Bees & Trees Farm

2023 Christmas Tree Selling Schedule & "Newfy" Arrival!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Bees & Trees Farm is already preparing for opening "Tree Weekend" when they'll start selling Christmas trees and bring back those adorable 'Newfies' from the Colonial Newfoundland Club!

"We open for tree selling the Friday after Thanksgiving," said owner, Jeff Gregson, "but if you want to pet the Newfies or have them take your Christmas tree--in a special dog-cart--to your car, you'll need to come the next day, Saturday, November 25th when the club will be here with their gentle giants."

Bees & Trees always loves having these beautiful creatures at the farm, they are not only sweet and gentle, they are incredibly well-trained, well-behaved and well-mannered.

"We have a lot of dogs come to the farm throughout the year and the vast majority of them have exemplary manners," said Gregson "but these animals kick that good behavior up a notch."

There's nothing quite like seeing one of these beautiful dogs pull a cart (some even decorated for the holiday!) with a 6'-8' Christmas tree in it. Kids simply squeal with delight!

This year, Bees & Trees will not be cutting trees from their fields. Instead, Gregson will head down to Southwest VA and bring back approximately 125 freshly cut Fraser Firs.

Fraser Firs, the popular tree from the movie Home Alone, has become one of the most sought-after Christmas trees in the country.

"Unfortunately, you can't really grow a Fraser in this part of Virginia," said Gregson, "they need an altitude of 3000' or more to fill out and really look good and we're only at 300'.

The Farm Store will be all decorated for Christmas when it opens at 10 AM Wednesday, November 1st.

Last year, members of the Colonial Newfoundland Club brought their "gentle giants" to Bees & Trees Farm on Thanksgiving weekend...they will return this year--Thanksgiving Saturday!

This family is all smiles as they have their Christmas tree carted to their car by a sweet Newfy.

You never know who's going to make an appearance at Bees & Trees on Thanksgiving weekend. This Newfy seems completely unaware that the Grinch is lurking behind him!

Properly trained to pull carts, this Newfy shows his strength with a seemingly over-sized Christmas tree.

Bees & Trees turns around The Farm Store for Christmas by the first week in November!

Bees & Trees Farm
Celebrates 10 Years in
Culpeper County

Bees & Trees is celebrating their 10th year in business throughout 2023 and with that celebration will come a number sales and fun opportunities for our customers!

"It's really been a whirlwind, said Teresa. We originally purchased the farm--which used to be Crazy Joe's Christmas Tree Farm--in April of 2013 and we planned to just 'chill' here on weekends. We wanted to have a place away from the city where we could bring our Richmond friends and just hang out.

"But the farm's previous owners, Jocelyn and Joe Lampert, were tremendously gracious and offered to come back that first Thanksgiving weekend and help us sell the Christmas trees they had planted! We had such fun that weekend that we were hooked, after that, Jeff semi-retired, I fully retired, we sold our Richmond home and we moved here permanently to start the business!"

Over the years, and with the help of a lot of market research, The Farm Store at Bees & Trees has been able to identify who their customers are and what they want--what they want to buy and what they don't want to buy.

With that research in hand, Bees & Trees has been able to source other types of products that fit the needs and tastes of their market base and then target that base in follow-up advertising.

Now, The Farm Store at Bees & Trees has expanded its offerings to include more of their own products while also tapping the products of other local, small businesses. In doing so, they are constantly rotating their offerings with carefully sourced, local goods that fit the specific needs of their customer base.

"We really pride ourselves in helping other local businesses get off the ground by allowing them to sell their products in our store without taking a commission or charging a seller/vendor's fee. These are small, mom and pop shops that offer local goods that we know match the taste of our customers," said Teresa.

The Gregsons have also found an additional source of revenue in their online store which sells many --but not all--of the products available in their brick and mortar store.

Be sure to follow them on Facebook at: beesandtreesfarm for last minute updates to the store's operations.

Soar with Earthquest held its demonstration at Bees & Trees wedding venue during the 2023 Culpeper County Harvest Days Farm Tour

Bees & Trees Most Visited Farm on 2023 Farm Tour!

Bees & Trees Farm was excited to learn it was the most visited farm at the Culpeper County's 26th Annual Harvest Days Farm Tour. Thirty-eight percent of the over 2500 guests at the Tour visited Bees & Trees Saturday and Sunday, September 16th and 17th..

