01/28/2026
With 20 years of beekeeping experience, Bobbie brings deep knowledge to every workshop. When you sign up for her Beekeeping Workshop Series, you’re opening the door to a world of knowledge from our beloved beekeeper.
But what truly sets Bobbie apart is her spirit and approach. As she says, “Developing friendships and kindness is key. We can gather more bees with honey than with vinegar.” Beyond building skills, this is exactly what we hope to create through this series: friendship, community, and a shared love of beekeeping.
Here's a bit of Bobbie’s background so you can get to know the person behind the veil. Her journey began after reading The Secret Life of Bees, which inspired her to learn everything she could about honeybees.
"I joined the Connecticut Beekeepers Association, which is the oldest beekeeping club in America, and I also completed the Cornell Master Beekeeper’s program. I realized that if I wanted to be a caretaker for these incredible creatures, I wanted to learn as much as I could.
I took three years to educate myself before I started my first hive! That first day of actually being a beekeeper was so amazing. I invited 10 friends to come and have a “pollinator lunch” and then help me install. The honeybees have always offered a venue for not only learning and caretaking for honeybees, but also for community, camaraderie, and teaching with friends.
I moved back to South Dakota four years ago and started with Ecdysis Foundation as the beekeeper for Blue Dasher Farm. It was then I realized there were a lot of people interested in honeybees, but folks didn’t know a lot about how to do it. Even the city of Brookings asked me to help them with an ordinance to allow honeybees in town! It was unanimously passed!
I had such wonderful experiences in Connecticut with the gathering of people at my bee club, that our Ecdysis team thought it would be a terrific way to give back to South Dakota, which has an incredibly rich history of beekeeping. We also have a desire to be a part of the local agricultural community, support local beekeepers, and help people who want to learn about beekeeping.”
If you’ve been curious about beekeeping, or if you’ve kept bees for years and want to deepen your skills and connections, this series is for you.
Sign up here:
🔗https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScPi2sCw0j3PPQ4SI_XhVPlFJshklaq-xOrpbQDwbd7Z97-Cw/viewform
