Our Story

Bee Simple City Farm began in 2014 as a partnership between urban farmers Mary Densmore and James Meinert. We had been farming since 2009 with New Roots Urban Farm and began this project as a way to add to the work they were already doing at New Roots. We specialize in products like wildflower honey, microgreens, herbs, edible flowers and handmade soaps. Located just a mile from downtown, we think eating can be as simple as eating clean and quality food grown right here in St. Louis.

Mary's Story

Mary grew up in Marietta, Georgia with a love for outdoors, animals and soccer. She spent hours on hours as a child playing any kind of game outside, and especially loved gathering sticks, acorns, and rocks pretending they were foraging wild foods. Mary’s mom is a marine biologist so she grew up watching her mom propagate corals and breed fish, but on the side she is a beekeeper with a gift of catching swarms.

When Mary moved to St. Louis in 2009 and began working at New Roots Urban Farm, she instantly felt right at home and began learning all she could about growing vegetables, raising chickens and bees, and making handmade soap. She began Bee Simple City Farm in 2014 with the support of James with the hope to grow even more fresh and local food for the St. Louis area, and to make on a larger scale product she was already making and loved using for their family.

James's Story

James was born and raised in rural southern Missouri where he grew up with large gardens, bees, and chickens always around him. After moving to St. Louis as an adult he began volunteering with New Roots Urban Farm to both keep a connection with growing food and raising animals but also to support projects that explore how we integrate local farms more with our lives.

When Mary wanted to start her own farming project, Bee Simple, he decided to back her entirely, believing that the more full time farmers (especially women farmers) the better! You’ll see James mostly at the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market helping sell Mary’s microgreens, herbs, soap, and honey, but he helps out around the farm in his spare time too!