November 2022 Newsletter

Hello bee-e-a-uuuutiful friends!! My name is Christine Shoemaker and I am interested in becoming a Board Member Director for the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association.

I have been a beekeeper for only a year, but throughout this time, I have learned so much! My mentor(s) Karen Voy and Alex King have been so incredibly helpful.

Throughout my entire life, I have always been fascinated by pollinators, in particular, bees. Every year during the Minnesota State Fair, it was tradition for my family and me to play "guess where the queen is!" and visit the beekeeping demos, ever since I was a little girl! Last year, 2021, and this year, 2022, I had the chance to volunteer at the bee booth and help with hive demos, honey extraction, and answer any eager questions about bees and beekeeping.

In December of 2019, I traveled to Puerto Rico and stayed 1 month on an organic regenerative permaculture farm named Buena Fruta Farm through an organization called WWOOFing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) - I harvested and processed different species of cacao (the origin of chocolate!), avocado, starfruit, banana, passion fruit, mamey sapote, moringa, and turmeric! While I stayed down at the farm, I noticed so many different types of bees, including a very large bumblebee called the giant carpenter bee (Xylocopa mordax)! The farmer, Jeff Paul, informed me that cacao trees are actually pollinated by very small flies called chocolate midges (Forcipomyia squamipennis) and can only (typically) be pollinated by these important pollinators because the cacao flower is so small! At the Rincon Farmers Market, I met a beekeeper named Armando that gave me an opportunity to go beekeeping with him for a day - I soon discovered the world of honey bees by beekeeping for that day. We couldn't check his hives because it was raining - not ideal for Africanized bees. I got stung once!   We traveled all over the island to check his hives - Armando the beekeeper at Cigarros Cafe makes medicinal spiced mixtures with his honey.

During the 2020 pandemic, I attended a free class hosted by the Voys at the Oakdale Nature Preserve to learn more about beekeeping, bees, and honey. This really propelled my enthusiasm for beekeeping and I saw the potential for me to get into beekeeping. Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2021, I decided to shadow Karen Voy every week on Thursdays to learn more about beekeeping. I'm glad I took notes and I'm also so thankful that there are such great mentors out there!

I have 2 hives this year - one in Stillwater and the other in Scandia.

Outside of beekeeping, I am a Forest Therapy Guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT), a forager, a private music teacher, and a garlic farmer!

As a private music teacher, my primary instruments are flute, piano, and vocals, but I can mostly teach anything and for all ages / skill levels! I guide forest therapy walks at the Oakdale Nature Preserve - they are very meditative in nature and help folks to slow down and awaken their senses. I am fascinated by plants - I feel like the pollinators and honey bees guide me to find which flowers/fruits/plants are best for picking, which ones are ripe, or in bloom!   Thank goodness for our pollinators. I love collecting seeds and drying flowers and leaves to make locally foraged teas. I also love gardening and cooking - I grow garlic on the farm where I keep bees.

I feel like I am the right candidate for Board Member Director because I have the necessary leadership skills, experience, and perspective to bring to the MHBA Board. I was a general manager for 2 years for the KGSM Radio station at Gustavus Adolphus College, which has prepared me to be a mindful team leader and supporter. I have worked (and currently work in) fast-paced environments, and I am well-versed in technology that is required for the role (i.e., Zoom calls/meetings, Microsoft applications, etc.). I have volunteered for many various organizations in the past such as Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly, Episcopal Homes of Minnesota, Christ Episcopal Church, and Union Gospel Mission, so I am well-equipped to become more involved in an organization (and hobby) I am passionate about.

Thank you!