Catskill Provisions

Delaware County, New York

Twenty years ago, Claire Marin, founder of Catskill Provisions, would have never thought honeybees would have such an impact on her life. And the thought of becoming a beekeeper never entered her mind. Content with the path Life had carved out for her (or so she thought), Claire made a career for herself trading oil and oil based commodities. When the Gulf War dismantled these markets, she changed directions and let her affinity for interior design guide her to the publishing world where she enjoyed a career in magazine sales for the likes of Town & Country, Elle Décor, Metropolitan Home, and Metropolis. Her run with publishing continued: in 2003, Claire became the associate publisher at More Magazine and in 2008, the Vice President/Publisher of Woman’s Day Brand Group.

But let’s rewind a second... Sometime back in 2003, while managing a hectic New York City publishing career, Claire gave her partner, Cathy, a gift... a gift that she had no idea would impact her future and even be ‘re-gifted’ back to her seven years later. That gift was a beehive.

“Everyday we’d watch the bees do their job.” As time went on, I became more and more mesmerized by their work ethic: bees are social creatures that work for the benefit of the group to produce the most optimal results for their colony. They are efficient, super-organized, and have a strong sense of community. This really got me thinking-- It was time to reevaluate my life. It was time to think about a change and literally become more like the bees. I continued my publishing path and kept bees as a hobby for seven years. During this time while caring for the bees, I noticed that the stress of my hectic publishing career did not enter my mind. When I was with the bees, I was totally immersed in the moment and thought of nothing else. In 2010, with 15 hives and what I know are the happiest bees in New York State, I said goodbye to publishing and created Catskill Provisions.”

Now, Claire and Cathy manage over 700 hives in Delaware and Sullivan Counties as well as one hive on West 10th Street in Manhattan. They only work with local farmers and beekeepers. With their two seasonal Wildflower Honeys, you can taste what the bees taste--clover, apple, pear blossom in the Spring and chestnut, maple, and asters in the Fall. Catskill Provisions taps over 2,000 Maple trees upstate for their syrup, hoping in the process to bring long overdue attention to this delicious New York sustainable resource.

Everything is done locally with the intent of giving back to the community...just like the bees!