Bees With Ben

PODCAST EPISODE 9: Warm Greetings and Gratitude from Ben In this episode, I send out my warmest hellos and thank you’s to all the incredible people that make the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast a reality. It’s one thing to have a podcast, but it’s a very different thing for that podcast to be a successful place for the sharing of information and stories; a very different reality and pleasure to m...

PODCAST EPISODE 8: John Edmonds from Edmonds Honey, Geelong, Victoria John Edmonds is a chatty, enthusiastic, warm-hearted bee bloke and business owner. With a wealth of experience that goes back into his family history, John is noted for saying, "keeping bees is like a jigsaw, get all the little parts of the puzzle together and you will get the finished puzzle.” Owner of Edmonds Honey based in Ge...

PODCAST EPISODE 7: Neil Stuckey from Sticky Stuckey Honey, Gippsland, Victoria I don’t get jealous much, but I am a tad envious of my dear friend Neil. With a name like Neil Stuckey– yes, like Sticky, Stuckey Honey– what’s not to turn a little green over; it’s the kind of last name keepers dream of, and it seems to me that the gods (or his parents at least) must have known that Neil would be a bee...

PODCAST EPISODE 6: Kirsten Traynor from 2 Million Blossoms I recently declared my love for podcasting. Despite it being an activity that many people told me I would lap up, I had no clue just how good spreading my love of bees, the environment, cooking and healthy living would feel. Having a podcast has meant that I have been able to share some of my dearest bee-related friends with the world, but...

PODCAST EPISODE 5: Milan Wiercx van Rhijn, Bees for Development, France A few years ago, I visited one of my favourite countries in the whole world, France. During my stay, I was lucky enough to be well looked after by my now dear friend, Milan Wiercx van Rhijn, and his lovely partner, Kim. Spoilt with handmade ice-cream (thanks Kim!) and wonderful conversation about how bees are doing the most in...

PODCAST EPISODE 4: Manuel Hempel of Vindfløy Bybigård in Bergen, Norway As you will find out, the last time I saw Manuel Hempel was in a karaoke bar In Canada. Obviously, my stellar singing voice made a great impression on the young, 34-year-old beekeeper from Norway, as we have stayed in touch ever since. To be serious, I met this incredibly passionate fellow when we were both at the APIMONDIA be...

PODCAST EPISODE 3: Nicholas Bishop from the London Honey Company I love to travel. And with lockdown restrictions meaning many of us have very itchy feet right now, I have been thinking that the perfect antidote to cabin fever is the BEES WITH BEN podcast! What a better way to keep meeting beekeepers, honey slurpers, nature lovers, and apiarists from all over the world than a virtual hang out with...

PODCAST EPISODE 2: Manuka King Rob Waddell from Grand Ridge Nursery It was three years ago that I met nursey owner, bee lover and plant genius Rob Waddell at the Coonara Beekeeping Club in Ferntree Gully, Victoria. As plants are the key to making bees happy, I was struck with Rob’s incredible wealth of knowledge, especially when it came to Australian natives and the magical Manuka tree responsible...

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 Pa...

For any of you that know me, I love a good yarn. One the of the best things about my job is getting out and about with local people, sharing the knowledge I have about bees, the environment, produce, gardening and healthy living. And I have lots of experience getting on my soapbox! For years now, I have been a representative at local and international conferences. I have appeared on popular TV and...