Our Story

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A lifelong fascination and appreciation for bees and nature instilled within Nature's Way Farm owner Joel Klose by his grandmother, Polly Brimmer, is where the humble beginnings of Finger Lakes Beekeeping truly start. Polly's deep connection to the earth and abundant knowledge of wild plants and edibles, as well as her affinity for the bees, became just as deeply instilled within her grandson Joel. 

In 1989, 2nd generation beekeeper Joel created Nature's Way Farm, selling his raw, pristine Finger Lakes honey at local upstate New York farmers markets, with his son Brian Klose at his side. At as young as four years old, (as pictured,) Brian would accompany Joel with beekeeping presentations at local farmers markets and fairs, showing off his own love and appreciation for the bees and their honey and honing his beekeeping skills and connection with the bees. Eventually, Joel and Brian began taking their raw honey and honey products to New York City to sell at GrowNYC Greenmarkets.

Over the next couple of decades, Nature's Way Farm became a pioneering honey farm within the GrowNYC Greenmarket program in New York City, selling at over a dozen different farmers markets in all five boroughs. What was once a small honey farm soon became a leading resource for beekeepers all over the country, providing monthly clinics at our storefront location with three generations of beekeeping expertise. We evolved beyond just selling at farmers markets to include queen rearing, nuc sales, pollination contracts, and so many other different ventures. And with that evolution came an evolution from Nature's Way Farm to Finger Lakes Beekeeping, with the passing of the torch moving from Joel Klose to his son Brian Klose.

We look forward to seeing what evolves next!