The event, organized by Culpeper County Business Development Coordinator, Winona Pritts, and sponsored by Culpeper Economic Development, was created to promote farms and help them gain a bigger foothold in the community. The promotional funds used for this event allow the Tour to reach out to the community and beyond in ways individual farm budgets wouldn't allow.

This year's tour boasted approximately 14 different farms and businesses, many offering unique activities that were all free to visitors!

Bees and Trees Farm, which has raised honeybees for over ten years, hosted demonstrations that opened their hives for visitors to inspect in the morning and demonstrated how honey is actually extracted from their hives in the afternoon.

Gates & Valerie Bierhuizen hold frames loaded with honey, pollen and honeybees during their Farm Tour demonstration

Tasting honey straight from the hive is a tasty treat for all ages!

"Guests always enjoy seeing these two demonstrations," said Teresa Gregson a beekeeper herself who, with her husband, Jeff, own Bees & Trees Farm.

"It's particularly useful for folks thinking about raising bees and especially interesting to youngsters wanting to see what goes on inside those 'secret boxes.'

"Gates and Valerie Bierhuizen have worked with us and our bees for a number of years and--at our age--we have a mutual appreciation for both their bee knowledge AND their youth," said Gregson.

"They are truly a dynamic bee duo, they love working with the bees, they raise their own bees and now are even making and selling creamed honey, under their own label--Spirit Hill!"

Delicious on crackers and cheese, biscuits, or toast, their creamed honey was a big hit at this year's Farm Tour where guests had an opportunity to taste a free sample at their vendor booth!

Soar With Earthquest"was another demonstration that was well received during the Tour. This amazing nonprofit educated visitors on the capabilities of their rescued but non-releasable birds of pray. Featuring an owl, a hawk and a vulture, Earthquest stole the show at their demonstration Saturday afternoon.

More Pix From the 2023 Culpeper Co. Farm Tour

The honey extraction demo is held inside a netted tent in order to keep honeybees--that can smell honey from great distances--from inhibiting the extraction process!

The crowd was captivated by the demonstration that Soar With Earthquest gave visitors

Visitors loved the LOVE sign loaned to Bees & Trees for the tour by the VA Department of Tourism

This year's free Sangria Tasting was a big hit and guests seemed to favor the delicious Pineapple and Blackberry varietals

Tigger and Eeyore are two of the farm's most popular pets. Be sure and head down to the barn on your next visit! They love seeing all visitors--big and small--and putting their nose into everyone's business!

Bees & Trees Farm Unveils its 10th Anniversary Logo

In celebration of ten years in business, Bees & Trees updated its logo, recognizing a number of changes made to the farmhouse during the last 10 years since it was purchased by owners Jeff and Teresa Gregson.

"The home was stunning and we both fell in love with it the moment we saw it," said Teresa. "I remember thinking that all I wanted to do was make it yellow! Apparently, I drew pictures of yellow houses with white picket fences when I was little and I guess I never grew out of it!"

Following the addition of yellow, hardy-plank siding, the Gregsons enclosed the garage creating The Farm Store and then added what they call a "gergola" (not a garage and not a pergola) and finally added a wing to the North end of the house.

"Originally, we were adding a suite for my mother who had just moved in with us," said Teresa. "We designed the entire addition to her specifications." Sadly, she passed in 2019 right after we had had the footers poured and she never got to see it completed."

After some re-configuring and re-imagining by their builder, Design Craft Homes of Locust Grove and following the pandemic, they ended up turning the addition into an Airbnb with its own entrance. The addition was completed in May of 2021 and the Airbnb began in August of 2021. Since launching their Airbnb--The Garden View Suite--the Gregsons have maintained Superhost status each quarter they have been in operation.

The Garden View Suite Earns Superhost Status for Seventh Time in a Row!

Bees & Trees is pleased to announce that, for the SEVENTH time in a row, their Airbnb property--The Garden View Suite--has earned the coveted Superhost status from Airbnb!

This status comes directly from guests' ranking on value, cleanliness and communication with the property's host. In addition, a minimum number of 12 guest stays must have occurred at the property during the four-month period being reviewed with little to no cancellations and the host must have secured an overall rating of 4.8 or higher out of 5.0 from their guests.

