“The produce department is not the only section which relies on the honey bee,” wrote Jessica Tinker in her first place essay in the 4-H Beekeeping Essay Contest. She was evaluating a supermarket, aisle-by-aisle, looking for evidence of honey bees. “Nearly every aisle in the grocery story is lined with products made available by honey bees.” She included dairy (alfalfa), snacks sweetened with honey, fruit juices, cleaners with beeswax, and even cough remedies.
The 2008 essay contest, sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, drew state-winning essays from 19 states. The assigned topic was “The Results of Honey Bee Pollination in My Community.” Essayists were to become familiar with pollination activities and, then, survey their communities to see what examples they could find.
Jessica, 11, lives in Houston and hopes to become a veterinarian. She defined her community as a 5-mile radius of her home. She titled her essay: “The Most Valuable Insect on Earth.” As first place winner, she receives a $250.00 cash award. [ read the essay ]
“The Value of Honey Bee Pollinators in Daviess County” brought second place honors to Danielle Jarboe, a high school junior in Utica, Daviess County, Ky. She interviewed a blueberry grower and a pumpkin farmer, both of whom hire beekeepers to bring honey bees to their farms. Her prize is $100.00. [ read the essay ]
The third place essay earned a cash award of $50.00 for Shiloh Thomas, 13, of Broad Brook, Conn. “Without honey bee pollination, our town would not have an apple orchard,” she wrote. “We wouldn’t be able to pick our own blueberries at the farm near us. There would be no local pumpkins, raspberries…. or as many of the local vegetables and fruits at the farmer’s market….” [ read the essay ]
Each state winner, including the national winners, will receive a copy of a book about beekeeping.