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Not all families share the same interests and hobbies, but for the Kimball family, they wouldn’t have it any other way. When it comes to beekeeping, and many other things, it’s all in the family.
Gabe and Whitney Kimball and their two sons, Brooks, age 10, and Reid, age 8, live on an acreage outside of Lanesboro, Minn., which is a beautiful part of the state. Their land is “surrounded by large bluffs with many trees and native flowering plants,” states Whitney.
This private paradise allows the Kimballs the space to spread their wings and take advantage of what nature has to offer. They also reap the benefits. And along the way they are giving their boys a priceless education about the environment, sustainability and more.
“Gabe is the one who decided our property would be perfect for bees,” states Whitney. “He did all the work and the research to get us started and did a majority of the beekeeping the first few years. Now as our children get older, caring for the bees and harvesting honey has become a family affair,” she explains.
Gabe’s curiosity about honey bee colonies and their complexity intrigued him. “This, along with just knowing how important bees are in our environment, led us to dive right in to beekeeping. The honey harvest potential was an added bonus,” comments Whitney.
The amount of honey they get from their hives depends on certain conditions. “If a honey super is completely full of capped honey we typically get about 4-5 gallons of honey per super.
When asked to explain what a honey super is, Whitney explained that “the hive consists of brood boxes where the queen stays and lays eggs. Some honey is kept here as well, but brood boxes are bigger and located at the bottom of the hive. Honey supers are smaller in depth and contain all the excess honey the bees are storing – we remove the honey supers when harvesting.
“Depending on the strength/health of the queen we will have anywhere from 2-5 supers per hive. As with any crop, weather conditions also play a factor,” explains Whitney.
As a family, their favorite part of raising bees is sharing their bounty. “We like most that we get to share this experience with our kids and the honey we harvest from our bees we share with family, friends, coworkers, teachers, etc.,” she says. The Kimballs have not brought their honey to any local vendors to sell, but they have sold some just by word of mouth.
There will be a couple opportunities for anyone interested in buying their honey coming up in the near future. Kimballs will have their honey available for freewill donation at the Lanesboro Community Cookout Benefit for Emily Charlebois on April 20 during the Surly Pub Crawl in Lanesboro. The cookout will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the community lot across from the High Court Pub.
They will also have their honey available for freewill donation at the Hunter Bergo Heart of Gold Bow Shoot on August 10 at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center located at 28097 Goodview Dr., Lanesboro.
Both of these events will be great opportunities to support your local community, friends and neighbors and be able to take some tasty honey home with you as well.
Whitney is happy to share her enthusiasm for beekeeping with others and to help educate others on the subject. “Bees in general are quite fascinating and we encourage anyone interested to take some time to learn more about the honey bee, its hive structure, and the vital role bees play in keeping our natural world healthy and beautiful,” she explains.
When asked if there was anything she had learned that surprised her since she started working with bees, Whitney said “worker bees have a work ethic like no other; always working for the good of the hive by gathering pollen and tending their brood,” she explains.
She also added another bit of helpful information, noting that honey bees will not bother you unless you disturb their hive, which would be good for all of us to remember.
There are a number of benefits to raising bees, not only for the beekeepers but also for the environment. “Our bees pollinate our garden as well as our flowers, trees and surrounding native prairie land. The honey we get each year is so delicious and floral tasting. We also keep all of the wax caps we remove and have some future project ideas in mind we will use that for,” shares Whitney.
It’s obvious that the Kimball family appreciates their land and the time they spend on it. They do many outdoor activities that provide them with a connection to the land in addition to beekeeping.
“In the springtime we enjoy tapping our sugar maples and boiling sap to make maple syrup. We forage for mushrooms and will hopefully have shiitakes growing on logs we inoculated last summer with friends. We also do a lot of fishing throughout the year and hunt in the fall,” notes Whitney.
This spring may be the perfect time for you and your family to begin a new hobby that leads you outdoors as well!
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