On Aug. 31, Denise Shue and colleagues of Shue Bee Farm gave an informative presentation about her work with bees. Students were able to safely view the honey collection process and ask questions. This is the first-time bees have produced honey since being introduced to campus in the fall of 2022.  

“This season yielded 155 pounds of honey total,” said Dr. Tuholski, Director of The Office of Sustainability. “Half of the yield is given to IUK and distributed around campus by The Office of Sustainability.” 

By the end of the event, there were no questions left unanswered. The bees collect pollen within a 3-mile radius of their location on campus. Therefore, as the local ecology changes so will the flavor of the honey for seasons to come.  

“I enjoyed hearing what Denise Shue had to say,” student Lacy Salgat said. “She was very knowledgeable and approachable.” 

IU Kokomo has been in partnership with Shue Bee Farm since Summer 2022. Since this partnership, many tactics have been put into place to strengthen the bee population such as growing flowers in the Main Building courtyard to welcome pollinators.  

“We are proud to be college beekeepers,” Shue said.  

IU Kokomo is an official Bee Campus, in accordance with Bee Campus USA, which is an initiative aimed at increasing local pollinators and native plants to save the bees.  

While Shue and her daughter were demonstrating how they check the hives, students and staff had front-row seats. A mesh tent was provided to keep viewers from getting a bee injury. As of now, there are no stings reported. 

If you are interested in this or other sustainability programs, please contact the Office of Sustainability for more information.