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INVESTIGATOR: Cass, R.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
2229 Lincoln Way
AMES, IOWA 50011

NEXT GENERATION OF MIDWEST BEEKEEPERS: LEVERAGING RESOURCES IN NEBRASKA AND IOWA TO REACH NEW AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYDespite a wealth of resources available to beekeepers in the Midwest (including regional beekeeping organizations, the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program, and the IPM4Bees Midwest Working Group), there is a persistent gap in extension with regard to making these resources available across the region, and currently in Iowa there is no outreach to Latino communities. By partnering with the Center For Rural Affairs (CFRA) in Nebraska, Iowa State University (ISU) will leverage outreach resources currently utilized in Nebraska The Next Generation of Midwest Beekeepers (NGMB) project will expand outreach to a new community of beginning farmers interested in beekeeping in Iowa and Nebraska, with a focus on Latino communities. The program's curriculum and extension materials emphasize the challenges and opportunities of establishing a honey bee operation for producing honey or for commercial pollination services. Simultaneously, the project will conduct a market study to analyze the economic feasibility of starting a beekeeping enterprise in the region. The NGMB proposal is a 1-year project to explore the interests of beginning farmers, especially those from the Latino communities, and establish a solid foundation for future extension projects aimed at promoting beekeeping enterprises. The project will inform future efforts to provide comprehensive extension on beekeeping as a hobby and enterprise, specifically focusing on currently underserved groups. NGMB complements and integrates seamlessly with the existing beekeeping resources in the Midwest, such as the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program and regional beekeeping associations. The curriculum, handouts, and videos produced by the project will become part of the growing repository of extension offerings provided by CFRA and the burgeoning bee extension program at ISU and will be shared with partner Univerity of Nebraska-Lincoln.

OBJECTIVES: The goals of the New Generation of Midwest Beekeepers project are to 1) provide science-based beekeeping extension to broader communities of beginning farmers in Iowa and Nebraska, prioritizing outreach to Latino communities, 2) assess the level of interest in and profitability of beekeeping for economic development in the Iowa Latino community, and 3) share findings and assess the viability and replicability of the program.Objective 1. Leverage existing regional resources to provide science-based Explore Beekeeping courses and beekeeping extension to underserved and Latino Spanish-speaking communities in the Midwest.Objective 2. Evaluate market for beekeeping products and services in Latino community and surrounding region.Objective 3. Share findings and assess the viability/replicability of the program