Greg and Kara Jo are hanging with Evan Watson - co-owner / farmer / brewer / beekeeper of Plan Bee Farm Brewery. Evan is one of the sweetest and most unique people we've ever met. His stories about getting into the music industry out of college (cough cough touring with Meatloaf) and eventually making some of the best beer in the country are fascinating (all while bringing us back to beekeeping!) We hope you feel like you're hanging out with us too. Enjoy!
Aug 04, 2025•1 hr 19 min
It is SUMMER and the farm is crankin'! Bee wise we're talking: honey, pulling honey frames, crowded hives, requeening, angry bees, excluders, rearranging bee boxes and more! Farm wise we're talking: meat bird success with fermented feed, mushroom log cultivation, making seasonal liqueurs and finishing up with a Herb Corner about calendula. Enjoy! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, shipping all your skin care needs all over the US! Check us out on instagram: @mindyourhives @kar...
Jul 20, 2025•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 40
Happy spring beekeepers! We're talking all things spring on the farm - splitting hives, stopping swarming, some heartbreak, tricky situations, bee math...we're all over the place. We also get to some listener questions, hope you enjoy! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, we ship all over the US. Soaps, scrubs, serums, wound care, acne fighting, anti-aging...using the power of the honey bee!
May 05, 2025•1 hr 42 min
We’re back and we’re planning for the year ahead - spring is so close!! We discuss goals and how we work backwards to accomplish them; new plans around the farm; how farming is in our DNA…and more! Wrapping things up with Herb Corner where Kara Jo discusses the protocol she put together for Greg’s shoulder surgery recovery. Enjoy! Check out KaraJoSkinCare.com and help your winter skin! We ship all over the U.S. and appreciate the support....
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 13 min
The Bee Farm is headed into winter. In the midst of a drought and record high temps for October and November, we're doing our best to get these bees ready for whenever winter decides to show up. Lots of farm talk, puppy talk, a ridiculous story (that comes with a @KaraJoSkinCare listener giveaway!) and a "special" Herb Corner about Wild Geranium.
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 23 min
In this episode we're all over the place. Current apiary updates. Successful and unsuccessful mite treatments. What's up with all these people calling honey bees invasive?! Learning from our mistakes and more! Herb Corner is about one of our favorites - Goldenrod! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, check out their natural skin care line and more!
Sep 29, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Summer is on its way out which means we've been harvesting honey and we need to make sure our bees are on the right track to survive winter. Kara and Greg talk about the current state of their apiaries and some ideal hive timelines that get big honey yields while allowing the bees to go through their natural cycles. Kara Jo finishes up with Herb Corner about Clover! Shout-out to Troubles End Brewing for the beautiful lagers we enjoyed. This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com Try Kar...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 35
What up! We're talking about chicken life on the farm, selling bees, following up about splits, queen introductions and some crazy hive situations we've experienced. Kara Jo's Herb Corner dives into the beautiful and powerful - Passion Flower! Hope you dig it. This episode is brought to you by @KaraJoSkinCare and @KaraJoBeeFarm. Checkout their whole line of Bee-Powered Skin Care at www.KaraJoSkinCare.com.
Jul 22, 2024•1 hr 21 min
We're talking about the best time to be a beekeeper - the spring! Spring time is swarm time and swarm time is splittin' time. Amongst other things, we dive into bee math aka the bee life cycle and how it allows us to make decisions and prevent swarms. Herb corner is all about dandelion and we crack open a beautiful saison from our friends at The Seed: A Living Beer Project. Cheers! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out our Bug Repellent and Natural Deodorant, they reall...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 33
Kara and I hop over to the mics straight out of the apiary after the 2024 seasons first inspections. Our spring has been cold and rainy so far and we're definitely a few weeks behind previous seasons but we're feeling great! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out our newly upgraded Bug Repellent! Proven to work in even the harshest environments and actually good for your skin.
Apr 12, 2024•41 min
First we talk how understanding bee biology can help in decision making with a deep dive on the effects of pollen feeding followed by whether we think you can stop your bees from swarming. Finishing up with an 'Herb Corner' about medicinal mushrooms for both bees and humans! All while sipping a lovely witbier from Referend Bier Blendery in Kutztown, PA. This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. Check us out online at KaraJoSkinCare.com - your support means the world to ...
Mar 14, 2024•1 hr 12 min
It is almost spring!! And for many that means starting their first year keeping bees. We're answering some common beginner questions including equipment, buying bees and bad teachers (luckily we know some good ones!), how we handle spring mites, and more. We finish up with Kara Jo's Herb Corner segment on Propolis! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out all our skin care and honey bee products - we ship! Instagram: @MindYourHives, @KaraJoBeeFarm and @KaraJoSkinCare....
Mar 02, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Bee Side Episode! We're hanging out with Chris Stoudt of Stout Lawn and Pest and host of The Root Zone Podcast. We talk winter lawn practices, spring prep and that middle ground where your lawn can be more than just a green desert! This episode is brought to you by @KaraJoSkinCare (karajoskincare.com). Check out our winter skin care products!
Feb 25, 2024•1 hr 15 min
We're talking about beekeeping with a purpose and how it can help in your decision making, why hive deaths aren't necessarily bad and how we developed our style of hive management...and of course all the tangents those topics took us on before ending with an 'herb corner' about Thyme! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, check out our line of skin care products utilizing the power of the bees!!
