Total eclipse is brief 'buzzkill' for bees

JACKSON, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists have the buzz on how the April 8 solar eclipse will stop bee activity for a few minutes in parts of Missouri. MU Extension agronomist and beekeeper Travis Harper says the upcoming eclipse offers a buzzworthy opportunity to learn about solar eclipses and apiculture – the science of bees.

MU Extension agronomist and beekeeper Travis Harper teaches military veterans beekeeping skills as part of the Heroes to Hives program. He trains at three sites in Missouri, with a fourth to be added in the St. Louis area in 2024. Photo courtesy of Eric W

Heroes to Hives to expand in 2024

COLUMBIA, Mo. – In 2024, University of Missouri Extension will add a fourth site for Heroes to Hives, a free program that offers military veterans professional training and community development skills centered around beekeeping. The fourth site will be in the St. Louis area, which has a large veteran population. Existing sites are in Warrensburg, Mount Vernon and Poplar Bluff. More than 250 Missouri veterans have participated in the…

Larry Soles, a participant in MU Extension’s Heroes to Hives program, checks some of his hives. Soles sells creamed honey, flavor-infused honey and wooden beehive products through Muddy Creek Honey in Green Ridge, Mo. Photo courtesy of Larry Soles.

Veterans find peace, skills and income with Heroes to Hives

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Few things bring calm to Larry Soles more than opening a hive and hearing the hum of the bees. Soles is one of a growing group of military veterans who take part in Heroes to Hives, a free program of University of Missouri Extension. The program seeks to address financial and personal wellness of veterans through professional training and community development centered around beekeeping.

Using a fume board to remove bees so honey can be extracted.

Missouri Heroes to Hives sign-up open through February

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension is taking applications from veterans for the third year of the Missouri Heroes to Hives program. The free program trains veterans in beekeeping while also addressing their mental and physical wellness, said MU Extension agronomist Travis Harper.

Eric Work maintains beehives at his farm in Potosi, Mo. Work, a 25-year Army veteran, says the Heroes to Hives program offered through University of Missouri Extension and Michigan State University Extension gives veterans and their families an opportunit

Heroes to Hives and other MU Extension programs help veterans

POTOSI, Mo. – Beginning farmer and 25-year Army veteran Eric Work’s calendar is full of educational programs offered by University of Missouri Extension. “MU Extension programs are a godsend,” Work says. “I benefit from the amazing, high-quality learning opportunities that University of Missouri Extension continually provides, not only to veterans but many other diverse groups that are interested in learning and potentially pursuing…

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Suicide prevention in the workplace

In the United States alone, suicide accounts for nearly 40,000 lost lives per year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. That's an average of one suicide every 13 minutes. The truth is that anyone can be at risk. Sometimes you NEED help. Sometimes you ARE the help.

Senior Airman Santiago Valdez and his wife, Julie, are polishing their beekeeping skills in MU Extension’s Heroes to Hives program, which teaches veterans and their families about beekeeping. The couple’s backyard hive provides honey and beeswax for their

From national security to food security

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Santiago and Julie Valdez say the Heroes to Hives program offered by University of Missouri Extension offers a sweet opportunity to expand their business and connect with other beekeepers who are veterans. MU’s Heroes to Hives program is the first state chapter modeled after a program offered through Michigan State University and its partners.

University of Missouri Extension agronomist and longtime beekeeper Travis Harper will teach the hands-on portion of the Heroes to Hives program in Missouri. The program helps veterans learn beekeeping. Photo by Tevin Uthlaut.

First state chapter of Heroes to Hives beekeeping program begins at MU

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri has the first state chapter of Heroes to Hives, a program that supports veterans who want to learn beekeeping.