Meet the People Behind Ames Farm
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Apis Melifera - Honeybee |
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Brian Fredericksen Founder & Owner |
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Brian Fredericksen, owner of Ames Farm, has been passionate about nature since he was young. He attributes this interest in the natural environment to his grandmother Verna, who grew all her own food. Through their frequent foraging expeditions in the woods near her home, she sparked Brian’s lifelong curiosity and love of the land that led him to become a honey farmer. In 1994, Brian purchased a seven-acre orchard from David Bedford a horticulturist at the University of MN who created the Honeycrisp & First Kiss Apples, which also included two bee hives. “Given my grandmother’s influence, the idea of an orchard was not too scary,” said Brian. “But from the beginning, I had a lot of respect for the bees … and with time, I learned that being a successful honey farmer is both an art and a science.” |
| Marty Bergland Worker Bee/Madame Butterfly |
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A former educator and current master gardener, Marty has worked at Ames Farm for the past 19 years. She loves gardening and nature— especially bees and butterflies. An appreciation of the unique flavors of pure raw honey keeps her happily engaged with us, contributing in candle making, gift packaging, and honey demos at many local stores and co-ops in Minnesota. |
| Liam Bickerstaff General Manager |
| Liam grew up on a hobby farm near Valdosta. GA, and has kept bees since he was 12. He studied History and English at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota where he was smitten with the natural beauty of our state and began trout fishing and cross-country skiing. Liam currently keeps 40 beehives of his own. He lives in Delano with his wife, two sons, and two dogs. To see what he's been up to, check out his website www.bickerstaffbees.com |
| Selene Thomas Beekeeper & Orchardist |
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Selene brings a Biology background and a love for photography and nature to Ames Farm. She is a 4 year beekeeper now and has learned the technical skills of raising queen bees during spring and summer. She also works in the apple orchard during the pruning and harvesting season On Saturdays from May to October she runs the Mill City Farmers Market stall as well. During her free time she can be found in her garden or a nearby woods on a mushroom foray or making hard cider an emerging new direction for Ames Farm |
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| Tom Jackson Driver & All Around Handyman |
| Tom came to us during the pandemic as our weekly delivery driver to metro Natural Food Coops, Cheese Shops, Whole Foods and area small businesses and has since expanded his footprint to include honey extracting during the summer and maintenance around the honey house. Tom is following the path of previous Ames Farm employees that came for “a job” and stayed for the learning experience and ultimately became a core employee with knowledge of our unique SIngle Source Honey process. |
| Ben Albus Honey House Worker |
| Ben works in the honey house by processing honey, cutting honeycomb, and performing other production duties. Outside of work he loves playing guitar and making music. He earned a B.A. in Marketing and a minor in Music at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. |
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| Terell Harris Web Store Order Fulfillment & Honey Processing |
Future beekeeper, family man raising sons. Lifelong student, avid gamer, and an opportunist for everyday wellness. Previously a manager at a fast paced grocery retailer focused on efficiency, now ecstatically escaping the rat race to begin his beekeeper journey buzzing with the bees and honey at Ames Farm.
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