Bees and Tractors

Today the rain again has not been beneficial; however, the class was able to visit a beekeeper and his operation. During our visit, we learned how to keep a hive, about swarms, and the products that can be made from bees. Notably, the beekeeper mentioned how commercial bee operations that rent their bees out for assistance with pollination of crops had harmed his hives two years ago in 2017 and resulted in the loss of all but 12 of his hives. Furthermore, he told the class of how pesticides used to kill weeds have killed much of his garden and other plants he had planted on his property. Heath Stolee, the chestnut farmer we met with yesterday, is a proponent of spraying weeds and manages to keep his garden well maintained, but it is up to the individual spraying to be proficient and careful as to not cause collateral damage. Honey, unlike many other products, does not need to be inspected as it does not lend itself to the growth of bacteria, and the beekeeper had won many awards at the State Fair for his honey, wax products, and displays. When we returned from Mr. Tintjer’s beekeeping operation, some of us decided to go to the Neubauer Farm and listen to Dr. Halva-Neubauer’s brother, Denny, discuss tractors. It started with tractors and we were shown the tractor used in the tractor pull competitions and the truck used in the truck pull competitions, but the highlight was the discussion of the farm operations and the ins and outs of the Neubauer family farm. The sweet corn grown on the farm is different from most corn grown that we have seen thus far, as it is edible. The peas grown on the farm are planted and harvested by the company that will buy and distribute them. This is vastly different from any operation we have visited as they grow what can be sold to the elevators and distributed.

Denny Neubauer’s Tractor Towing Tractor