Casey’s love of the outdoors carried on into college where he studied horticulture and landscape. It wasn’t long after moving to North Carolina to become an arborist for Barlett Tree Experts that Casey started taking the job home. 

He and his wife, Tori, began homesteading and growing their own food in 2016, documenting it all on Instagram. And on Instagram is where their farm life took off. Someone discovered their feed and approached them the Ostwinches to turn their land into a farm. 

Casey and Tori sold everything, packed up their belongings, and moved to a camper on the property. Tori continued her work at a corporate job while Casey tended to the farm. But they soon realized that they could manage the farm together. 

And what began as a quest for good health now became a business idea. Trips to farmer’s markets and restaurants in the area had sparked an idea in the Ostwinches — they could do this too. 

Casey turned to some gardening books suggested by friends that taught him about turning the farm into a business and ‘market gardening.” They’ve found success producing fruits and vegetables to sell. 

And they’ve also found success online. On their popular YouTube channel, Honey Tree Farm, Casey and Tori post weekly videos showing the progress of their work and give tips for those who want to begin gardening. Because unpredictable weather can make farming and gardening tricky, the Ostwinches teach their viewers to be prepared for the unexpected and help answer questions for struggling gardeners. 

Casey’s top takeaways as a business owner for finding success: 

1) Communication Matters 

2) Develop a relationship with your customers 

3) Be proactive 

4) have a strong work ethic 

What’s next for Honey Tree Farm? Right now they have plans for the future that involves more than only selling vegetables at markets, which they’re super excited about but can’t say just yet!