Our business is about beekeeping!
Who Am I?
My name is Gary Brown, and I am married to my high School Sweetheart Blanche. I graduated High School from Olivet, Michigan in 1970. I was drafted into the Army on April 19, 1971, and I served in Viet Nam, Korea and West Germany in my 21 years of Active-Duty Military Service.
I am a Life Member of the following organizations: Maple City VFW Post 2406 in Charlotte, MI - NRA - B.A.S.S. - Camp Trotter and The VFW National Home. I am Retired from the U.S. Army and a 70% Disabled Veteran. I retired from the work force on February 1, 2017.
I graduated College from Spring Arbor University with a MA degree in Organizational Management and a BA degree in Management and Organizational Development.
I recently completed and received my Pollinator Champion Certification Certificate at Michigan State University Extension. This Certification allows me to teach others on How to Save our Native Bees in Michigan.
I started learning about becoming a Beekeeper in October of 2017 and enrolled into a Program called "Heros to Hives. I completed my Farm Application in March of 2018 and was granted my farm number In October 2018.
In December 2020, I became an Instructor with MSU-Extension to teach Heroes to Hives as a Pilot program at Maple City VFW Post 2406 in Charlotte, MI. This has been a dream of mine to be able to teach beekeeping to Veterans and their families ever since I became a Beekeeper.
In February 2021, I started teaching Heroes to Hives at the Maple City VFW Post 2406 in Charlotte, MI and then started teaching at the VFW National Home in Eaton Rapids, MI in February 2023.
On May 31, 2023, I became the 2nd Heroes To Hives Student to pass the Master beekeeper field exam and become a Master Beekeeper. I am now a Graduate of the Grate Planes Master Beekeeping Program offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I completed my masters project in December 2023 and sent it off to GPMB.
In February 2024, I will be going in front of the master's Certification Board looking to complete my Masters Project and if approved I will become a Certified Master Beekeeper with Great Planes Master Beekeeping at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Once my master's Level is completed, I will be able to teach, train and qualify those students who are working on completing their Master Beekeeping in the GPMB programs.
On March 7, 2024, I finally completed my Masters Project and presented and recorded my project through the Great Planes Master Beekeeping through the University of Nebraska- Extension Bee Lab. Being awarded my Certificate of Completion and becoming a Certified Master Beekeeper. I cannot tell you how much this means to me, and now that I have reached this level of beekeeping.