The Garden View Suite maintains an overall ranking of 4.98 and has had absolutely no cancellations!

"We are so grateful to our guests for this distinction," said Teresa Gregson who with her husband, Jeff, manages the property. "We have enjoyed getting to know our guests and are honored by their ranking of our accommodations."

"You know you're doing something right when you have so many repeat guests who return to celebrate their anniversaries and birthdays. We've enjoyed getting to know our guests and always look forward to their return."

Bees & Trees Farm Launches Event Space
Ready For the Summer of 2024

Bees & Trees Farm is in the finishing stages of their event space which will be available to host small, micro weddings and special family events.

"For years, we've been asked if we would consider allowing weddings, anniversary parties, baby showers or reunion picnics on our farm, but we hesitated because we didn't feel we were set up to do it right," said owner, Teresa Gregson.

"Weddings, in particular, are one of the most important events in a couple's life and we want to offer a venue that will be unique and attractive and create those lasting memories that every young couple deserves to have."

Now, with the addition of the Airbnb on the property, and the completion of their Gazebo area for ceremonies, Gregson believes she will be able to offer a unique and beautiful event space at Bees & Trees.

"There are plenty of lovely farms and wedding venues that cater to large-scale weddings. There are plenty more that just throw up a tent and say 'you can have an event here'--offering few actual amenities" said Gregson, "but we want to book special events--those that cater to small, intimate groups. We want to be the venue that provides an intimate experience, in a beautiful location, at an affordable price."

With the landscaping and electrical work now complete, and a lovely stone path to the gazebo, there are only a few more things to complete before winter arrives.

"We are thrilled with the landscaping plan and installation that Windmill Heights Garden Center developed for us," said Gregson. "They did an amazing job helping us identify plants that will be in bloom throughout the spring and summer during all of our events."

In the next few weeks, we will be able to schedule a photo session with that area in full bloom. With those photos in hand, Gregson will have what she needs to create the promotional materials that brides and event hosts expect to see prior to booking.

"Brides typically need six months to plan their weddings so, with that kind of lead time, we expect our wedding season to begin the summer of 2023," said Gregson.

With The Gazebo overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and framed by a grove of gorgeous Christmas trees, blooming landscaping and lush grass, Bees & Trees Farm offers a unique and idyllic location for any celebration.

Check back for more updates on The Gazebo--the name for the Bees & Trees event venue.

Come visit our Bees & Trees!
Stay in our Airbnb, see our apiary, pet our barn critters

They are here...
Beeswax Candles are now in The Farm Store

Did you know that burning beeswax candles will help purify the air in your home? Let's face it, now a days, our air can use a little help with purification!

Beeswax is a natural ionizer - emitting negative ions when burned. Short of buying an expensive electric ionizer, burning beeswax candles is the simplest and most effective way of purifying the air that you breathe!

AND, there's real science behind it!

Scientists have proven that anything floating in the air does so because it is 'positively charged' - this includes dust, pollen, viruses, bacteria and germs.

Beeswax, when burned, emits negative ions that bind to positive ions when they meet, thereby creating a complete molecule. And, since complete molecules are heavier than air, they fall to the ground taking those unwanted particles with them.

Just by burning 100% pure beeswax candles a few times a week, your home will be cleaner, smell sweeter and the air you breath will be much healthier!

We are now selling 100% beeswax candles (made right here at Bees & Trees). Check them out in The Farm Store!

Check out our locally raised Black Angus beef!

The Farm Store freezer always has your favorite cuts of locally-raised, black Angus beef--always hormone and antibiotic free.

For those of you who can taste the difference between locally raised Black Angus and, well, the other stuff, your taste buds will be delighted to learn we sell our locally raised ground beef for $6.50/pound! That's pretty good considering how much beef has gone up in price the last few months!

Our beef is raised on grass and finished off on grain to insure perfect marbling and tenderness dominates every mouthful.

Whether your favorite cut is bone-in rib eye, filet, NY strip, chuck roast, tri-tip, flank, short ribs or just good ole ground beef...you'll find it here at Bees & Trees. And, if we don't have what you're looking for, tell us! We'll do our best to have it waiting for you the next time you visit!

~Providing Locally Sourced Goods Since 2013~