Veterans interested in the Heroes to Hives program are invited to attend an informational program from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday at the Three Rivers College farm near Fairdealing.
Heroes to Hives is a unique program started and offered through Michigan State University Extension and designed to address personal wellness of veterans through professional training and community development centered around beekeeping.
John Fuller, a field specialist in human development for MU Extension in Butler County, is leading the program in the southeast region.
“Missouri was the first chapter outside of Michigan to actually pick up the Heroes to Hives programming,” Fuller said. “The first one in Missouri was in Warrensburg, then we got another one in Mount Vernon. This past year, the third site was opened in Fairdealing at Three Rivers College’s farm, but it’s part of the Butler County program. Next year, they’ll start one in St. Louis.”
Veterans and their family members are welcome to participate.
Fuller asks interested veterans and their families to call the Butler County Extension office at 573-686-8064 to register.
“We really want them to call us because we’re going to have food,” he said. “We need to know how much to prepare. What we’re going to be doing is closing up the bees for the wintertime. We have the bee suits so they can come down as we get into the hives to look at the bees.”
He also will provide specific directions.
“We’ve had a couple of veterans come out,” he said. “We’re trying to get this really publicized to get more veterans enrolled. It’s hard the first year because we rolled this out in April, but we have a new enrollment that will start in November. So we’re hoping to have a good size class.”
Research is finding Heroes to Hives really helps with their PTSD, Fuller said.
“The program looks at it from a holistic standpoint. One, you have to stay calm when you’re around bees,” he said, while second, “We are also developing experienced veteran beekeepers, with some of the newer beekeepers as a mentor program, to help them when they’re coming up with new things.”
The experienced and unexperienced beekeeper can watch out for each other, especially when it comes to mental health, he said.
“We have found it really gives them a new mission, because some don’t want to go back into the workforce. They have a hard time assimilating back. They feel like they’ve kind of lost their mission when they came back from the military,” Fuller said. “This gives them a new purpose, new mission, it’s good for the environment.”
There’s no fee for the year-long program and most of the training is online.
“Once a month, we do a field day at our apiary where they get to come out and apply some of the things they’re learning,” Fuller said. “I know the program has been real successful. Some of the others, they’re starting to see veterans that are producing their own honey and selling it. You’re not going to make a fortune. Some can but for the most part it is really a hobby. We have adaptive equipment out there for those who may have a physical disability. We talk about other available tools that maybe through our programming we can help them with.”
The main expense if they want to do it on their own is buying equipment.
“We talk about that, too,” Fuller said. “What to look for, what not to do, and they learn all that in the actual class.”
If people who aren’t veterans but are interested in helping financially contribute to the program, they’re more than welcome to come out as well, Fuller said.
Some may not be able to give financially but they might have old beehives they don’t use anymore.
“Sometimes we’ll take those once we inspect them to make sure they’re okay,” he said.
When traveling from the east to Fairdealing the college farm is located next to All Critter Care Center LLC, which is closed.