Ste. Genevieve hosts 4th Annual Honey Festival
STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. (KBSI) – Honeybees are some of the most important insects on the planet, responsible for pollinating one-third of the world’s crops.
But bee populations are facing numerous threats from habitat loss to climate change.
Entire communities are working together to protect the bees, including those in Ste. Genevieve who are celebrating their 4th Annual Honey Festival.
Several We talk about the vital world of beekeeping and the dedicated individuals working to protect these precious pollinators.
Johnny Murdock has been tending to local bees for years. He is part of a growing community of bee enthusiasts working to preserve the health and well-being of these vital insects.
“Bees are important, about every one third of meals you eat bees make, and as a big kid, and I want to keep eating, and honestly if you’re a vegetarian that number goes way up,” said Murdock.
Beekeeping is more than a hobby, it’s a passion. Keepers are in it for more than honey. They’re doing it for the bees themselves.
Jenny B, a bee enthusiast and educator, says beekeeping is a labor of love, requiring dedication, patience and a willingness to get a little messy. She says for those who are passionate about it, the rewards are sweet.
“It’s just this beautiful, sustainable way of beekeeping,” said B. “The biggest difference, in this and a Langstroth is the way you extract, so it’s very hard to extract this way because there is no foundation, and with a Langstroth you can use the foundation and put it in a mechanical extractor. And this is a more natural way where you have to harvest the comb in the old school way and take all your honey and use it right there on the spot.”
Bees face threats from pesticides to habitat loss, so beekeepers do everything in their power to provide a safe and healthy environment to help them thrive.
Bees play a crucial role in our food supply. Without them, grocery stores would look very different.
Their health is a reflection of the health of our planet.
A new Missouri specialty license plate hits the streets called, the “Bee Friendly Missouri” plate. It shows support for beekeepers and their work.