The New Minnesota Honey Queen!

Emily Campbell

 The new Minnesota Honey Queen was crowned during our recent conference in Duluth. Here is the essay submitted that will give you more information about this articulate young lady.

Honey Queen Essay

Emily Campbell

I would like to start by introducing myself. My name is Emily Campbell and I am currently 18 years old and attending the University of Minnesota Crookston to pursue a degree in animal science. I am from the small rural town of Aitkin, MN. Since I was a kid I have been involved in everything agriculture from 4-H to FFA. It was in these groups that I was first introduced to the amazing world of bees. In 6^th grade I started doing research projects on Honey bees. All of my bee projects earned trips to the state fair, where they also went on to become state champion project. I had really found my niche! Last summer when I was approached by the former Central Minnesota Honey Queen about being her successor there was absolutely no way I could say no! The central Minnesota honey producers have been absolutely amazing to me. They outfitted me with my own hive of bees, which I had wanted for a very long time, and a mentor to teach me along my journey. I didn’t realize how versatile honey is until I was exposed to this group of extremely knowledgeable people. It isn’t just a coincidence that honey is a golden color. Throughout time the color gold has symbolized wealth and prosperity. The same can be said about the wealth of benefits found in honey.  For centuries honey has been recognized for its many important attributes. There are even cave paintings dating back 8000 years portraying humans gathering honey! In modern days honey has become a favorite among athletes and health conscious individuals. Taking a spoonful in the morning or before a workout can provide a natural energy boost so you can go that extra mile. The natural sugars in honey can help stave off muscle fatigue, while the glucose gets absorbed quickly giving you the boost you need. Honey is also great for your immune system. It’s rich in anti-oxidants and has anti-bacterial properties that can really benefit your natural immunities. Those same anti-bacterial properties can also be useful when healing wounds, soothing sunburn and sore throats. Beyond health benefits honey can be an extremely useful tool in anyone’s beauty regime. Even Alexander the Great was embalmed in honey with the hopes that it would perfectly preserve him for the afterlife.  For those that are more concerned with their skin’s health in the here-and-now, honey can be used for many types of moisturizing facial masks, and is even a remedy for acne. When mixed with water, honey can also be used to smooth hair’s split ends. Honey has also become a huge part of the commercial beauty industry, where it is the main ingredient used in the “sugaring” form of hair removal.  Recently honey has also made an appearance on the weight loss scene. It’s sweeter and more flavorful than sugar so you use less sweetener, therefore, cutting calories.  It also contains no preservatives . It can be put on everything from toast and waffles to a ham sandwich to add a unique flavor you can’t find from anything else. There are countless recipes and uses for honey, many of which people don’t even know about. Over centuries honey has played an extremely important role in life and continues to play a major role in today’s society. It is important to continue educating the public about just how much “nature’s gold”, and also the bees that produce that gold, do for every one of us. As the Minnesota State Honey Queen it would be my top priority to educate the public about how versatile and beneficial honey and bees really are. I am fully prepared to invest myself 100% to this cause and sincerely care about bees and their future.

Highlights from the 2012 MHPA Conference

 

Our annual MHPA conference was held at Edgewater Resort in Duluth last weekend. Thanks to Dan Whitney, our Vice President, for organizing the event!

Temperatures were unusually warm and humid for Duluth, right next to Lake Superior, but a slight cool down the evening of our awards ceremony and dinner cruise on Lake Superior added to the enjoyment.

As usual, the University of Minnesota represented by Dr. Marla Spivak and Dr. Vera Krischik and their graduate students, shared an abundance of information on their honey bee research and the new programs being offered.

Other speakers included Mike Albers and Greg Hoch from the MN DNR, Dean Peterson from the ARS lab, Kristy Allen from The Beez Kneez delivery dotcom, Cathy Rufer regarding our education programs, Linda Newman, the manager of the MHPA State Fair Booth and David Schaaf, the new superintendent of the Bee and Honey Exhibit at the State Fair.

We are very appreciative of all of our speakers. Thank you for your time, efforts and support in our common goals.

Thanks to Cathy Rufer and her promotions team, we have a pollinator toolbox coming out soon that will help aid in the education of the public.

Our annual fundraiser, the MHPA State Fair Booth, is coming up soon and, manager, Linda Newman invited everyone to participate, whether it be by volunteering at the stand or providing honey to sell on consignment in the booth. Thanks to Linda for her continued efforts, raising funds for our organization.

Our "Beekeeper of the Year" Award was given to the most deserving, Roger Olson who was surprised when his entire family joined us on the dinner cruise to show their support. Congratulations Roger!

The Minnesota Honey Queen (MHQ) is the chief promoter of honey products and the beekeeping industry in Minnesota.Our new Honey Queen was crowned during our conference. Information on the articulate and talented person that received this honor to come.

Special Thanks to Mann Lake LTD, Golden Heritage Foods, Sioux Honey Association and Dan's Honey Co. for helping sponsor this event!