Missouri Bee Conference 2024

Speakers

• 

  Dr. Lawrence "Larry" John Conner Founding Member Wicwas Press
  

  Dr. Lawrence "Larry" John Conner

  Founding Member Wicwas Press

  Michigan native Lawrence John Connor departed Michigan State University upon completion of his Ph.D. dissertation on strawberry pollination and assumed the position of extension apicultural entomologist at The Ohio State University in Columbus. There his program attracted the attention of investors interested in moving the Dadant Starline and Midnite Hybrid queen program to Florida to establish the world’s first mass production facility for instrumentally inseminated queen honey bees. Afterwards he moved to Connecticut where he established the Beekeeping Education Service, offering educational programs for beekeepers. Later he purchased Wicwas Press from Dr. Roger and Mary Lou Morse. He has written a series of beekeeping book: Increase Essentials, Bee Sex Essentials, Queen Rearing Essentials and most recently Keeping Bees Alive. He completed, Package Bee Essentials in 2020. He is the publisher and coauthor of Dewey Caron’s Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping, with a completely revised and greatly expanded third edition, released in May 2022.

  He has also published a diverse array of titles by other authors dealing with bees, beekeeping, queen rearing and pollination. These books are by Professors Roger Morse, Harry Laidlaw and Robert Page, Drs. Nikolous and Gudren Koeniger (with Jamie Ellis), Carl Johansen and Daniel Mayer and Roger Hoopingarner, and beekeepers Steve Repasky, Ed Simon, Peter Lindtner, Andrew Connor, Michael Badger, William Blomstedt and Tammy Horn Potter. He has reprinted books by G.M. Doolittle, John Lovell and Frank Pellett. A list is available at www.wicwas.com.

  Connor’s wide range of experiences include being a hobby beekeeping as a 4-Her, bee researcher and educator, a commercial queen producer, and a lifelong teacher of practical beekeeping skills to thousands of beekeepers. He has traveled and lectured on bees and beekeeping in all states and many Canadian provinces. He has also lectured in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Czech Republic and Thailand.

• 

  Theresa Martin Cornell Master Beekeeper
  

  Theresa Martin

  Cornell Master Beekeeper

  Theresa Martin has achieved 99% colony survival and honey production that is above the local average
  in her six years as a beekeeper, with 20–25 colonies. She practices a beekeeping methodology that
  places bee health as the highest priority and optimal pathway to productivity. Following the model of
  how bees survive in the wild, employing integrated pest management, and providing high support yet
  low intervention, she demonstrates that healthy, alive bees are more productive than sick or dead bees.
  Theresa is a Cornell Master Beekeeper, President of the Whitley County Beekeepers Association, and on
  the Board of Directors with the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association. She worked at Fidelity
  Investments and Procter & Gamble in information technology and operations management.

• 

  Sheldon S Brummel GPMB Project Coordinator
  

  Sheldon S Brummel

  GPMB Project Coordinator

  • M.S. in Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2022.
  o Research focus on hygienic behavior monitoring tools
  • B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife and Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2016
  • US Army Certified Instructor-Joint Multinational Training Group Ukraine
  • Full time Beekeeping research and experience from 2016 to present at University of Nebraska Lincoln.
  • Former USDA APHIS research technician 2016-2020.
  • Beekeeping specialist in Dominican Republic Farmer2Farmer program 2022

• 

  Courtney Brummel Project Coordinator
  

  Courtney Brummel

  Project Coordinator

  Courtney Brummel started working with bees in 2017 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bee Lab, after receiving her Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology. She was the primary coordinator for Outreach and Education at the UNL Bee Lab, sharing her joy for bees, plants, and later, natural products made from beeswax. Courtney and her husband, Sheldon, started a small business, Now Vertakking LLC, to share their personal experiences of sustainability through action, from making beeswax lotions & deodorants, to living in a tiny house on wheels, to tapping their maple tree for syrup, and planting native edible landscapes. Courtney grew in her teaching abilities as she continues to serve as a US Army Officer, serving overseas and training soldiers in engineering and logistics. She continues to work at UNL alongside the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program as a project coordinator. She finished her Masters in Entomology in 2023 at UNL, with a thesis on the efficacy of alternative hive structures. Courtney’s vision is to bring wellness and connection to people in beekeeping through hands-on learning in the hives, making beeswax products, and community.

