Wheeling Farm Listed as Stop on West Virginia Honey Trail

photo by: Emma Delk

Eric Blend, co-owner of the Blended Homestead on Oglebay Drive in Wheeling, is thrilled to teach visitors about how they manage the hives at their farm as a stop on the West Virginia Honey Trail. His farm contains 26 hives and over a million bees, with each hive contained in one of the stacks of multi-colored boxes behind him.

WHEELING — The Blended Homestead on Oglebay Drive in Wheeling is putting its name on the map of the West Virginia Honey Trail to bridge the gap between honey farmers and consumers as well as raise awareness for the high-quality honey producers in the state

The West Virginia Honey Trail was born from a collaboration between the Mon County Beekeepers Association and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. When farmers and storeowners who sell locally grown honey register their businesses for the program, they are connected to consumers who can visit their business as a stop on the trail.

As a business on the map, the Blended Homestead will host tours of their farms, demonstrating how they manage their 26 hives and also provide samples of their honey.

Eric Blend, who runs the Blended Homestead with his wife Erica Blend, explained that he decided to join the program because the West Virginia Honey Trail’s goal of bridging the gap between consumer and customer is why he started farming in the first place.

“When this farm began eight years ago, it was because I had a lot of questions about the food I was putting in my body,” Blend said. “I want to help consumers become more knowledgeable about growing their own produce and also introduce them to the local, fresh food resources right here in the Ohio Valley.”

The West Virginia Honey Trail’s objectives also resonated with Blend because the program provides him the opportunity to inform consumers about the chain of local farms that exist in the Ohio Valley.

“I think there’s a negative perception in the Ohio Valley, especially on social media, that there’s no agriculture going on here,” said Blend “But most people don’t go to their farmers market and see first-hand there are a lot of farmers in our area.”

As a stop on the trail, the Blended Homestead will not only host tours of their hives but will also hold classes on how to grow plants. He explained the classes will explore “the soil science” that makes growing produce in the Ohio Valley area unique.

“We’re really excited for the opportunity to teach people what we’ve learned while working on the farm,” added Blend. “I’m always welcome to have people come out and learn about homesteading and how you can better your lifestyle through what you eat.”

Blend emphasized that the Blended Homestead is just “one piece” in a greater puzzle that makes up the local chain of farmers in the Ohio Valley. With over a million bees at their farm, he is thrilled that they are able to make sure the plants in a 2-mile radius of the farm, including the entire town of West Liberty, will be well-pollinated.

“We don’t have enough native pollinators in the area to support people that want to garden because blooms can’t survive without the pollination of bees,” explained Blend. “Helping out local beekeepers like myself helps keep native bee populations thriving so that work in the garden won’t go to waste.”

Blend also highlighted the numerous benefits that consuming local honey has. He noted that those with pollen allergies can help combat seasonal symptoms by consuming local honey, which gives a “good quality dose” of the different blooms that create allergic reactions.

He added that local honey also has its own unique taste compared to what you would find in a store because commercial honey sellers have added sweeteners that create a “consistent flavor” across corporate brands.

“The nectars that bloom are different each harvest, which creates significantly different colors in our honey,” explained Blend. “So when you go to the store and all the honey looks the same versus the different colors we have here, that’s why.”

To host tours that explain the differences between local and store-bought honey and demonstrate the benefits of buying local to consumers is exciting for Blend. While they have already hosted tours for 4H programs and Boy Scout groups, he hopes next Spring they can begin to ramp up the amount of tours they have on the farm.

Blend encourages those interested in learning about their farm or who want to get a taste of their honey to contact them on their Facebook page, The Blended Homestead.

Viewing the West Virginia Honey Trail as “another step” in building a local community of farmers, Blend strives to continue informing consumers about the chain of fresh goods available in the area.

“We’re just one stop of the West Virginia Honey Trail, so I encourage consumers to not only buy local from us but from farmers all over West Virginia,” said Blend. “I’m proud that my small piece of the puzzle is able to help people know where they can get high-quality locally grown products at a reasonable price.”