Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Emslander.
Hi Dustin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It all started about 11 years ago. One day, Dustin’s mom expressed interest in having bees. Dustin, thinking that was cool, decided to take the U of M bee course with her. After the one day class, Dustin’s mom thought no way is this for me. While Dustin fell in love! That winter we started building hive boxes in our very small apartment. That spring, we got our first two packages of bees. The more we did bees, the more and more we loved it! We quickly grew from two hives to four, to ten, and eventually we got to where we are today- fifty hives. Our honey production went from being able to fill a few bear honey jars to collecting over 2000 lbs of honey each year. Our passion for bees extends farther than honey though. We’ve gone to schools to educate students about bees and honey. We’ve also volunteered at the MN state fair to educate people about bees. Bees are a big part of our life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Beekeeping is not for the faint of heart. We have faced many challenges including having our bees swarm, weak queens, pest infestations, critters (like skunks and racoons) attacking our hives, and so much more. The most devastating is when we check on the hives after winter and they are dead. It’s heartbreaking when you think you’ve set them up for success going into winter and they still don’t make it. There are often times when we feel we’ve figured things out and then the bees are like, nope! And we are dosed with a case of reality. We are constantly researching and connecting with other beekeepers to figure out best practices in beekeeping. The bees keep us learning (and humble), that’s for sure!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We pride ourselves in producing quality honey from healthy hives. Our honey is raw and unfiltered. We like to tell people it’s as close to eating it directly from the hive as you can get. Our business is much more than honey sales though. We provide pollination for local farmers. Some of those farms include apple orchards and pumpkin patches. This helps ensure that the farmers have a quality crop, while allowing the bees an area with lots of food. We then sell our honey at those locations. You can’t get much more local than that and our customers love it! I mean how cool is it to go into a field to pick pumpkins and you can see the bees that provided the honey you just bought and helped pollinate the pumpkin you’re about to pick. We teach at local schools about honey bees. Curriculum includes the different tools of beekeeping, honey bee anatomy, pollination, and life in a hive. We also teach and mentor people who want to become bee keepers. Bee keeping has it’s challenges, so we provide support and guidance to those interested in starting. All that said, we are the most proud of helping hives become strong, healthy hives that produce quality honey. Many people have commented that our honey tastes the best. Repeat customers always put a smile on our faces.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Perseverance is a key component of our success. There is a lot more to beekeeping than people think. Our never give up attitude is what keeps us successful. Whether it be moving hives in the middle of the night or surviving countless stings, we love bees. As we’ve said, it is a big part of our lives.
Pricing:
- 12oz squeeze bear jar- $8
- 16oz squeeze jar- $10
- 32oz squeeze jar- $18
- Comb Honey- $20
- 1/2 Pint Spun Honey- $10
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cdbees.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1B8Enkt2eB/
