The Minnesota Beekeepers Association (MBA) is made up of commercial and hobby beekeepers. The organization’s goal is to promote the use of honey and provide a better understanding of the role of honeybees throughout the Midwest. The organization was founded in the late 1890’s as the Minnesota Beekeepers Association. In 1981, we were incorporated as the Minnesota Honey Producers Association, reflecting our primary constituency, commercial beekeepers. As time went on, keeping smaller apiaries became more popular, and current estimates indicate that the majority of keepers in the state are now hobbyists. However, the majority of hives are still managed by commercial beekeepers. In 2025, our association voted to go back to our historical name, the Minnesota Beekeepers Association, to reflect the great diversity in apiary operations. Our association is one of the largest in the United States today. The MBA was one of the founding members of the Minnesota Agricultural Society and today continues to maintain very close ties with the University of Minnesota Bee Lab.