Join the MHPA and UMN Bee Squad for Habitat Hour, a time to learn about and discuss floral nutrition
for bees. We welcome beekeepers and bee supporters to attend one or more of our informative Zoom
webinar sessions. Read on and register for one, two, or all three sessions. We hope to see you at Habitat
Hour!*
Pests, Petals, and Policy
September 12th, 2023 6:30pm-7:30pm
Total US honey production is trending downward since 1987 per USDA NASS survey data. Yet to be introduced, but identified exotic pests threaten to devastate the honey bee industry. Beekeepers are navigating the new normal of higher-than-acceptable yearly losses. Today more than ever, beekeepers need to unite and seize opportunities to improve the health of the US honey bee stock. The US Farm Bill is negotiated every 5 years and the 2023 bill holds opportunities for protection from introduced pests and increased access to floral nutrition via conservation programs. Join us for a fruitful discussion about the US Farm Bill. Our guests will include representatives from the American Honey Producers Association, American Beekeeping Federation, and beekeepers.
Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund
October 17th, 2023 6:30pm-7:30pm
Join Habitat Hour with Pete Berthelson, Executive Director and co-founder of The Bee & Butterfly
Habitat Fund. Pete has dedicated his life and expertise to conservation and pollinator health. Pete has
40+ years of experience as a biologist and a true expert in conservation and pollinators. An hour with
Pete is an invaluable experience for anyone who cares about bee habitat.
Planning and Planting Your Honey Crops: Managing Floral Flavors
November 15, 2023 6:30-7:30pm
Managing where your bees forage is an impossible task; you can manage the flavor of your honey by
planning your management and planting flowers. If you want to learn more about managing your honey
harvest, Join our panel of MHPA commercial beekeepers for a flavorful discussion about beekeeping and
flowers.
Our first session held on April 6, from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm featured MNDOT’s Tina Markeson. Tina is the supervisor for the Roadside Vegetation Management Unit. The title of Tina’s presentation was “Managing Minnesota’s Roadsides and Exploring Partnership Opportunities with Bee Supporters”.
The speaker for our second Habitat Hour held on Wednesday May 4 th , 6:30 pm-7:30 pm was Dan Shaw from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. Dan provided us with a lot of information on BWSR’s programs to promote pollinator-friendly habitats across the state. He went into great detail on the state’s Lawns to Legumes program.
On October 5 th , our session featured Dr. Jennifer Tsuruda, University of Tennessee Extension
On November 2 nd , we heard from Dr. Katie Lee, Minnesota Extension. Dr. Lee spoke on issues affecting bee health and habitat
Previous programs Winter 2023
USDA-NRCS Farm Bill Programs with Debra Hermel
Join the Minnesota Honey Producers Association and University of Minnesota Bee Squad for Habitat Hour on Wednesday, February 15th from 6:30-7:30. Farm Bill conservation programs have enormous potential to support bees and wildlife. The Farm Bill is up for renewal this year and its conservation programs need your support. Please join us and learn about the Farm Bill programs from USDA-NRCS Area Programs Specialist (and beekeeper) Debra Hermel.
Debra Hermel grew up on a hobby beef farm in southern Minnesota where she showed Simmental cattle with her sisters and family. She received her B.S. in Agronomy from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and her M.S. in Agronomy from Kansas State University. She started her United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) career in Sioux City, Iowa as a Soil Conservationist and moved around in that role to LeMars and Mason City, Iowa. In 2006 she moved back to Minnesota to be the District Conservationist (DC) in North Branch serving the farmers in Chisago County. She worked as the DC in Chisago County for 14 years. In 2020 she became the Team Lead where she managed the NRCS staff in Milaca, Mora, Hinckley, Cambridge, and North Branch. In 2022 Debra became the Area Programs Specialist for USDA-NRCS where she currently provides program support to staff in 26 counties of Northeast MN. Outside of work she enjoys winemaking, gardening, fishing, and traveling with her husband, Jason. Deb is also a hobby beekeeper. She has been raising 2-4 hives (with varied success) for the last 8 years.
* After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Habitat Hour webinars will not be recorded for future viewing, but we will share a summary of the discussion along with any resources that were discussed.
