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Heroes to Hives in Missouri

Sustainable Agriculture

Travis Harper
Agronomy Specialist
University of Missouri Extension
CLINTON

Abstract

Heroes to Hives (H2H) is a beekeeping training program for military veterans founded in Michigan in 2017.  The State of Missouri has two military installations and many of the veterans stationed at these facilities end up retiring in Missouri and are interested in agriculture. University of Missouri Extension became aware of Heroes to Hives in 2019 and felt like it would be a good fit for Missouri veterans.  In 2021 Missouri became the first state outside of Michigan to offer the Heroes to Hives program.  That first year (2021), Missouri had more than 300 veterans register for the program.  The program consists of online training modules from the national H2H office, monthly live Zoom meetings on topics specific to Missouri beekeepers, and hands-on training at one of the 4 Extension training apiaries in Missouri.  It quickly became evident that more than 60% of all veteran participants were dealing with a service-connected disability.  MU Extension incorporated accessible hive designs (such as the Layens and AZ hives) for those dealing with physical disabilities and activities such as Tai Chi for those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.  The primary goals of the program are to teach beekeeping to veterans and get them involved in agriculture. More than 70% of participants are new to both beekeeping and Extension.  A secondary goal is to help those that are interested start a business.  More than 40% of participants would like to turn their beekeeping hobby into a small agriculture business.  Through the H2H program, University of Missouri Extension has introduced veteran participants to a number of related topics such as urban farming, accessible gardening, soil health, farm resiliency, pollinator habitat and agritourism.  In the first 5 years of the program (2021-2025) University of Missouri Extension has trained more than 1500 veterans through the H2H program, offering each individual participant more than 30 hours of training annually. 

Authors: Travis Harper, Joni Harper, Karen Funkenbusch, John Fuller, Eli Isele, Caleb O'Neal, Matt Pezold
  1. Travis Harper Agronomy Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 64735
  2. Joni Harper Natural Resources Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 65084
  3. Karen Funkenbusch Extension Instructor, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 65211
  4. John Fuller Human Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 63901
  5. Eli Isele Horticulture Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 63376
  6. Caleb O'Neal Plant Science Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 65712
  7. Matt Pezold Labor and Workforce Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Missouri, 64050