Meridian Farm and Forge

This class was offered in 2021 and was a great success. If you are interested in attending a similar version in 2022, please email us through the contact form!

When: Saturday, June 5th 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Where: Meridian Farm and Forge, Saint Ignatius, Montana

Who is it for: This class is offered to women* or girls (with parental approval) who are novices in the world of honeybees.

Overview:

Participants will be introduced to the community and basic biology of honeybees and will gain an overview of the context in which honeybees operate in this ecosystem. The basics of working with honeybees and supporting honeybees in your environment will also be discussed. The goal is to provide women with a foundation from which to deepen their relationship with honeybees. The hope is that participants leave with a deeper appreciation and understanding of honeybees, as well as the confidence to begin partnering with bees, whether it’s simply to provide habitat or actively tending to colonies.

When you complete this class you will:

• Have a foundational understanding of the year’s cycle of the honeybee

• Know how the honeybee fits into the community of pollinators

• Understand the roles of each bee within a colony

• Be able to name the fundamental needs of a colony

• Have a list of honeybee resources in hand

• Know what equipment you need to tend to a colony

• Know what the State of Montana requires of beekeepers

• Have the confidence to begin tending to a colony

• Have a list of local, native pollinator friendly plants

• Have earned one consultation with Danielle at your own site (whether looking at your hive or designing a pollinator garden).

Class structure:

The class will take place exclusively outside. At times, we will be sitting and discussing various aspects of honeybee life, at others, we will be conducting individual and collective observation. We will spend time in the flowers and we will spend time in the apiary. The class will be conducted in a way that ensures the safety of participants regarding COVID-19, among other risk factors. Therefore, the class size is limited to 6 participants. This will also enable more individualized instruction. If the class fills up, do not fret! Just email me through our contact form and I will likely offer another session. I will also consider offering a booster to this introductory session if there is interest.

Cost:

This class is valued at $100. If you can pay this amount, it will help us further our mission here at the farm. However, we are offering the class on a donation basis because part of our mission is to support pollinator health and empower women to be advocates for our precious pollinators. We don’t want to prohibit anyone from attending, based on financial resources. When you go to register, you will have the option to select an amount that is appropriate for you. Or you can contact me about a scholarship or work trade.

*A word (or several) about why this class is currently offered to women only: in the early part of my personal journey of learning to partner with honeybees, I encountered toxic male chauvinism that stifled my ability to learn comfortably or gain a holistic perspective on honeybees. This inhibited my confidence and frequently left me feeling inadequate, confused and most importantly, unable to serve the bees in a way that recognizes their own innate wisdom regarding their own well-being. There are many amazing men out there who work with bees and likely would not contribute to this kind of challenge, yet I feel it is very important to create a balance to the experiences I had by providing a safe and empowering experience to women who are drawn to honeybees and their feminine, cooperative nature. This class will still honor the masculine and feminine and everything in between. My intent is not to be exclusive but to fill a gap in my immediate sphere for how knowledge is conveyed regarding honeybees. Further, if you are transgender or nonbinary and this approach appeals to you, please, by all means, do not hesitate to register.

Danielle has been tending to bee colonies for nearly five years. She has completed the apprentice and journey(wo)man level classes through the University of Montana’s Master Certificate Beekeeping program. She has also completed a six-month biodynamic beekeeping class with Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary through the Biodynamic Association. As a master naturalist, Danielle focuses specifically on pollinators and contributes to the Montana Naturalist and the Field Notes program through the Montana Natural History Center. To hear her field note about bees in swarm, listen here.

Danielle’s approach to bees employs a combination of holistic and biodynamic practices as well as practical knowledge relevant to working with animals who are not native to their environment. She values scientific and spiritual perspectives and honeybees present a ripe context for exploring how the two weave together.