Our Story

Our beekeeping journey began in 2016 when Rachael was invited to help out at a live colony removal from a residence in Lafayette, LA. An absolute life-altering experience was had and by the next weekend Rachael had convinced Michael that they could go relocate another colony of honeybees from the wall of an abandoned house that they were told about. Several stings later, we were hooked & within four months this mighty addictive hobby had grown our apiary to 10 hives!

Then life took an unexpected turn and we found our careers demanded a move across state lines to Houston, TX. We continued taking care of our apiary back home and perfecting the art of live colony removals on the weekends. Our Houston apiary had to stay small & hidden from the HOA, but we managed to make it work. Four years later, another curveball that landed us back on the soggy bottom where we belong.

The pandemic of 2020 was a major turning point for Rachael. Finding herself laid off from her career in Geochemistry Technology, she dove headfirst into beekeeping as a full-time career and founded Acadiana Women in Beekeeping, a free local mentorship group for women to learn about beekeeping in a judgment-free space. Our apiary grew to now over 50 hives, & although it's not the fastest method, we still batch our honey from two medium frames at a time. Every batch is a floral time capsule of what the worker bees foraged that day or week & every batch different than the others.

Rachael is the Acadia Parish 4-H Bee Club leader, bringing environmental awareness and homesteading/small farming practices to the children & families in her community.

Our Apiaries

Our first apiary, & hosting home for homesteading classes and private experiences with bees, Lantern Leaf Farm's apiary was established in 2016 between the sugarcane fields and a cow pasture in the tiny community of Judice in Lafayette Parish. The 1880s farmhouse is situated on an acre & a half homestead about 20 miles north of the Gulf coast.

The Estherwood Exit Easter Egger Freedom Farm is home to our roadside honesty box honey table, largest apiary, & home of our aviary & ourselves. The EEEEFF is a re-established three acre homestead with mature native persimmons, figs, & mulberry trees along with a whole host of newly added fruiting trees, bushes, & gardens surrounded by rice fields and bayous. This homestead produces roughly 800 dozen chicken, guinea, turkey, & quail eggs per year. Rachael hatches hundreds of project Marans/Easter Egger/Olive Egger chicks, hundreds of crazy guinea fowl, & dozens of stunningly plumed heritage turkeys each year making the aviary self-sustaining.

The Pecan Grove Homestead in Iota is a tiny private satellite apiary, graciously hosted by the town's couple with the biggest heart. This is a five-hive apiary in situated within a small fruit tree orchard.

Harry's Honey Hives apiary is a two acre homestead in the Hargrove Settlement near Dequincy, LA. The final resting place to the locally notorious storyteller, Harry T. Methvin, this homestead has been in Michael's family since 1938 & is surrounded by piney woods and sprawling wildflower pastures.

Location

Judice, Crowley, Iota, & Dequincy, LA

Hours

Dawn to Dusk

FAQs

Where is honey from?

Our honey comes from four homesteads in south Louisiana.

How do I buy honey?

You can purchase honey at our roadside farm stand anytime the signs are up, or directly through our website. Because honey is seasonal, we may not always have extra for sale.

Do you offer beekeeping classes?

Yes, we host various homesteading and beekeeping classes at Lantern Leaf Farm & the Estherwood Exit Easter Egger Freedom Farm.

Do you remove bee colonies?

Yes, we provide live colony removals safely and responsibly.

Where are your apiaries?

Our apiaries are sprinkled across southwest Louisiana.

How can I book a private apiary date?

Contact us through the website to schedule a private visit at our homestead.