19mi from New Orleans · 8 sites · Tents, LodgingWelcome to Big Branch Apiary, a 50 acre honey and blueberry farm north of Lake Pontchartrain. We're bounded by the Big Branch Wildlife Reserve to the south and a Rails to Trails bike path on the north. We are 3 miles from Lacombe to the east, 4 miles from Mandeville to the west, about 3 miles from Fountainbleu State Park, and an hour from New Orleans.
Most of the farm is a mix of hardwood forest and wetlands. Desert Bayou and East Branch Bayou meander across the property. The farm has deer, foxes, bobcats, owls, fireflies, otters, raccoons, turtles, and, well, about anything common to the wilds of the Gulf South. This includes a litany of snakes, mosquitoes, and deer flies in season. About 8 acres are used to raise poultry, bees and organically farmed blueberries. Overall, the land feels primordial and pristine.
We are a designated Monarch Waystation and in the spring and fall see many migrating butterflies. We cultivate a lot of flowers so almost year round you can see butterflies in profusion. We are part of the USDAs Conservation Stewardship Program, concentrating on protecting and increasing habitat for animals and pollinators.
Pets are welcome but please leash them.
Campfires are allowed except on rare occasions. You can hunt for deadfalls in the woods on the farm, or we can provide firewood for a small fee. Our honey, fresh eggs, and homemade sourdough can be purchased as well.
This is a rustic situation: think dry camping, outdoor (heated) shower, and outhouses. We have a tiny treehouse, an A-frame, a glamping tent, and several places to pitch a tent. The farm is pretty secure--someone is on-site most of the time, it's gated, and there are security cameras at access points. But it is a farm in a rural community--you may hear roosters crow, sheep bleat, dogs bark, and the sounds of owls, hawks, coyotes, and other native wildlife.
If this sounds like it suits you then come stay and enjoy the farm life.
