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Register now for the 2026 Heroes to Hives beekeeping training program by completing the online registration form.

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Missouri is the first state chapter of the national Heroes to Hives program. Heroes to Hives is a unique program offered through the Michigan Food & Farming Systems that seeks to address financial and personal wellness of veterans through free professional training and community development centered around beekeeping. Veterans leave our program with a broad depth of beekeeping knowledge, as well as personal and professional relationships that open new opportunities and ensure long-term peer support. Our students understand the importance of pollinators in US agriculture and stand to protect managed honeybees through small-scale sustainable beekeeping operations.

Heroes to Hives students participate in a 9-month comprehensive education program that couples online lectures with hands-on learning. Students receive 2-6 hours of lecture content every month from March-November that is pre-recorded so that they can learn at their own pace. On-ground training takes place April-October at our Heroes to Hives apiary located on the University of Central Missouri Mitchell Street Farm; Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center; Three Rivers Community College; University of Missouri–St. Louis; and Jefferson Farm and Garden Extension and Education Center. Hands-on training includes hive handling, hive inspections, pest and pathogen management, and beekeeping ergonomics. Students who complete the course are eligible to receive a certificate of completion.

The Heroes to Hives work is partially supported by the Missouri AgrAbility Project and Missouri Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) and Rotary Club of Columbia, Missouri, along with generous donations from corporate sponsors and individuals who support veterans and their families.

Watch From PTSD to Purpose: A Veteran's Journey with Heroes to Hives on YouTube.

Disabled Navy Veteran Kit Smith found more than just a hobby — he found healing, connections and value through Heroes to Hives and Missouri AgrAbility. His incredible journey shows how veterans facing disability and PTSD can rediscover purpose and thrive through necessary support and community.

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Michigan State University Extension Heroes to Hives

Heroes to Hives was created in 2015 at Michigan State University to promote the financial and personal wellness of veterans through training and community-building around beekeeping.

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