• 

  Erin Mullins
  

  Erin Mullins

  Erin Mullins is from Barnard, Missouri and has been a beekeeper for 13 years. Erin was the 2014 Missouri Honey Princess, 2015 Missouri Honey Queen and 2016 MSBA Beekeeper of the Year. In 2019 she took over the role of State Fair Chair for the MSBA and served in that position for 4 years. Her true passion has always been educating the public about the honeybee and the benefits of honey. Erin along with her dad runs Mullins Honey. They keep a few hives in Nodaway County for honey production and sell honey at local farmers markets. Erin works as a nurse at Conception Abbey and Seminary College in Conception Missouri. She also pastors 2 small Methodist Churches in NW Missouri.

• 

  Cathy Misko
  

  Cathy Misko

  Centerview, MO., Mama of 8 and known as the “Bee Lady” since 1989 (35
  years). Cathy is President of the Johnson County MO Beekeepers Assn. She serves as Legislative Liaison, Missouri State Beekeepers Assn.; Founder, Heartland Beekeeping Partnership; Past President, Midwestern Beekeepers (Kansas City area); and in her 3 rd year as founding editor of the Apiary Buzz newsletter.  Cathy has a passion for education and has launched various clubs’ Beekeeping Youth Scholarship Programs, conducts beekeeping workshops including to veterans
  for the national Camp Valor Outdoors, assisted with passage of 2 Missouri beekeeping laws including various friendly beekeeping codes, and Chairs the JCMBA Youth Scholarship Program.  While maintaining a focus on genetics, she practices “as natural as possible” management with a commitment to IPM, stewards 50 colonies, and has been chemical free for
  15 years.  Cathy is an Eastern Apicultural (EAS) Certified Master Beekeeper, EAS Life Member, and enjoys digging in dirt, mentoring, sharing sweetness from Dancing Bees Ranch, and loving on her family, especially her physician hubby of 44 years and 12 grands!!

• 

  Eugene Makovec Editor
  

  Eugene Makovec

  Editor

  Eugene Makovec is Editor of American Bee Journal, and a 29-year, third-generation hobbyist beekeeper with about a dozen colonies. He is a past President of Three Rivers Beekeepers, has been active in several other local clubs and the Missouri State Beekeepers Association, and is a two-time Missouri Beekeeper of the Year (2006 and 2015).
  Eugene made a brief foray into politics in 2015, when he spearheaded a successful legislative effort to deregulate the sale of honey in Missouri — removing honey from the “jams and jellies” law (and beekeepers from their “food processor” status) and thus enabling thousands of the state’s beekeepers to sell their product through retail outlets without benefit of a commercial kitchen.

• 

  Jane Isabel Sueme Owner/Operator
  

  Jane Isabel Sueme

  Owner/Operator

  I have been keeping bees since 2004, became a Walter T. Kelley equipment dealer and opened Isabee’s Beekeeping Supplies in 2009, currently in Fenton (St. Louis County). I received Master Beekeeper certification from University of Montana Continuing Education in 2016 and Cornell University (e-Cornell) in 2023.

  Along with my partner Scott Klein, we engage in a wide range of activities in the local beekeeping community including retail equipment sales, education and out-reach, client consulting, and management for 40+ honey bee colonies, for honey, queen breeding and starter colony production and well as observation hive management.

  I have been a board member of the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association from 2004 to 2011, Communications Coordinator for the Heartland Apicultural Society in 2012-2013 and as a founding member of both the Saint Louis Beekeepers club and BeeSpeakSTL Speaker Series in 2012.

