Skalko Bee Farm

Project Overview

FNC18-1144
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2018: $7,500.00
Projected End Date: 02/28/2020
Grant Recipient: Skalko Bee Farm
Region: North Central
State: Minnesota
Project Coordinator:
John Skalko
Email
Skalko's Honey Bee Farm

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Crop Production: beekeeping
  • Education and Training: farmer to farmer, mentoring
  • Farm Business Management: farmers' markets/farm stands
  • Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

    Proposal summary:

    Skalko’s Honey Bee Farm is seeking a grant to facilitate the survival of honeybee’s in the winter months in N.E. Minnesota which will decrease the amount of new honey bee nuc’s that need to be purchased each spring for the season. The object is I will decrease the winter honeybee loss and increasing honey production because I will have full size colonies in the spring of the year. Funding of $7500.00 is requested for the honeybee winter house. Commercial beekeepers in Idaho have built large storage bee houses similar to potato cellars to house thousands of bees over the winter months.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    Increase life of honeybees by reducing winter kill (die off) due to extreme weather conditions in N.E. Minnesota. Minnesota can have very cold winters (below zero for weeks) as well as many feet of snow. The honey house (storage unit) will provide the honeybees with a controlled environment (temperature and humidity).

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.