From Hive to Heart

[Link]Mentorship Sustains Beekeeping and Beyond

The earliest evidence of humans collecting honey from wild bees was depicted in Spanish cave paintings dating to at least 10,000 years ago. However, it was not until 3100 BCE that evidence was found in Egypt of people practicing apiculture, what we now call beekeeping.

In the country of Georgia, the world's oldest honey was discovered in a nobleman's grave, demonstrating the use of honey in burial practices. Honey appears throughout sacred texts like the Old Testament and in classical literature such as Homer's Iliad. For the Mayan civilization, honey was so integral to life that the average family maintained up to 60 hives and worshipped gods entirely devoted to bees and beekeepers.

Throughout history and across cultures, humans have been collecting honey and nurturing bee hives. While methods have evolved, one thing has remained constant: the sharing of knowledge from one generation to the next while caring for the natural world around them.

[Link]That passing down of wisdom is what sustains beekeeping. Today, that legacy lives on in young beekeepers like 14-year-old Violet Richard of Mazomanie.

Equipped with a pink beekeeper suit and tending to her hand-painted wooden hives, Violet is bringing her own style and spirit to a timeless tradition. But even the most ancient practices need new voices and new mentors to guide them.

In the same way that early beekeepers passed down their wisdom, today's beekeepers play a vital role in sustaining not only the health of their hives but also the future of the craft itself.

[Link]Mentorship is its own form of sustainability. It's a way to preserve knowledge, build community and plant seeds for future generations, especially those who may not come from a traditional agricultural background like Violet. Since Violet doesn't live on a farm, she had to seek out involvement in agriculture on her own accord.

"It all began at a grad party. That's where I met my mentor, Dan," Violet said.

Dan Pethan comes from a traditional farming background. He grew up on a dairy farm in the Chilton area and went on to become a registered nurse. Beekeeping became a passion he found later in life. When he mentioned it at a graduation party, Violet immediately lit up with interest.

[Link]"The first time after Violet met him, he invited her out to learn about the bees, do a hive check and help him harvest honey with some other people to ensure this was something that we really wanted to do before we took the leap," said Carrie Richard, Violet's mom and beekeeper by proxy.

Dan didn't just show Violet how to care for her four hives, he also showed her how to care for the world around her. Under his guidance, she learned to see beekeeping not only as a practice but a responsibility.

"Dan has certainly taught me a lot of things," she said. "But the most important thing that he has taught me is to take better care of this planet."

Together, they've embraced a no-waste approach to beekeeping. Violet now turns leftover beeswax into hand-poured candles. First, she strains out every bit of honey, then melts and filters the wax, pouring it into molds. The unusable scraps are returned to the hive.

With her business V's Beez, Violet sells both honey and candles at local markets with profits going towards her college fund. Those markets have become more than just a place to sell, they're a space where she's witnessed the power of community
support firsthand.

One market in particular, designed for young entrepreneurs, left a lasting impression.

[Link]"The community of people who came to support all of the young children with business ideas was just incredible," Violet said. "I also remember meeting this girl there and it had me thinking how hard it would be to start these things without your parents, without a mentor or without everyone who comes to support you."

Violet has found community in other agricultural groups as well, such as 4-H. Inspired by friends of hers, Violet reached out to Lauren and Mitch Breunig of Mystic Valley Dairy to see if they would allow her to show one of their cows and offer their mentorship.

"Lauren was the one who helped me train and get used to being around my calf, and Mitch was the one who put all the pieces together," Violet said. "He allowed me to show her, and he hooked me up with someone to cut and clean her before showing."

Once again, Violet's agricultural endeavors resulted in resounding success.

[Link]"For my class, I got first place," Violet said with a smile. "Because of that, my calf was in the best of breed round, and we were called forward. It's rare for a calf to be in the top group for best of breed."

As many 4-H families can relate, Violet has officially caught the bug.

"She's hoping to show her cow again as a yearling," Carrie began before being cut off by an obviously excited Violet, who chimed in, "and another one too!"

"Yes, we've graduated to hopefully showing not just one, but two now," Carrie said with a chuckle.

4-H has also given Violet a chance to showcase her beekeeping in new ways as well.

"I'm a very outgoing person and love to do a lot of stuff, especially when it comes to the fair," Violet said. "Last year, I put in ten projects. I made a lifecycle of a bee poster and I also put in my honey and one of the candles I had made."

As Violet's agricultural pursuits demonstrate, mentorship is a way of sustaining agriculture for future generations. Mentorship opens doors that might otherwise stay closed. It invites people in, especially those who didn't grow up on a farm.

Through mentorship, we create pathways for young people to step into agriculture with confidence, and we ensure that the values of stewardship, sustainability and community continue to thrive for generations to come.

Or as Violet simply puts it, "I'm not a country kid, but I can still help the agriculture world grow."

This article originally appeared in the 2025 June | July Rural Route.