What happens when you match millions of bees with a man passionate about producing honey? Simply put: magic.
Glenn Smirle knew he wanted to be a farmer since he was knee-high and chasing after his grandpa in the fields. The over 300 acres he calls home was purchased back in 1940. Glenn’s grandparents bought the original 100 acres with the barn, which still stands today.
In 1991, Glenn took over the family dairy operation, launching a 30-year farming career with no end in sight. In 2017, he switched gears from dairy farmer to apiarist, to pursue his lifelong dream of beekeeping.
“It was time for a change,” explains Glenn. “My fascination with honeybees was the reason I took an apiary management course when I attended the University of Guelph. When I left cows and milk, bees and honey seemed like a natural transition.”
Glenn started out with two hives five years ago. He now has two bee yards and over 40 hives, producing approximately 5,000 pounds of the sweetest nectar known to man every year. Glenn takes great pride in his bees, who he refers to as his ‘girls.’ When asked what sets his honey apart from other producers, he laughs and says “I think it’s the pep talk I give the girls every morning…okay, this is how it’s going to go today!”
Honey is good food, explains Glenn, who goes into detail about its medicinal qualities, including the microbes that make it just about the most perfect substance on earth. Bees make honey from what’s available and Glenn has taken significant steps to ensure the health of his bees by planting a breathtaking patch of wildflowers on his property, along with rows of sunflowers lining his crops. The scenery is wild and natural – a unique look for a working farm. His bees forage on alfalfa, sweet clover, sunflowers and wildflowers – all native to Dundas County. This allows the bees to produce honey with exceptional taste and aroma unique to the region. Glenn extracts honey directly from the hive, without high temperature or pressurized filtering systems, to ensure the maximum amount of pollen and all of the honey’s goodness remains intact.
His efforts are paying off and word is getting out that North Dundas has one of the top honey producers in eastern Ontario. Smirlholm Farms Honey, based in Morewood, boasts its fair share of accolades, including a loyal customer base that keeps on growing. Glenn’s honey was also voted the best by the eastern Ontario Beekeepers’ Association.
Glenn says he’s proud of his honey, which is made with a touch of love and a whole lot of determination. He says honey is perfection and it all starts with sunshine. Glenn’s completely natural honey will change the way you look at the amber liquid forever. It’s good food: unpasteurized, minimal processing – straight out of the hive and into a bucket.
Glenn has big plans for the future, with a focus on agritourism and growing his business by making it a destination for people. He’s planning on opening up the farm to visitors with horse-drawn wagon rides out to the pollinator patch and educational talks about bees.
“In the next five years or so, I’d like to get to the point where I’m selling bees,” explains Glenn. “As the hive expands you need to split it to keep it from swarming and leaving. It’s all part of good bee management.”
People who want to come check out Smirlholm Farms can use it as a jumping off point to explore North Dundas and see everything the Township has to offer. If you haven’t tried Glenn’s honey, now is the time. It goes with everything – from sweetening your tea to flavouring your chicken.
One of Glenn’s customers, Alan Daye, says Glenn’s excellent honey revived memories of his childhood, growing up beside an apiary. “…that aroma, taste, and overall sensation of beauty were all fired up with the first taste of his product.”
Glenn sells his unpasteurized, 100% natural honey, along with three different flavours of creamed honey (lemon, vanilla and cinnamon) and beeswax candles. His honey is available in three different sizes, ranging from 250g to 1kg. You can pick up a jar (or two or three) at local farmers’ markets, including the ones in Russell, Winchester and Manotick. You can also find Smirlholm Farms Honey at three retailers in Winchester: Simply Baked, The Planted Arrow and J&L Produce.
Smirlholm Farms Honey
65 Main Street, Morewood
Ph: 613-371-0962
Email: Glenn
www.smirlholmfarmshoney.ca
