When it comes to caring about the environment, Dawn and Carson Combs do more than recycle plastic and newspapers. Three years ago, they created Mockingbird Meadows Honey and Herb Farm in Marysville. The couple, who share their farm with bees, ducks, chickens and a goat, grow fruits, vegetables and herbs the biodynamic way –– enriching the soil with organic matter so that what it produces is more nutritious.
“Biodynamics looks at the farm as a complete circle,” Dawn explains. “We see the soil as basically another living entity on the farm, and we contribute to its health.
The couple, who have been married for six years, have always relished being in the outdoors. Dawn, who earned her bachelor’s degree in botany from Ohio Wesleyan University, is fascinated by the science behind beekeeping.
“A botany major has a pretty natural interest in pollinators,” Dawn says. “It started with just one beehive, which quickly grew to 32 and has now settled near 37, although it fluctuates.”
As Carson tends to the bees, Dawn creates soothing skin-care products and exotic honey blends with the herbs the couple grows on their farm. Lavender is a favorite ingredient, as are rosemary and garlic.
“Sometimes I wish we had more land,” Dawn says of her 3.5 acres, “but I like that we’re a model for small farms. You don’t have to have hundreds of acres to be sustainable.”
The question logically arises: How many times have they been stung? “Too many to count,” Dawn says, “I got stung yesterday, but everything the bee makes is good for you, even the sting. Actually, [bee venom] is used in the treatment of arthritis and multiple sclerosis.”
For more information, visit
www.mockingbirdmeadows.com.