Members of the Dodge/Jefferson Co. Beekeepers attended the annual WI Honey Producers Association (WHPA) convention in Trego, WI November 7-9. The convention included speakers from around the country presenting the latest in honey bee and pesticide research, marketing honey and crafting value-added products from the hive, as well as updates from the WI-DATCP, business meetings, honey judging, and honey queen presentations. The convention concluded with a banquet and awards presentations. Our club’s delegate, Mel Saeger will give a convention report at the upcoming business meeting.
Brandon Saeger and Aaron Saeger, both of Horicon received the WHPA Youth Beekeeper award. The two brothers, grandsons to Melvin and the late Mary Saeger of Juneau, are 4th generation beekeepers, active in the Dodge/Jefferson Co. Beekeepers and assisting their grandfather with bee hives. The Saeger brothers also monitor the local club’s bee yard, extract club honey, and recently designed new t-shirts to promote honey and local beekeeping. They annually volunteer at the WI State Fair Honey Booth as well as the Dodge County Fair’s Honey Booth and other promotional activities that encourage beekeeping and honey.
- Beekeeper of the Year recipient, Tracy Malterer
Tracy Malterer, of Iron Ridge was named the WHPA’s Beekeeper of the Year. Malterer previously served as the WHPA Secretary and currently as the Southeastern District’s Secretary-Treasurer. She serves on WHPA State Fair Committee as well as the WI Honey Queen and website committees. In 2013 she became editor of the Badger Bee, the official publication for the WI Honey Producers Association. Malterer is also active in the Dodge/Jefferson Co Beekeepers, having served as the club’s secretary, honey queen chairperson, and newsletter editor throughout her membership. She credits her mentors and peers in local and state beekeeping organizations as inspiration to educate the public on bees and honey, and strengthen the beekeeping industry within our food and agricultural systems. Malterer is also grateful to her mother, Jeanne, who stayed to home feed and wrap the bees, sell more honey, and visit a new beekeeper who had a lot of questions.
- Lois Nass won first place in the Honey Baking Contest for her Healthy Honey Cookies (seen with Ardelle Lemar for her 1st place honey muffins).