TJ's Food Forest & Apiary

06/08/2026

🌰🏡 Harvest Season is Almost Here at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary! 🍂🐝

If you've been dreaming about slowing down, unplugging, and experiencing life on a real working farm, now is the perfect time to book your stay at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary.

Nestled in the heart of North Central Florida, our 5-bedroom, 3-bath Farm Stay offers guests a rare opportunity to experience one of the most unique agricultural treasures in the country—a working chestnut orchard! 🌰
Did you know chestnut farms are surprisingly rare in Florida? Unlike many commercial crops, chestnuts are harvested from trees that can produce for generations. Our orchard is part of a growing food forest filled with fruit trees, pollinator gardens, honey bees, chickens, donkeys, and all the simple joys that come with country living. 🌳🐝🍎
As harvest season approaches, you'll begin to see chestnuts developing throughout the orchard, giving guests a front-row seat to one of nature's most fascinating annual cycles. From the buzzing bees pollinating blooms to the future harvest that feeds families and wildlife alike, every visit offers something new to discover.

✨ Why Guests Love Staying Here:
🌰 Real working chestnut orchard
🐝 Honey bees and pollinator habitat
🫏 Friendly farm animals
🔥 Relaxing fire pit under the stars
🌳 Expanding food forest experience
🦋 Butterflies, birds, and wildlife everywhere
♿ Wheelchair-accessible ramp
🏡 Spacious accommodations for families, groups, and retreats
Whether you're gathering around the fire pit, enjoying your morning coffee on the porch, watching the sunset over the orchard, or simply listening to nature, there's something special about life on a chestnut farm that you just can't find anywhere else.

Harvest season is right around the corner, now is the time to book your stay now to experience one of Florida's most unique agritourism destinations. and dates are filling quickly! 🍂
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1370358245736580392?viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76&source_impression_id=p3_1773945199_P3pWkYOE8csMdQwe
📞 For More Details: (352) 316-9169
📧 [email protected]
Follow us for farm updates, harvest news, and behind-the-scenes adventures: TJ's Food Forest & Apiary 🌰🐝✨

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06/01/2026

🐝🌰 BEES, BEES, BEES! 🌰🐝
If you've visited TJ's Food Forest & Apiary lately, you've probably noticed a little extra buzzing in the air. That's because our bees are working overtime during chestnut bloom season!

Welcome to Niko's Bees, named after our grandson, Niko. This special corner of the farm is home to thousands of busy pollinators helping our food forest thrive. As they travel from bloom to bloom, they're cross-pollinating chestnut trees, fruit trees, wildflowers, and countless other plants throughout the farm. 🌼🌳🍎
Inside the hive, the queen is focused on growing the colony, laying eggs that will become the next generation of workers. Outside, her crew is gathering nectar and pollen while supporting one of nature's most important jobs—pollination.

Every flower visited today helps create tomorrow's harvest. Those tiny wings are helping produce chestnuts, fruits, seeds, and healthy plants across the farm. It's amazing to think that something so small plays such a big role in the ecosystem around us.
For us, the sound of buzzing isn't noise—it's the sound of a healthy food forest, thriving wildlife, and another season of growth underway at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary. 💛🐝

So the next time you hear the hum of Niko's Bees, remember: they're not just making honey... They're helping grow the future of the farm, one flower at a time.
🍯 Happy Bees • Healthy Forest • Sweet Life 🍯
Want to see the blooms, the bees, and the honey flow? Follow us on Facebook at: ➡️➡️ TJ's Food Forest & Apiary 🍯✨
For more details on the products available at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary, Call (352) 316-9169 or Email: [email protected].

