In the hills high above Starksboro, the window of Ariel Krolick’s "honey office" looks out over beehives buzzing with the energy of early spring. A few feet away an apple tree shimmers with brilliant white blossoms. Nearby, the fields are about to burst wide open with wildflowers.
In anticipation of the work ahead, thousands of bees are busy building honeycombs inside Krolick’s TopBar hives (a more horizontal construction than the typical square box design most people are used to seeing).
Inside, Krolick bottles up raw honey and concocts her delectable raw honey infusions, which combine organic herbs and ingredients to create a wide variety of imaginative offerings, from Hot Pepper to Alder Smoked Sea Salt, from Organic Elderberry to the intriguing Bee Sleepy, among many others.
Needless to say, Krolick is a bit passionate about bees and the vital role they play in keeping our planet healthy. She believes that each infusion she makes brings her customers closer to understanding and supporting the importance of bees in our daily lives and communities. She loves educating customers, friends, and shopowners, and enjoys sharing information about the benefits of raw honey and the importance of protecting bees, while at the same time warning of the dangers of pesticides.
Likewise, she is passionate about the need to focus on women-owned makers and businesses. “I think it’s important to highlight female-owned businesses,” she says, "especially in Vermont, where there are so many incredibly hard-working women who have built their own businesses.”
Krolick also runs a landscaping business, where she builds and maintains pollinator gardens. Naturally, the two businesses cross-pollinate and support one another, and help to educate families and businesses on the importance of protecting pollinators for our future.
It’s a pretty sweet combination.