  As co-founder of Saint Louis Beekeepers, I have been tasked as coordinator for the SSA (Sustainable Stock Apiary) Queen rearing group, receiving grant funding from USDA-SARE in 2017 and in 2022 where a small group of farmer/ranchers raise sustainable queens with local drone stock, available to the St. Louis area beekeepers.

• 

  Mr. Derrick MacQuoid Chief Operations Officer
  

  Mr. Derrick MacQuoid

  Chief Operations Officer

  Derrick MacQuoid is the Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer at Fernsby, a Springfield based company dedicated to land management and design with a focus on Permaculture. With over 15 years of experience in sales, marketing, and business development within the luxury jewelry and watch industry, Derrick has established an impressive career. He has represented over 80 prestigious brands, including Tiffany & Co, Rolex, and Helzberg Diamonds, delivering exceptional results that exceed $50 million in revenues worldwide.

  Driven by a passion for business growth and development, Derrick excels in building and scaling businesses, both for his own ventures and those of his clients across the globe.  Derrick, his wife Brittany, and their two sons are in their 4th season beekeeping in southwest Missouri.

• 

  Mr. Adam M Coulter District Conservationist of Springfield Plateau Region
  

  Mr. Adam M Coulter

  District Conservationist of Springfield Plateau Region

  Adam Coulter is the District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the Springfield Plateau Region (Dallas, Polk, Greene in Webster Counties). In this capacity he supervises 4 counties and a staff of 12 employees. Mr. Coulter has been with the NRCS for the past 21 years. He provides technical conservation services for landowners interested in protecting and sustaining the environmental resources of their land. This also includes managing and administering USDA Farm Bill Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). Mr. Coulter’s principal duties include working with urban landowners, municipalities and entities in implementing conservation practices that help sustain and enhance soil, water and natural resources. He works with livestock, agroforestry, urban and wildlife projects. Previously Mr. Coulter was a Water Quality Specialist and Urban Conservationist for the South Missouri Water Quality Project for the NRCS. Before entering governmental service, Mr. Coulter was the Project Manager for the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks where he worked in Source Water Protection in urban and agricultural drinking watersheds. Mr. Coulter has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Master of Science degree from the State University of Pennsylvania.

• 

  Jeana Vidacak Vice-President, Jefferson County Beekeepers Association
  

  Jeana Vidacak

  Vice-President, Jefferson County Beekeepers Association

  Jeana Vidacak is the Community Services Manager for the Jefferson County Health Department. There she manages the Environmental Public Health, Communicable Disease, and Public Health Preparedness departments and focuses on preventing foodborne illnesses and communicable disease transmission in the county.
  She, along with her husband of 23 years and their 19-year-old son, lives on a 70-acre homestead in rural Southeast Missouri.  Beekeeping has been a dream of hers for over a decade. In April 2020, while working 70 hours a week during the largest public health event of her career, Jeana made the unrealistic decision to take a leap of faith and become a beekeeper. She lost all her bees that first year. Jeana continues to learn from her mistakes and understands that it takes a village (or good bee buddies) to be successful. Although it has been a struggle, she has grown her beekeeping hobby into a small side business.

  She currently serves as the Vice-President of the Jefferson County Beekeepers Association. 

• 

  Jonathan Bennett
  

  Jonathan Bennett

  Jonathan Bennett is a passionate beekeeper and mentor, born with Spina Bifida. Residing in Texas County, Jonathan’s journey into beekeeping began in the winter of 2020, during a time when many people were exploring new interests. While browsing social media, he came across the Flow Hive and was intrigued by the idea of an accessible and low-maintenance beekeeping solution.
  Though he initially discovered that bees had their own preferences and didn’t quite take to the Flow Hive as he had hoped, Jonathan embraced the challenge. He adapted his beekeeping practices to suit his physical abilities and has since found immense joy in the craft.
  Through his beekeeping endeavors, Jonathan has connected with a vibrant community, mentoring veterans through the Hives for Heroes program and sharing his knowledge with fellow enthusiasts. His journey is a testament to resilience and the positive impact that beekeeping can have on both individuals and communities.