05/28/2026

🌰 Chestnuts Have Arrived at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary! ✨

They may be small now, but these little burrs are mighty and our newest chestnut crop is beginning to form!!
Right now, these bright green spiky burrs are in the early development stage — protecting the chestnuts as they slowly grow and mature throughout the summer months. As the season progresses, these burrs will expand, harden, and eventually open in the fall to reveal the delicious chestnuts inside. 🌰
It’s one of our favorite times of year because every tiny burr represents the next harvest and another step in the life cycle of the orchard. Nature takes its time, and we’re excited to watch these chestnuts ripen into perfection over the coming months. ☀️🌳
Stay tuned for updates about this year’s U-Pick chestnut season and more behind-the-scenes orchard photos 's Food Forest & Apiary! 🐝🚜

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05/12/2026

🌰 CHESTNUT BLOOM SEASON IS HERE at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary

Our chestnut trees are officially in FULL BLOOM and putting on one of the most beautiful displays in our food forest right now. The creamy-white “firework” looking blooms are "Catkins" — the flowering structures of the chestnut trees in the peak anthesis stage of bloom — which means the flowers are fully open and actively releasing pollen.
🌿 Fun Chestnut Bloom Facts:

🌰 Chestnut trees produce both male and female flowers on the same tree.

The long fuzzy catkins are mostly the male flowers, which release pollen to help fertilize the smaller female flowers located near the base of the catkins.
🐝 This is a HUGE moment for pollinators! Chestnut blooms are highly attractive to bees and other beneficial insects. During peak bloom, the trees can literally hum with pollinator activity.
🌼 The strong bloom fragrance helps attract pollinators. Some people describe the scent as sweet and earthy, while others say it has a musky aroma unique to chestnut season.
⏳ Bloom stages happen quickly:
• Early Stage → Catkins emerge and elongate
• Mid Bloom → Flowers begin opening
• FULL BLOOM (where ours are now) → Maximum pollen release & pollinator activity 🐝
• Late Bloom → Flowers fade as nut development begins 🌰
🌳 Healthy blooms are one of the best indicators that the trees are thriving and preparing for chestnut production later in the season.
Nature is showing off at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary right now, and every stage tells a story of growth, pollination, and future harvests. 🌿🐝🌰

05/06/2026

☀️ Summer at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary is pure slow-down magic—where the orchard is green, the bees are buzzing, and firepit nights feel like a reset. 🐝🔥🌿
Located on a working chestnut orchard in Alachua, FL, this one of a kind of farmstay is where families reconnect: mornings on the porch, kids watching the chickens, butterflies in the garden, and evenings around the firepit under the lights. 🔥✨🐓🦋
Bring the whole family and relax at—this 5-bedroom, 3-bath farm stay is made for kids, grandparents and everyone in between. 🤍🌾

✅ Plenty of space for multi-gen groups
✅ Big kitchen + dining area for shared meals
✅ 3 full bathrooms (easy mornings, no stress!)
✅ ♿ Wheelchair-accessible entry ramp available
✅ Close to gorgeous crystal clear springs (Ichetucknee, Gilchrist Blue, Poe, Ginnie Springs) 🌊
RSVP Your Farmstay ➡️ https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1370358245736580392?viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76&source_impression_id=p3_1773945199_P3pWkYOE8csMdQwe
This is a real farm in progress, not a resort—and that’s what makes it memorable. Come unwind, explore, and make the kind of family memories you’ll talk about long after the trip. 🐝🌿

05/04/2026

04/24/2026

☀️🌿 These hot summer days are rolling in, and even our littlest residents know how to beat the heat! 🐾💦
Out here at TJ's Food Forest & Apiary, it’s all about staying cool, staying happy, and enjoying the simple life. From shady spots under the trees to a refreshing little kitty pool, our animals are living their best farm life—and we wouldn’t have it any other way. 🐷🐔🐴
We’re a working chestnut farm, full of personality and charm, where the pigs, chickens, donkeys, and all our furry (and feathered) friends truly steal the show. Around here, they’re not just animals—they’re part of the family ❤️
If you love nature, fresh air, and connecting with animals, come follow along and see what makes this place so special.
🌰 We’re getting excited for our Chestnut U-Pick season opening later this summer—you won’t want to miss it!
👉 Follow us on Facebook and stay tuned for updates. We can’t wait to welcome you out to the farm soon! 🌱✨