WHAT’S THE BUZZ? The Chippewa Valley Beekeepers are hosting an event where people can learn more about the Earth’s most popular pollinators, such as these honey bees at Beaver Creek Reserve in Eau Claire. 

What’s small, black and yellow, and responsible for the growth of most of the food we eat on a daily basis?

That’s right: honey bees.  

If you have ever wanted to learn more about these incredible insects, the Chippewa Valley Beekeepers are hosting a Honey Bee Festival at the Chippewa Valley Farmers Market in Eau Claire from 8am to 2pm Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11 and 12. Saturday’s event will be at the Westridge Festival Foods, 2615 N. Clairemont Ave., while Sunday’s will be at the Festival Foods at 2717 Birch St.

At these events, you can meet real beekeepers, see a live hive, learn more about different bee equipment, and buy some honey products to support a local bee biz. If you’ve ever been interested in raising your own bees, this is the perfect place to get some questions answered.   

“We’re looking at education with this program,” said  Galen Klisiewicz, president of the club. “We want to get some people really interested in it and excited about it.”  Klisiewicz knows more than most about why bees are so beneficial. He owns Let’s Get Pickled, where he sells products that he grows himself. With the help of bees, he was able to increase his production yield by 25%, he said.  

“The important thing is that we know this stuff doesn’t get produced without the help of honey bees,” Klisiewicz said. “That’s why we’re coming together to make sure that people do understand why this stuff grows so well and the association between the two.”  

To learn more about these events you can go to facebook.com/groups/cvbees and facebook.com/farmersmarketCV.