Sunswick Farm
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Saturday Winter Season Farmers Market, January-April: C-Shed
Saturday Grower Season Farmers Market, May-October: C-Shed
Saturday Holiday Season Farmers Market, November-December: C-Shed
Products: honey-based products, mushrooms, apples
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Brooks Mullahy, founder and owner of Sunswick Farm, is a true QUEEN BEE!
Upon returning from 12 years of not-for-profit work in Tanzania, East Africa, Brooks came to Central New York and was interested in developing a business that involved being outside and working with nature. Having been a backyard beekeeper 30 years ago, she decided beekeeping would be the perfect new venture. After completing a three-year apprenticeship with a Master Beekeeper in the area, she opened Sunswick Farm Honey in 2016. With help from her sister Tracy, together they tend to 200+ beehives which are located in what they call “bee-yards” on private properties throughout Onondaga, Cortland and Cayuga counties.
Brooks explained that the work of a beekeeper is similar to that of vegetable farmers. “Our work with the hives begins in Spring, is active throughout the summer, and slows down significantly in mid-fall. From early April to October we visit the hives a minimum of every 2 weeks to make sure the bees are doing well. Come mid to late fall we get the hives ready for winter when the bees stay in the hive and go into what is called a torpor. Bees do not hibernate. They simply slow down significantly. It is remarkable that these small creatures survive our very cold winters. When it is cold they get into what is called a cluster (it’s like a soccer ball) with the queen bee in the center and they basically shiver to keep her warm. Much like penguins, the bees rotate in the cluster so the ones on the outside of the cluster take their turn in the center where the temperature is 95 degrees!! Even on our coldest days.”
In addition to an appreciation of bees and amazement of the varieties of honey, they produce (in good years they can get 16 varieties of honey!), Sunswick Farm loves to share their wealth of knowledge with customers. Brooks has found that the shoppers at the Regional Market are interested in knowing where and how their food is produced and many are interested in developing relationships with their favorite vendors. She went on to reflect, “It's why selling honey at the CNY Regional Market since Labor Day Weekend of 2016 is so rewarding. After spending our weeks tending to the bees going to the market every Saturday and seeing our regular customers as well as meeting new ones is great. We also sell honey from the farm. Many of our Regional Market customers have made the trip to the farm where they can get a tour of the honey house and if they desire, hike on our walking trails that cover 113 acres. In the fall folks can also walk about and pick apples.”
Education, Brooks and team agree, is equally important as producing a quality product, especially since the public plays an essential role in our food chain. “In essence, if we don’t protect the honey bees and other pollinators the farmers market wouldn’t have the diversity of vegetables that we have now. The bees face many challenges including dealing with pesticides and fungicides, various pests and diseases, and climate change. All the rain we had this summer was not good for the bees because it washed the nectar and pollen off the flowers and that is the bee’s food! So while we can’t control the weather there are things we can do to help the bees and protect our food chain. Hold off on using RoundUp or other pesticides on your lawns and consider planting bee-friendly flowers. It is easy to get a list of flowers beneficial to bees on the internet. And please support your local beekeepers who produce raw honey because we take care of the bees and the raw honey takes care of you!”
Sunswick Farm also has wild apple trees and wild mushrooms on the farm in which when the weather is permitting, they harvest and bring to the Regional Market to sell alongside their honey.