• 

  Mr. Eli Isele Field Specialist in Horticulture
  

  Mr. Eli Isele

  Field Specialist in Horticulture

  Eli Isele is the Horticulture Field Specialist for St. Louis and St Charles County with MU Extension. Eli holds a BS in agriculture from the University of Missouri and an MS in sustainable development practice from the University of Florida. He started Beekeeping in 2005 while with Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. While in the Peace Corps in Malawi, he focused his work with a beekeepers’ CO-OP. For four years he had a small sideliner business in Hawaii. He began coordinating the Urban East Heroes to Hives apiary this year as part of his duties with MU Extension.

• 

  Mr. Mark Redecker
  

  Mr. Mark Redecker

  I have worked with St Louis County since 1999 as a Park Ranger, Environmental Officer, and currently a Project Manager overseeing New Food Establishments Opening in St Louis County.

  Currently I am Federally Licensed as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist, and Serve-Safe Instructor.

  During my career I have worked 2 Presidential Debates and 1 Vice Presidential Debate.

  I currently have 1 dog, love riding motorcycles, and have been married to a bee keeper since 2007.

  I am passionate about promoting food safety and helping businesses grow in their community.

• 

  Mrs. Angie Redecker
  

  Mrs. Angie Redecker

  Angie Redecker is a nurse, plant enthusiast, and beekeeper. She has an interest in holistic health and nutrition. She will discuss the history and evolving research in the use of hive products to supplement nutrition and health for enhanced overall wellness.

• 

  Mr. Tom Sostman
  

  Mr. Tom Sostman

  Tom and Melissa began their beekeeping adventure in
  2017 when a video of a cut out caught Melissa’s interest.
  Over the next year they began researching and taking
  classes to learn to become successful backyard
  beekeepers. In the Fall of 2018, they captured a late
  season swarm and tried to grow it in a nucleus box.
  Unfortunately, the swarm had other plans and
  absconded their new home. In Spring of 2019 they
  started the season with 2 nucleus colonies and 1
  package of bees, that Fall they ended the season with 8
  colonies. They successfully overwintered those 8 that
  quickly became 16. They have since doubled and tripled
  their colonies annually now having 150+ colonies spread
  out over 6 different apiaries.
  Their beekeeping goals are education, sustainability, and
  local nuc and queen sales. Their education goals are
  being met through both participating in the Great Plains
  Master Beekeeping program as well as helping teach the
  monthly classes. They also do local speaking
  engagements at schools. They were also asked to sit in
  on board meetings with the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers
  Association and were elected to board positions in 2023, Melissa as Vice President and Tom as Program
  Coordinator. These positions further allow them to help bring quality speakers to their club meetings and
  promote beekeeping education. They also attend several beekeeping conferences throughout the year
  to help continue their own education. Sustainability practices for them include being able to use any
  products produced from the hive to help fund their beekeeping adventure. They sell honey, honey straws,
  creamed honey, comb honey, lip balms, pollen, soaps, beeswax candles, queens, and nucs as well as
  preform bee removals. In 2022 they also built a wax dipping tank and began wax dipping all their
  woodenware equipment to help preserve their investment.

