Simeon Valkenburg's guest appearances

Simeon Valkenburg

Beekeeping Today Podcast

Bees With Ben 

James Watts

Erica Shelley

Kirsten Traynor

Dara Scott

Randy Oliver

Cedar Anderson

Michael Smith

John Miller

Kim Eierman

Brian Peterson

Michael Johnson

Matthew Shepherd

Andrew Wilson

David Peck

Ben Moore

OwlTail

In this episode, Kirsten chats with commercial beekeeper Simeon Valkenburg, who runs a commercial operation with his brother in Australia. He talks about building up their commercial operation from scratch. They started with one hive and are now up to about 1,000 hives in south east Australia. The season kicks off with almond pollination. Yes, that’s right—Australian almonds which bloom in August. They then move colonies into crops like canola or beans or move into areas flush with a low desert eucalypt, which under the right weather conditions can produce a huge honey harvest. In their summer they chase after pollen, not for trapping, but simply for building up the bees or running from bushfires. The conversation ranges widely, discussing everything from ornery beekeepers with deep political connections to conducting successful field days and the trade war with New Zealand over the name ‘manuka’. Tune in to learn more about keeping bees downunder. UPDATED - Aug. 14 The report Simeon referenced in his talk with Kirsten is by Oregon beekeeper, Katharina Davitt: "Cavendish Bananas and their Nutritional Benefit to Honey Bees" The report's author has the same information in a PowerPoint .pdf here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FrVf6_sIujaID-txJiUI33hlVV_pklpg/view?usp=drivesdk __ 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. ___ We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com 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"

In this episode, Kirsten chats with commercial beekeeper Simeon Valkenburg, who runs a commercial operation with his brother in Australia. He talks about building up their commercial operation from scratch. They started with one hive and are now up to about 1,000 hives in south east Australia. The season kicks off with almond pollination. Yes, that’s right—Australian almonds which bloom in August. They then move colonies into crops like canola or beans or move into areas flush with a low desert eucalypt, which under the right weather conditions can produce a huge honey harvest. In their summer they chase after pollen, not for trapping, but simply for building up the bees or running from bushfires. The conversation ranges widely, discussing everything from ornery beekeepers with deep political connections to conducting successful field days and the trade war with New Zealand over the name ‘manuka’. Tune in to learn more about keeping bees downunder. UPDATED - Aug. 14 The report Simeon referenced in his talk with Kirsten is by Oregon beekeeper, Katharina Davitt: "<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j3TdyD1Nb7FTBECcuBoRwSzh6Y_CfAnT/view?usp=drivesdk" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Cavendish Bananas and their Nutritional Benefit to Honey Bees</a>" The report's author has the same information in a PowerPoint .pdf here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FrVf6_sIujaID-txJiUI33hlVV_pklpg/view?usp=drivesdk" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FrVf6_sIujaID-txJiUI33hlVV_pklpg/view?usp=drivesdk</a> __ Kirsten's interviews are brought to you by <a href="https://www.betterbee.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">BetterBee</a>. 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 <a href="https://www.betterbee.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.betterbee.com</a> This episode is brought to you by <a href="http://globalpatties.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Global Patties</a>! 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 <a href="http://globalpatties.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://globalpatties.com</a> and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode!  We want to also thank <a href="https://www.2millionblossoms.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">2 Million Blossoms</a> as a sponsor of the podcast. <a href="https://www.2millionblossoms.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">2 Million Blossoms</a> 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. ___ We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments: <a href="mailto:questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com" rel="noopener">questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com</a> Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of The Beekeeping Today Podcast. Available in print and digital at <a href="http://www.beeculture.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.beeculture.com</a> Thank you for listening! Podcast music: Young Presidents, "Be Strong"

Beekeeping Downunder: Simeon Valkenburg with Kirsten  (S3, E11)

