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B&E’s Trees

Viroqua, Wisc.
bandestrees.com
Growing with FEAST! since 2015

Bree Breckel is a sap wrangler. Eric Weninger is an engineer
and “fixer and maker of all things useful.” Together, they
are the B and E in B&E’s Trees. Along with their nearest
and dearest friends and family, they produce organic, maple
syrup fresh from the trees on their off-the-grid farm deep
in the Coulee Region. But they don’t stop with making
syrup. They also age it for a year in 53-gallon bourbon
barrels before bottling it in sizes ranging from a 1.7oz mini
to gallon jugs (all of which can be purchased online). The
result? A syrup so rich and delicious, it might not make it
to your pancakes.
B&E’s first attended FEAST! as the business was
launching in 2015. The product was so new, in fact, Bree
recalls the excitement of using self-adhesive labels—instead
of a glue stick—on the bottles for the first time. Finding
growth and inspiration at the marketplace, they have returned
ever since.
“Every year our business is different, so every year we
have new needs and new things to learn,” says Bree when
asked what keeps them coming back. They also enjoy
watching people try their syrup. “[It] makes us feel great about
what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. And when they
come back specifically to find us, that energy and affirmation
keeps us going.”
B&E’s Trees has also made connections with new buyers,
strengthened relationships with current ones, and networked
with other producers and service providers. At the same time,
they’ve developed community by using FEAST! as a platform
to invite folks to their farm for things like “Rampfest” and
their annual open house (held virtually this year).
“Often when we are looking for a new business resource,
we will first look at our FEAST! connections,” says Bree.
“FEAST! has helped us gain a sense of the landscape for
small, food-based businesses better than other events. It offers
real connections, filters through the clutter and brings forth
solid, useful, resources tailored for businesses like ours.”

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