This week, guest co-host Kirsten Traynor chats with Adam Ingrao, Ph.D, founder of Heroes to Hive. Heroes To Hives is a veterans training program he started five years ago. They train veterans, especially those suffering from PTSD, how to manage honey bee hives and get started in beekeeping. Over 500 vets and family members are enrolled in this free program this year, making it one of the largest vet training programs in the US.

Kirsten also talks with Adam about his own struggles with opioids, how honey bees helped him regain purpose. He then describes how he got the program off the ground, the organization's goals and the tremendous success the program has had getting veterans focused on a project that has a multitude of rewards.

Why does beekeeping appeal to vets? Often vets have their minds filled with memories and have trouble focusing, are looking for a mission again and can contact other vets who have a shared interest in nurturing something living that's also a tad dangerous.

Heroes to Hives is based out of Michigan State University, where Adam collaborates closely with extension agent Dr. Megan Milbrath. Listen in to find out more, and check out the web pages listed below. Bees are the perfect gateway bug, opening up a greater appreciation for nature, which is just one of the interesting impacts of the Heroes to Hives program.

Links and websites mentioned in this episode:

• Heroes to Hives - https://www.canr.msu.edu/veterans/

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Kirsten's interviews are brought to you by BetterBee. BetterBee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. How do they do this? Because many of their employees are also beekeepers, so they know the needs, challenges and answers to your beekeeping questions. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global Patties is a family business that manufactures protein supplement patties for honey bees. Feeding your hives protein supplement patties will help ensure that they produce strong and health colonies by increasing brood production and overall honey flow. Global offers a variety of standard patties, as well as custom patties to meet your specific needs. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode!

We want to also thank 2 Million Blossoms as a sponsor of the podcast. 2 Million Blossoms is a new quarterly magazine destined for your coffee table. Each page of the magazine is dedicated to the stories and photos of all pollinators and written by leading researchers, photographers and our very own, Kim Flottum.

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We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments: [email protected]

Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of The Beekeeping Today Podcast. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com

Thank you for listening!

Podcast music: Young Presidents, "Be Strong"