The Present
State of Affairs
"Few people realize that our honeybee population has dropped by half since 1950. A mite has been wreaking havoc on our commercial beekeeper's stock. In the past few years, these mites have gained resistance to the only two effective conventional chemical treatments. Estimated losses in the winter and spring of 2005 slashed the number of honeybees in Minnesota by up to a third and unfortunately the national picture is as dismal. "Dismal" is not too strong of a word when you consider that honeybees are responsible for one-third of all U.S. food crops. In 2007 beekeepers again faced hardship with bee colony collapses that are difficult to explain because the bees disappeared and researchers are not able to study the bees themselves to help define the cause." Dr. Marla Spivak, U of MN.
Telling It Like It Is
Inspite of the conditions like weather, market price of honey, and the increased cost of production beekeepers remain one of the most optimistic farmers and supporters of the industry.
Minnesota Honey Producers Assoc. and the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Assoc. together have a membership of around 500 producers. There are about 1,000 beekeepers in the state currently, which is down from 1,200 a few years ago. There are several reasons for the decrease in beekeepers. The decline is a result of beekeepers unable to continue financially due to the cost of operation versus market value of the product they produce. Some beekeepers retire and their children are not taking over the "family business" so that family no longer is in beekeeping. Of course one of the biggest reasons now is disease and bee losses.
What Are We Doing?
One of the many issues facing beekeepers is sustainable beekeeping and making our landscape more beneficial to honeybees. The MHPA is working with advisory boards, researchers, national organizations and legislators to help create change and promote healthier conditions for our bees to survive.
Other things the MHPA does is promote the "value of the honeybee" includes members attending meetings, members sitting on committees, members can continue their education and pass it on. The MHPA members "learn by doing" and have remained strong for over "100" years. They continue to educate the public about bees. The MHPA members remain active in their association with other beekeeping organizations and strongly support research here in Minnesota. The MHPA continues to keep informed on proposed bee legislation and is aware of any current "farm bill" changes. MHPA updates their state fair booth to keep up with MN standards and produce educational materials for members to use in promotion or protection of the honeybee.
Becoming a Member
Membership is annually. Hobby membership costs $15.00 and Commercial membership costs $35.00. We meet once a year, but remain in close contact through our newsletters and website.
Committees That Make Up MHPA
| Promotion/Education/Public Relations | State Fair |
| Nominations | Resolutions |
| Historical | Research |
| Legislative | Queen |
| Audit |
Organizational Make-Up
MHPA consists of a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The organization includes 3 directors, 1 director at large, and 1 advisory council member from each of the 9 regions along with a researcher from the University of MN, and 3 delegates to the American Beekeepers Federation. Finally, 1 editor of the "Minnesota Beekeeper" publication.