“We like to just jump in feet first and then figure it out as we go.”
Such is how “Queen Bee” Marci Swift became the owner of a 107-acre farm in Apsley, found a passion for beekeeping, learned to raise animals, and is now running a small business selling sustainable and handmade products alongside her husband Jonathan and their four sons.
Now Swift Acres Apiary & Farm is diving in once again by inviting the public to a new farmstand on the North Kawartha property every Saturday morning.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, Swift Acres Apiary & Farm is inviting anyone to drop by and purchase delicious honey and fresh eggs, cut wildflowers, and a selection of handmade goods and products from other local makers.
“What we offer is going to be a little different every week as we go with the seasons,” says Marci. “My boys have different things planned — they have lemonade and have been working on little herb planters — and, in the summer, we’re going to have veggies that are locally grown.”
Hearing Marci’s love of farm life, you would never guess that she wasn’t a generational farmer. But, while growing up in Bowmanville, Marci “always dreamed” of one day living on a farm.
“I had a friend whose house was on a farm, and it was one of those memories that stuck with me because I loved the feeling when I was there,” she recalls. “I think I was drawn to the simplicity of farm life — not to say that it’s easy, because it’s far from easy — but there’s something about the rhythm of the simplicity of it, with the animals needing food and water. There’s a certain routine that just has to be done.”
Moving to their large North Kawartha property was not something Marci and Jonathan had set out to do. They were living in their first home in Grafton when they were supposed to be looking for cottages for her in-laws and instead stumbled upon a new home for themselves.
“I very much go with my heart, not my head, all the time — which only sometimes works out, and in this case, it did,” she says. “Everybody thought we were crazy as we were moving so far from our friends and family, but we loved it and haven’t looked back since.”
As for the animals, that all began with some chicks that had once been kindergarten classroom pets. While Marci was on maternity leave, Jonathan, a teacher, had the opportunity to take them home as the first animals to be introduced to the land. Though the couple began by only using the eggs for themselves, they eventually started selling them to friends and neighbours.
Before long, Marci realized they should use the “big beautiful barn to its full potential” by introducing more animals. As she was raising four sons, she wanted to find animals whose care was not labour-intensive, which led her and her oldest son, Gavin, who was 10 years old at the time, to take a beekeeping course.
“By the end, we knew it was something we could do, so we ordered two nucs (nucleus colonies) and hives,” Marci says. “And after that first season of having bees, I was hooked. Bees, I would say, are my passion now. I just love them, which was surprising.”
Seven years later, Marci and her family now have almost 50 hives and, while it’s certainly not as easy managing so many, she is still in her “happy place” when she’s out working in the bees.
“They are just fascinating to watch and learn from, and I’m constantly learning more every year,” Marci says about her bees. “I always think I know exactly what I need to do, but every hive has their own personality and different things you have to figure out on your feet. The way they work together is really something I like to hold onto in my own life.”
Teamwork is something the whole family has learned from farm life, as Swift Acres has become a family affair. Marci’s mother — who had planned to “retire” on the property — is the delivery person and gatherer of supplies and Jonathan is the handyman, with Marci and Jonathan’s four sons doing much of the animal care and chores around the farm.
“I honestly couldn’t do all that we do without them,” Marci points out. “I cannot give them enough credit as they run 90 per cent of this farm. They’re pretty amazing and I’m very lucky to have their support.”
Through the apiary and farm, the Swifts sell beeswax candles, honey, goat milk soaps, and other handmade products — all of which are sustainable and natural.
“It’s amazing that when you get connected with a part of nature and with honeybees, you just want to learn about and help all the other native pollinators that are here,” Marci says. “For me, it was just really important that we don’t contribute to the waste or pollution of our Earth.”
“I love creating different candles or honey and soaps, but a lot of those things come with unneeded packaging,” she adds. “I tried to source out different ways I could do it without having an impact and adding to landfills, and then I wondered if I can do this, why can’t these other big huge corporations do it? But I figure. small and mightily, I can do my part and feel good about what I put out there and know it’s not going to actually be on this Earth forever.”
Since first beginning to make and sell the products from the farm, Marci has wanted to open the farmstand and welcome people to actively enjoy the land.
“There’s just something about having that connection to where your food and products come from that feels good,” she says.
Alongside selling original Swift Acres products, the family is inviting other local makers and businesses to sell their homemade goods through the farmstand, including maple products from nearby farms and garden decorations from Rachel Charlebois’ Metal by Rachel.
The Swift family also hopes to have their kunekune pigs and Nigerian dwarf goats available for viewing from an observation hide.
“We’re hoping to create a little community vibe here so people can just come and chat and look at the animals and grab a glass of lemonade and chill out,” Marci says. “It’s always great to get out and actually connect and talk to people and hear feedback, and I’m just hoping that this can become something that people look forward to on a Saturday morning.”
For more information, visit Swift Acres Apiary & Farm at www.swiftacres.ca and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
This story has been updated with a correction. Swift Acres Apiary & Farm sells beeswax candles, not soy candles.
