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Linda Geist
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    Beekeeper at work
    Using a fume board to remove bees so honey can be extracted. MU Extension file photo.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Women in production livestock can learn about the joys of beekeeping at the Nov. 8 in-person session of Pearls of Production in Columbia.

University of Missouri Extension natural resources specialist Joni Harper will talk about Heroes to Hives of Missouri. Offered by MU Extension in cooperation with Michigan Food & Farming Systems, the program seeks to address financial and personal wellness of military veterans through free professional training and community development centered around beekeeping.

Missouri’s Heroes to Hives group has trained more than 1,500 veterans since 2021, Harper says. The National Heroes to Hives initiative started in Michigan in 2015 and has become the largest agricultural training program for U.S. military personnel.

Heroes to Hives not only teaches beekeeping, it also teaches how to deal with personal stress and encourages camaraderie among participants, she says.

The Nov. 8 in-person Pearls of Production event follows a series of online sessions. Other presentations at the event will cover swine vaccination technology, stress and shop talk, calving, farm finances, beef genetics and first aid for life-threatening injuries.

Details and registration. For more information, contact Heather Conrow at hconrow@missouri.edu or 660-248-2272.