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 16 min
We're talking off-season prep, building our forest apiary, revisiting Bee Venom Therapy and answering your questions! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. New winter skin care is out now and available for shipping!
Jan 16, 2024•1 hr 15 min
We're talking our current November beekeeping including adding some robbing screens to help against Yellow Jackets and taking a trip down memory lane about our start working Farmers' Markets. Also a message to vegans...honey is a by-product of plants, not animals...listen to find out why. This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, gift packages available for the holidays. Use coupon code "mindyourhives" to get 10% off!
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 10 min
There are lots of ways to beekeep but some styles (people?) really bother us...we're talking pet peeves, how we determine our top queen lines, mite follow-ups, overwintering our garden and more. This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. For online orders (listen for a promo code!) go to www.KaraJoSkinCare.com. @KaraJoSkinCare @KaraJoBeeFarm @MindYourHives
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 26
Kara Jo and Greg are talking about their apiary after the late summer mite treatments. The varroa debacle in Australia. A surprise swarm catch. What to expect in the coming fall. And another great Herb Corner with Kara Jo discussing the medicine of garlic. Cheers y'all! This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. You can find their bee-inspired skin care, shampoo, soaps, and HONEY online at KaraJoSkinCare.com. Follow @KaraJoSkincare and @KaraJoBeeFarm for more info. MindY...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 5 min
The battle against mites hits its peak this time of year. We're talking testing for varroa and how we keep our bees healthy NOW before going into winter while being fueled by beautiful wild ales from Plan Bee Farm Brewery in Poughkeepsie, NY. Cheers!
Aug 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min
In this episode we're talking about building our new farm, moving bees unexpectedly and how crazy life has been the past few months. We're drinking a Little Did you Know (our collab with Threes Brewing and Forest & Main) and when you listen to the episode you'll understand why that beer name really hits home! Hope you enjoy!
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 23
We are talking all about how we make splits while sipping on our newest collaboration beer from Threes Brewing in NYC. The beer name is 'Little Did We Know' and that sure sums up our lives as beekeepers! We have had a ton of success growing our apiary without buying bees for years using this split method and hope you can all learn from our experiences. As always this podcast is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care and Bee Farm. Check us out at KaraJoSkinCare.com. Cheers!
May 30, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 22
Happy Spring! We're letting y'all know what we're seeing in our apiaries this time of year and how we approach the spring season. We finish up the episode with a little chat about what to expect if you're a beginner and you're just getting into beekeeping right now...Enjoy! As always, each episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, please go check out our line of skin care products using honey, beeswax, propolis and more! @KaraJoSkinCare @KaraJoBeeFarm @MindYourHives on social media....
Mar 26, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 21
It's the beekeeper's offseason and we're answering your questions! Thanks for asking 'em. All episodes are brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com and special shoutout to Plan Bee Farm Brewery (Poughkeepsie, NY) for the killer Barn Beer.
Feb 07, 2023•58 min•Ep. 20
Chickens have been a part of our little farm's ecosystem since before we even had bees. On this Bee Side we're talking about our backyard chicken journey. From the original scrap wood chicken tractor to now we've learned how to manage mites, bumblefoot, predators, sour crop, water belly, trauma eggs, blood crazed hens, chicken dances and so much more...hope you enjoy. Shoutout Origin Beer Project for the beautiful saison.
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 15 min
Happy Thanksgiving! This is a fun one. We're talking about the current state of our hives, a recent deer tick bite, some mind blowing herbalism, and Greg's favorite Honey Bee Tale - Redhook Brooklyn's infamous red honey and how it took down a Cannabis Kingpin (or did it?).. Check out KaraJoSkinCare.com for some awesome Holiday Gift Packages on sale through Cyber Monday!! And enjoy some Forest & Main Brewery and Odd Colony Brewing Company beers like we did!
Nov 26, 2022•57 min•Ep. 19
We recorded this episode in early October and discuss our final winter preparations and a look back into some of the trends from the 2022 season.
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 18
On this episode of the Bee Side we're talking with Farmer Thom from Everwild Farm in Ambler, PA! There's so much crossover to how Everwild approaches farming and how Kara Jo Bee Farm approaches beekeeping so we threw a suit on Thom, went into some hives then sat down for a chat! We hope you get a glimpse into why we love knowing where our food is coming from and how you can take some regenerative practices into your home garden. Cheers!
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Preparing your bees for winter starts in the spring, but right now is CRUCIAL. It's right now that winter bees aka FAT bees are being made. We're talking all things preparing for that final winter prep. Why are winter bees so important? What are we doing to help them? Do you know your flow? Tune in and find out. Cheers y'all! Check out our Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm products online at KaraJoSkinCare.com and @KaraJoSkinCare.
Aug 31, 2022•52 min•Ep. 17
On this Bee Side - we're talking to Philadelphia Mixologist Mike Landers about cocktails. We dive into honey simple syrup, herb / flower infusions, drink history, batch cocktails and more! Check out our instagram (@mindyourhives) for the recipes and checkout @LandersDrinks and @BarSylviaPhilly for more from our special guest. Enjoy!
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 17 min
We're talking our recent State Inspector visit, bad bee sellers, harvesting honey, Formic Pro for mites and more - all while weathering some wicked storms in Pittsburg, NH!
Aug 01, 2022•54 min•Ep. 16
