We began keeping bees nearly a decade ago as an endeavor to share with our twelve-year-old daughter. After participating in a beginner beekeeping class at The Honey Exchange over the winter we started out with two hives in the backyard and grown every year since. Our daughter has since gone on to new horizons, but the hobby captured our fancy and has blossomed into a small local bee-based business selling honey and other products from the hive. Our commitment to producing natural pure raw honey is unwavering; we continuously seek ways to improve our craft and deliver a high-quality product. Over the years, we’ve delved into extensive intermediate and advanced beekeeping education and are on a mission to complete EAS Master Beekeeper certification. Giving back is a core value for us as we grow — we actively gather knowledge and provide support to our peers. With a keen ability to research and implement improvements, we are dedicated to advancing beekeeping practices. We are also passionate about expanding pollinator habitat, we emphasize the importance of pollinators to the public through interactions with our customers and educational sessions with elementary school kids.

Sweet Monkey Business started with timeless, traditional shortbread and granola recipes. To those recipes we added new flavors and healthy, all natural ingredients. We believe that our company and products have developed a loyal and growing following due to our focus on core values – customer-focused, quality-focused, and employee-focused.

At Plucked Salsa, we have striven to develop salsas for all to enjoy and make fellow Mainers proud. Our Plucked Fresh Salsa line is available in grocers small and large throughout New England and our new Ready to Go Plucked Salsa line is available online and at Renys Department Stores and other independent retailers.

Since the late 1780’s, buckwheat has been cultivated in the St. John Valley. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, wheat crops diminished and by 1850, buckwheat emerged as the grain crop leader in the Valley, representing 40-45% of all grain production. Visitors to the Valley commented on the delicious buckwheat pancakes which local farmwives served their families at every meal instead of wheat bread.

From the 1850s until the 1950s, ployes were served in many Valley homes three times a day. Local life has changed greatly over the past fifty years, and inexpensive, ready-made breads, cereals, pasta, and cakes have largely taken the “every meal” place once held by ployes. But the ploye is still cherished as the best accompaniment for a good chicken stew, and a necessity at any meal which celebrates Valley heritage.

In the early 1980’s potato farming had endured some extremely hard times. It was during one of these tough years when Claire, the eldest of the 5 daughters, had returned from a trip to Louisiana with a French Acadian doughnut mix called beignets. As the family sat around enjoying the doughnuts one of them asked why no one has ever made a mix for ployes. The seed was planted and soon after the family started working on the perfect recipe for ployes.

Headquartered in Columbia Falls, Maine, the Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Company (PWBC) is owned, managed, and staffed by Passamaquoddy Tribe members. The Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Company provides full-time, year-round, and seasonal jobs for Passamaquoddy Tribe members. Through the collective efforts of these individuals and with the support of the Tribe, PWBC has independently produced millions of pounds of low-bush, wild blueberries year after year since 1981.

PWBC is on a journey to share its unique history and tradition while expanding into producing premium, small-batch products that will delight palates worldwide.