OUR STORY
Quail and Hound: Our Commitment to Sustainability and the Environment
At Quail and Hound Farms we strive to be good stewards of nature in order to leave a healthy planet for our children while providing the highest quality, natural products to our family, friends, and neighbors. We aim to preserve the beauty of our property, maintain the health of our family and animals, and make as little impact as possible in our beautiful Middleburg, Virginia.
Carbon Footprint: We strive to minimize our carbon footprint. Whenever possible, we procure our supplies locally. Our bees require nothing but plant life and sunshine. Over half of our 20 acres remain completely wooded to offset any carbon footprint we may produce.
Resources, Reusing, and Recycling: We try to use as many reusable and recyclable products, as possible. We use glass and metal for many of our honey and beeswax products and paper bags are used in lieu of plastic (although we do have plastic available). We collect glass and bags at Farmers' Markets and at the farm to be recycled or reused.
Water Sources: We have two water sources at Quail and Hound, the natural creek behind our house that provides a continuous water supply for our bees and well water for our chickens. We take every possible step to ensure that run-off does not lead to or contaminate the creek, in an effort to preserve its purity and for as little impact as possible.
Pesticides, Insecticides, and Fertilizers: Our hives prevent us from using any harmful chemicals on our property since bees travel several miles to collect nectar and pollen. We made the hard decision between growing produce or keeping bees; please excuse the weeds on our walkways and throughout the property. The only fertilizer used for our small garden and orchard comes from collecting and composting household scraps and chicken manure; all 100% natural.
About Quail and Hound Farm
Rick and Wendy had a vision when they moved to the farm. They wanted a fixer-upper with enough land to produce quality food products they could feed their family and friends. They started with a few backyard chickens and a small garden; their love for their hens and search for the "perfect egg" grew. They love the rich flavor and color of farm fresh eggs and had enough to provide to family, friends, and neighbors, and the demand continued to grow. Their old barn was converted into a hen house, and the chicken run they added has been expanded multiple times to accommodate the growing flock.
Their good friends and long-time Winchester beekeepers inspired them to raise bees. As a former life science teacher, this piqued Wendy's interest because of the value of bees as pollinators in the environment, bees' endangered animal status, and research that showed local honey could help with her allergies. Rick just loved the idea of producing his own honey to have in the mornings with his Greek yogurt and walnuts. They started three years ago with two hives and have expanded since. As their knowledge and skill in beekeeping increased, so did their harvest yielding tons of liquid gold that could now be sold to the public.
Wendy and Rick grew up in households where food was what brought friends and family together. Rick's mom was an amazing cook and passed that passion onto him. Rick takes great pride in his cooking and prepares food with meticulous attention to seasoning and flavor. Rick has created his own rubs, which were lovingly referred to as Rick's Rub and Wendy's Rub. Those rubs have since been renamed as West Texas heat and Sweet Texas heat, and will soon be sold to the public along with other rubs such as Bistro Chicken, Savory Steakhouse, and Fresh Catch, and will also sell his sauces, which are his son-in-law's favorites.
We hope you will enjoy our products as much as our friends and family do.
Honeys
At Quail and Hound Farm, we are a little obsessed with letting our bees do what they do best-- and it shows in every jar. We offer two standout honeys: a dark, amber-colored wildflower honey with a rich, bold flavor, and lighter golden-colored clover that smooth, mild, and endlessly versatile. Our bees happily forage all over our 20 acres and nearby areas, surrounded by diverse trees like tulip poplar and cherry and flowering plants like wild strawberries and clover. This gives our honey its unique character and flavor.
A few years ago, we decided to try something new and a little daring... our Habanero Honey! Made by cold-infusing our wildflower honey with dried habanero peppers, it quickly became our #1 best seller. Its sweet, complexity with a gentle kick makes it absolutely perfect for marinades, sauces, glazes, and just about anything that could use a little heat and a lot of flavor.
Spice and Rub Blends
Our first culinary adventure!
Inspired by Rick's mom, who passed on to her son her passion for cooking and her generous use of spices and seasonings, we bring to you a collection of exquisite spice and rub recipes for discerning palates.
Our travels across the globe expanded our tastes and our love for diverse flavors which we are excited to share with Northern Virginia's vibrant foodie community.
Using only the finest ingredients like smoked Hungarian paprika, dehydrated elephant garlic, butcher-cut black pepper, and Trapani sea salt, we invite you to elevate your dishes to new heights!
Home and Health
Bees are tiny powerhouses, and we are endlessly inspired by everything they create-- golden honey, nourishing beeswax, healing propolis, and pollen that keeps the whole hive thriving. Have you ever noticed the warm, sweet scent of honey or experienced the skin-loving benefits of beeswax? Wendy sure has! That love sparked our new "Home and Health," made with the same care and purity as our honeys and rubs. Our soaps, lip balms, and lotion bars are crafted with clean, simple ingredients featuring real honey and beeswax to protect your skin, lock in moisture, and feel amazing every day. And let's talk candles... ours are made from the purest soy wax and infused with honey essential oils for a soft, naturally sweet glow. Why soy instead of beeswax? Because harvesting large amounts of beeswax would force our bees to rebuild wax instead of storing honey for winter, and we always put our bees first! That's why we use our beeswax thoughtfully and sparingly, only where its benefits truly shines-- your skin.