Hoosier Creek Farm

05/22/2026

This week is National EMS Week and while we may not have formally highlighted National Police Week on the page this year, we never want the people behind the badges, radios, ambulances, and late-night calls to go unrecognized.

To the EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers showing up on people’s hardest days… thank you.

Many of our Heroes in this community serve or have served in these roles, carrying the weight of long shifts, difficult calls, and constant responsibility while still finding time to mentor, support others, and build community here in the hive.

This week we especially want to recognize our EMS professionals, but we also want our law enforcement community to know we see and appreciate you too. ❤️🇺🇸🐝

People first. Bees always.

05/18/2026

This Thursday at 6:30 pm. All are welcome.

The monthly general meeting for all things beekeeping is held the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Sunman American Legion! Open and free to the public.

05/12/2026

You know it!

05/08/2026

Advancing the Art of Breeding: Krispn Given Leads Historic Advanced Instrumental Insemination Workshops at UF and Enterprise State

The University of Florida and Enterprise State Community College recently made history by hosting the largest coordinated series of advanced instrumental insemination (II) workshops ever held in the United States. Led by Krispn Given, a global authority in honey bee breeding from Purdue University, these intensive sessions trained 23 students across two states in just three weeks. This landmark achievement bridged the gap between academic research and practical breeding, focusing on the technical precision and specialized equipment required to maintain superior genetic lines and select for specific honey bee traits geared at localized stock improvement to ensure a better bee in the future.

The Florida session, held at the IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory March 5-6th, was coordinated by Amy Vu and featured a dedicated cohort of ten students. Joining Given was his Apis Engineering partner Dale McMahan, a master engineer who provided technical instruction for the course. In an unprecedented show of resource support, every student was fully equipped with an individual Queen Station insemination instrument. This hands on setup, supported by one-on-one guidance from TA’s Celena Bennett of Red Phoenix Queen Bees and Chris Oster of the Ellis Lab, allowed for continuous practice with advanced features like integrated CO2 delivery and microprocessor-controlled lighting.

To continue reading, visit: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:f524e198-cb1f-4e8d-ba64-edbd6770ef65

Photo Caption: Krispn Given (Purdue University) and Dale McMahan (Apis Engineering) joined Amy Vu with the UF IFAS honey bee lab.

05/07/2026

After serving his country, Steve Jimenez set out to build something that continues that mission in a new way.

In 2018, he founded Hives For Heroes connecting veterans with beekeeping as a path to healing, purpose, and community.

What started as a simple idea has grown into a powerful movement, helping veterans across the country find connection and renewed direction through caring for something beyond themselves.

05/06/2026

The monthly general meeting for all things beekeeping is held the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Sunman American Legion! Open and free to the public.

05/06/2026

Join us at Jim’s Bee Barn for another free workshop about common problems in the hive and how to fix them! Tell a friend and see you there!

04/23/2026

I’ve always considered Garry a mentor. This is great recognition, well deserved.

Garry Reeves and his wife Kathy Reeves run a home-based honey operation in Moores Hill.

11/22/2025

Real raw honey can crystallize. Here's some key causes -

* NECTAR SOURCE: Honey with a high percentage of glucose (vs fructose) will crystallize more easily. So honeys like dandelion, canola and r**e will quickly crystallize - while others like Acacia, Sage, Black Locust, and Tupelo resist crystallization.
* TEMPERATURE: Honey crystallizes faster at cooler temperatures, with the fastest around 57F. BTW - this is an ideal temperature when making creamed honey (to force crystals to grow).
* IMPURITIES: Particles of pollen and beeswax act as "hosts" for the sugar crystals to form around. Additionally, impurities from poor cleanliness in processes can trigger crystallization too. Always sanitize your jars.
* CONTAINERS: Plastic jars are more porous and can hold microscopic particles, catalysts for crystallization... though this is less likely if your bottling processes are sanitary.

To re-liquify crystallized honey, slowly warm the jars in a double-boiler or warm water bath. Do not boil the honey or microwave it either. This is harder to do with plastic jars btw.