Spotlight on the Slow Food NYC Snail of Approval Producer Matrix
A Day in the Life of Claire Marin, Co-Founder Catskill Provisions
A typical weekend for us at the farm driving up to our farmhouse in Delaware County with our german shepherd, Baron. First we go to the hen house and check on our 12 chickens and grab some eggs. Then we head out to the garden to harvest our groceries for the week consisting of every herb imaginable along with heritage lettuce, kale, tomatoes, and corn. But the most fun job is when we put on our bee-suits and tend to our 10 hives.
Back in 2003, bees started as a hobby as I continued my hectic career in publishing as the associate publisher at More Magazine and in 2008, the Vice President, Publisher of Woman’s Day Brand Group. But when I was with the bees I found myself totally immersed in the moment and thought of nothing else.
Everyday, I became more and more mesmerized by our bees’ work ethic. They are social creatures that work for the benefit of the group to produce the most optimal results for their colony. They are efficient, super-organized and have a strong sense of community. This really got me thinking. It was time to reevaluate my life. It was time to think about a change and literally become more like the bees.
In 2010, with multiple hives housing what I know are the happiest bees in New York State, I said goodbye to publishing and created Catskill Provisions, a premier artisan food company with the mission to produce %100 raw, local products.
To make all of Catskills products, Cathy and I now manage over 700 hives in Delaware and Sullivan Counties as well as one hive on West 10th Street in Manhattan, and only work with local farmers and beekeepers. With our two seasonal honeys, you can taste what the bees taste--clover, apple, pear blossom in the Spring and chestnut, maple, and asters in the Fall. We tap over 2,000 maple trees upstate for our syrup, hoping in the process to bring long overdue attention to this delicious New York sustainable resource. Catskill Maple Syrup is also cooked down to make our Maple Sugar that has endless uses. We just launched our new Pancake/Waffle mix made from organic wheat grown and milled in New York, and also our bittersweet Chocolate Honey Truffles infused with our Fall Honey.
About Catskill Provisions
Located in a small corner of the Northwest Catskill Mountains, Catskill Provisions is a company born out of the passion to make delicious local products while serving the community that helps sustain it. They subscribe to the philosophy that a thriving society makes use of the closest resources around it. Within Delaware County and surrounding areas, they source as many materials from local purveyors as they can while employing people from within the community. Catskill Provisions continues to grow their list of clients that is comprised of farm-to-table restaurants, hotels, and specialty stores upstate and in NYC that all subscribe to a sustainable local mindset.
Location: Long Eddy, New York
Miles from NYC: 129 miles
Slogan:“Happy Bees Make Better Honey”
Contact to order: Claire Marin, Co-Founder Claire@CatskillProvisions.com
Visit Catskills Provisions online
Website: www.catskillprovisions.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catskillprovisionsny
Twitter: http://twitter.com/catskillprovs