PODCAST EPISODE 1: Simeon Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries It doesn’t happen every day, so when you meet someone that you know will be both a friend and mentor, it’s a glorious moment. That was the exact feeling I had when I first met Simeon Valkenburgback in 2016, making Episode One of the BEES WITH BEN podcast super special. It was early springtime in Townsville, and Simeon and his brother Paul were part of a group of us – six beekeepers in total – who got together and volunteered to help with the Asian Honeybee varroa mite incursion that happened there at that time. I soon realised I was amongst very incredible company, and our experience working together in the far north was eye-opening, bonding and inspiring. The Valkenburg brothers are beekeepers based in South Australia. Together they run Valkenburg Apiaries, as well as invaluable initiatives such as the Beekeepers Field Day in Renmark, which educates about the vital connection between bees and almond production. Incredibly passionate, dedicated, politically engaged, and hardworking, Simeon and Paul are easily some, if not the, best commercial beekeepers I know in Australia. As Simeon describes, a commercial beekeeping venture needs to be built on both passion and integrity, no matter how your business grows: “Together with my brother Paul, I have been working for a number of years building our beekeeping business. We manage over a thousand hives, which is generally considered a medium sized operation by South Australian standards. We derive most of our turnover from bulk honey production. When it comes to managing an apiary business, it is the bee husbandry part which particularly captures my interest. In our opinion, the keynote to commercial success in the beekeeping industry is contained in the old adage, ‘If you look after your bees, they will look after you’.” With a focus on positive communication and reciprocated benefits with land holders in their area, the brothers honey production and pollination services have earnt them a stellar reputation – they understand the importance of a mutually beneficial relationship with other farmers and community members, and this integrity shines through in their work on so many levels. Since we first met in far north Queensland, I have had a great deal to do with Simeon at conventions and events around the country.  For this reason, it is a total pleasure to be able to introduce you, the Ben’s Bees community, to Simeon himself, as we chat about Valkenburg Apiaries, bee nutrition, and the highlights and challenges of running a commercial beekeeping business in Australia. Tune in!

PODCAST EPISODE 1: Simeon Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries It doesn’t happen every day, so when you meet someone that you know will be both a friend and mentor, it’s a glorious moment. That was the exact feeling I had when I first met Simeon Valkenburgback in 2016, making Episode One of the BEES WITH BEN podcast super special. It was early springtime in Townsville, and Simeon and his brother Paul were part of a group of us – six beekeepers in total – who got together and volunteered to help with the Asian Honeybee varroa mite incursion that happened there at that time. I soon realised I was amongst very incredible company, and our experience working together in the far north was eye-opening, bonding and inspiring. The Valkenburg brothers are beekeepers based in South Australia. Together they run Valkenburg Apiaries, as well as invaluable initiatives such as the Beekeepers Field Day in Renmark, which educates about the vital connection between bees and almond production. Incredibly passionate, dedicated, politically engaged, and hardworking, Simeon and Paul are easily some, if not the, best commercial beekeepers I know in Australia. As Simeon describes, a commercial beekeeping venture needs to be built on both passion and integrity, no matter how your business grows: “Together with my brother Paul, I have been working for a number of years building our beekeeping business. We manage over a thousand hives, which is generally considered a medium sized operation by South Australian standards. We derive most of our turnover from bulk honey production. When it comes to managing an apiary business, it is the bee husbandry part which particularly captures my interest. In our opinion, the keynote to commercial success in the beekeeping industry is contained in the old adage, ‘If you look after your bees, they will look after you’.” With a focus on positive communication and reciprocated benefits with land holders in their area, the brothers honey production and pollination services have earnt them a stellar reputation – they understand the importance of a mutually beneficial relationship with other farmers and community members, and this integrity shines through in their work on so many levels. Since we first met in far north Queensland, I have had a great deal to do with Simeon at conventions and events around the country.  For this reason, it is a total pleasure to be able to introduce you, the Ben’s Bees community, to Simeon himself, as we chat about Valkenburg Apiaries, bee nutrition, and the highlights and challenges of running a commercial beekeeping business in Australia. Tune in!

PODCAST EPISODE 1: Simeon Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries