Our first Sunday in Iowa had a lazy start. After luxuriating in my first opportunity to really sleep in, I ventured upstairs to rejoin the group. After being promptly fed by the best farm wife in all of Iowa (Morris) we headed out to learn about beekeeping and locally sourced honey from local beekeeper Mark Tinjter. Mr. Tinjter ventured out into the chilly afternoon to show us around his land. We learned about bee colonies and the many jobs of a beekeeper. I must confess I did not think beekeeping was that much work before today. It turns out, bees are much like toddlers, they have to be coaxed, shuffled around, constantly fed, and encouraged to get them to do exactly what you want them to do.

Mr. Tinjter enlightened us on the difference between male and female bees. The male bees are called drones and essentially mimic men in real life. They do not actually help the hive. They do not have stingers, and they do not gather nectar or pollen. They essentially do not contribute anything to the colony of bees beside their sperm. Their single act is to fertilize the queen. They mate with the queen in flight and then become officially useless. The female bees are worker bees and essentially carry the success of their colony on their backs. They work themselves to death to serve the queen and the hive. What a tragic life to lead.

We were lucky enough to sample some of Mr. Tinjter’s honey, and I can honestly say it was fantastic. We sampled three types of honey and were offered a drone larva. I have never seen anything so unappetizing in my life. The larva was small yellow bubble-like substances. Definitely not my cup of tea. All in all, the afternoon was very interesting and a refreshing break from learning about corn and combines.