Some of our team spent the first weekend of March in Lincoln, Nebraska, supporting an incredible beekeeping organization.

Hives for Heroes is a national military veteran nonprofit focused on saving bees and saving vets. By connecting veterans with beekeeping mentors, Hives for Heroes aims to conserve honey bee populations through better management and support military members as they transition from service.

The Nebraska Conference was the group’s first ever and was put together by local beekeepers Kevin and Julie Monfelt.

The day was full of great talks by great names in beekeeping: Greg Burns of Nature’s Image Farm; Bob Binnie of Blue Ridge Honey Co.; Buzz Vance of Buzz’s Bees; Kamon Reynolds of Tennessee’s Bees (virtual appearance); Ian Steppler of Steppler Farms (virtual appearance); and Matt Lance of Lance Honey Farms.

Several vendors arrived to show support and connect with like-minded beekeepers: Lorob Bees; HillCo Beekeeping Equipment; Bee Bum; Lance Honey Farms; Hitch Hive Honey; Nature’s Image Farm; and Red Dog Ranch Ohio.

We also had some fun developing two limited edition color choices of Premier Foundation for the veterans: Desert Tan and Olive Drab Green. These limited edition foundations will most likely be available at next year’s event, so plan accordingly if you’re interested.

Hives for Heroes is always looking for new mentors, donors, and supporters. To learn more about the organization and how you can get involved, check out their website or visit their Facebook page.

A big thank-you to the hosts, speakers, vendors, and everyone who came out to support the inaugural Hives for Heroes conference!