handicraft, Health, Habits, Homeschooling, Heritage, and Heart.

This week's branch: Habits

Simplify to Exemplify

Homesteading is beautifully interconnected. One thing naturally depends on another—the garden benefits from the chickens, the bees depend on the flowers, and everything works together. It is a sweet ecosystem. But with so many moving parts comes an important lesson: sometimes you have to simplify in order to build a strong foundation.

Gathering Branch began as a kid-operated honey business. Over time, we added more products with each farmers market, and we’ve loved watching it grow. As we continue building we are transitioning to a homestead business model. Therefore, we’re choosing to narrow our focus so we can do a few things exceptionally well before expanding again.

Our hope is to become known for three things: Honey. Sourdough Bread. Woodworking. Then, throughout the year, we’ll bring back special seasonal favorites like our Christmas Carrot Cake, our spring blackberry preserves, our fall scented flower pressed candles, and Fourth of July Key Lime Pie.

In two weeks, we will simplify in order to exemplify. Many of our products will move to a seasonal rotation, returning throughout the year as their season comes around. Until then, all items are available while supplies last, so now is the perfect time to grab your favorite preserves, pickled items, tallow, soap or scrub.

Habit: Simplify in order to exemplify.

Our Prayer

Our prayer is that we strive to focus on the Lord and seek wisdom in all that we do. There is a future in seeking His face. May He guide us every step of the way.

Proverbs 24:13–14

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.