About us
OUR STORY
Eastridge Farm LLC was established in 2021. What began with a few acres of watermelons has bloomed into so much more. Jim and Jill Eastridge began their journey to “Eastridge Farm” with a 4-acre field of watermelons ...
... when Jill noticed honeybees buzzing all amongst the blooms on the watermelon plants. She began reading and studying about honeybees. In the spring of 2020, we set up our first two colonies of honeybees to help in pollinating the watermelons. During this time, Jim and Jill were brainstorming ideas about developing Eastridge Farm into something more than just the place we live. "We wanted to do something with our land that people could enjoy. To see and experience the sites and sounds we wake up to everyday." While on their honeymoon in October 2020, road-tripping through 11 states in and around the Appalachian Mountains from Gettysburg to D.C. and all points in between, we had our epiphany. We noticed, dotting the hillsides of Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, fall festivals with corn mazes and pumpkin patches. September 2021 saw the First Annual “Maze at Eastridge Farm” begin with a 5-acre maze. We recently celebrated our third year, in 2023, of hosting a family-fun oriented maze. We enjoyed honeybees so much, we thought we would venture into rescuing bees from homes. Actually, we just kind of stumbled into it when asked by a friend if we could get some bees out of a house he was preparing to remodel. And so began our Honeybee Removal Service adventure. Our Honeybee Removal Service safely removes unwanted honeybee hives, whether in a home, barn, office, shed etc.. The colony is then transported to their new home at Eastridge Farm – Catahoula Queen Apiary where we allow the bees to rebuild their colony. Sometimes they stay, sometimes they go. Currently, we have 21 colonies in our apiary and several others throughout Hancock and Pearl River Counties. Not only do we harvest honey, Jill also makes natural honey soaps and beeswax balms. Along the way, Eastridge Farm became an LLC, began mentoring other new beekeepers and in 2023, purchased a freeze-dried candy business, bringing The Crispy Treats Co. into the field at Eastridge Farm.
Our Purpose
We want people to enjoy and experience what Eastridge Farm is. Whether you bring the family to "The Maze", buy a bottle of honey, a bar of soap or your favorite freeze-dried treat from "The Crispy Treats Co." we hope you truly enjoy the experience.