• 

  Mrs. Melissa Sostman
  

  Mrs. Melissa Sostman

  Tom and Melissa began their beekeeping adventure in
  2017 when a video of a cut out caught Melissa’s interest.
  Over the next year they began researching and taking
  classes to learn to become successful backyard
  beekeepers. In the Fall of 2018, they captured a late
  season swarm and tried to grow it in a nucleus box.
  Unfortunately, the swarm had other plans and
  absconded their new home. In Spring of 2019 they
  started the season with 2 nucleus colonies and 1
  package of bees, that Fall they ended the season with 8
  colonies. They successfully overwintered those 8 that
  quickly became 16. They have since doubled and tripled
  their colonies annually now having 150+ colonies spread
  out over 6 different apiaries.
  Their beekeeping goals are education, sustainability, and
  local nuc and queen sales. Their education goals are
  being met through both participating in the Great Plains
  Master Beekeeping program as well as helping teach the
  monthly classes. They also do local speaking
  engagements at schools. They were also asked to sit in
  on board meetings with the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers
  Association and were elected to board positions in 2023, Melissa as Vice President and Tom as Program
  Coordinator. These positions further allow them to help bring quality speakers to their club meetings and
  promote beekeeping education. They also attend several beekeeping conferences throughout the year
  to help continue their own education. Sustainability practices for them include being able to use any
  products produced from the hive to help fund their beekeeping adventure. They sell honey, honey straws,
  creamed honey, comb honey, lip balms, pollen, soaps, beeswax candles, queens, and nucs as well as
  preform bee removals. In 2022 they also built a wax dipping tank and began wax dipping all their
  woodenware equipment to help preserve their investment.

• 

  Rev. Henry Long
  

  Rev. Henry Long

  Henry Long first got into beekeeping when he was about 10 years old. He worked his bees without adult supervision relying on the information he gained from reading two library books on beekeeping. Today, Henry also keeps bees year-round in observation hives inside his home. He has a unique 21 deep frame observation hive that he designed and built. Henry has been published in the American Bee Journal and had photos of his large observation hive published in Bee Culture Magazine. He is currently serving as president of the Parkland Beekeepers Association. Henry is also an ordained Southern Baptist minister and has degrees from Covenant Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Missouri Baptist University in exegetical theology, divinity, religion, and the biblical languages.

• 

  Dwain Jansen
  

  Dwain Jansen

  Dwain Jansen, a beekeeper of 11 years, fell into beekeeping in an unusual way. While working on a building, he discovered a colony of honeybees. The property owner was going to call an exterminator. Dwain talked them into letting him remove the colony to take home and care for. Dwain figured it should be fairly easy to care for bees. Dwain’s Uncle, Ted Jansen, was an excellent beekeeper. Unfortunately, Ted had recently passed away, and Dwain had to find another way to learn about beekeeping.

  Not knowing much about honeybees, Dwain found and started attending the Three Rivers Beekeepers Association in St. Charles. Through the monthly meetings, it was soon obvious to Dwain that there was a lot more to beekeeping than he thought. “You don’t just put the bees in a box, let them make the honey, and then take the honey out.”

  During the past 11 years, Dwain once served as President of Three Rivers Beekeepers Association, has managed a maximum of 73 hives, and has mentored several new beekeepers. One of his favorite things about honeybees is how detailed they can be. Dwain has enjoyed performing numerous honeybee colony removals from houses and trees, as well as catching swarms. The Owner of Jansen Bees, LLC, Dwain enjoys selling honey and teaching people about bees. As a part-time Employee of Isabee’s Beekeeping Supplies in Fenton, MO, Dwain enjoys talking with beekeepers of different experience levels.

• 

  Mr. Scott Klein
  

  Mr. Scott Klein

  Complementing an interest in Pemaculture and Aquaculture as well as an extensive background in the hobby industry, I began keeping bees in 2004 and crafting native bee habitat and custom honey bee hives.

  I have created custom bee hives for individual beekeepers, The Missouri Botanical Garden, Grants Farm and Warm Springs Ranch in Booneville, MO.

  Along with my partner Jane Sueme, we became a Walter T. Kelley equipment dealer and opened Isabee’s Beekeeping Supplies in 2009, currently in Fenton (St. Louis County). We engage in a wide range of activities in the local beekeeping community including retail equipment sales, education and out-reach, client consulting, and honey bee removal. We also founded the Saint Louis Beekeepers and have continued monthly meetings and community outreach events since 2014.