Wrenshall news

Wrenshall is the land of milk and honey — literally. Two weeks ago we celebrated milk production in Wrenshall with Breakfast on the Farm at the Laveau Dairy, and this week I got to taste fresh honey straight from the comb.

The Food Farm provides fields for local producer Christian Dahm’s bees to forage. His bright, multicolored boxes are located on the northwest corner of our farm and offer a cheery sight for folks coming and going on County Road 1. On Sunday, Dahm was out checking on his colonies at the same time my husband and 4-year-old were checking on our new carrots. Dahm had an extra comb that was giving him some trouble, so he gave it to my son. We have been eating toast with honey for a week straight.

Dahm served in the Marine Corps from 2007 to 2014, and when he returned from the service he went to school for agriculture at the University of Minnesota. While at school, he became discouraged by the conventional scale of farming and bee production. It seemed overwhelming to get in on such a large scale, so he started a small sawmill and built a farm in Moose Lake around lumber production. While starting up his business, he took a class offered to veterans on introductory beekeeping, and quickly became fascinated with the process. He was hired as part of the “Bee Squad” at the University of Minnesota, a lab that helps beekeepers promote conservation health and diversity of bee pollinators through research, education, and hands-on mentorship.

Dahm’s sawmill business, Sandhill Portable Sawmill, afforded him the opportunity to make his own bee boxes. He started small, and currently maintains 30 colonies. His unique situation has also allowed him to experiment with bee box production that may offer some hope for beleaguered bee populations worldwide. In the natural world, honeybees coat the walls of their hives with a natural plant-based resin called propolis. In conventional boxes, the bees tend to not use this coating because of the smooth surface of planed wood. Dahm’s boxes use a textured surface that allows the bees to apply the resin. Etymologists at the Bee Lab in St. Paul are excited about the resin’s ability to combat bacteria. “They call it social immunity,” Dahm said. Some initial tests at the Department of Agriculture bee research lab in Baton Rouge show success with Dahm’s prototypes.

Dahm is also trying to breed northern hardy bees that will endure our particular climate.

“I’ve started small, and breed off of what has survived. I’m noticing really good luck with my bees despite what I keep hearing from more commercial producers,” he said.

Dahm’s approach to beekeeping is measured and based on careful observation. He tries to design boxes that mimic the natural homes of bees — tree cavities. He hopes his deliberate attention can work toward the point that he can flip-flop his business model.

“In 10 years I’d like to be doing the honey business instead of the sawmill business,” Dahm said.

If you want to share your own Wrenshall-

specific story, let me know. Call 218-310-4703 or email annesdugan@ gmail.com

**********

If you go

This Saturday Wrenshall is celebrating bees and all pollinators at an event at the Free Range Film Festival Barn. From 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. there will be music, movies and information on this important part of our ecosystem. Find more at https://oacc.us/programs/bee-friendly-advocacy- events