By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Students across the state are getting a first-hand look at agriculture through Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Farm From School program.

Kindergarten through fifth-grade students virtually “meet” with a farmer or rancher once a month using a video conferencing app.

The third session of the spring semester was held April 14, and it brought pollinators to the classroom with the help of Donovan Johns, owner of Nature’s Nectar, LLC. His bees pollinate cantaloupes, cotton, pumpkins and watermelons.

“Students across the state tuned into the third Farm from School visit for the spring semester to get the buzz on honey production and pollinators,” Carson Read, TFB Educational Outreach coordinator, said. “Students asked many questions about how bees make honey and the role that each bee plays in a hive.”

Johns shared information about beekeeping that had the students buzzing with excitement.

He discussed the importance of the tools and protective gear, which helps him work with bees in the beehive.

Johns described the difference between male and female bees and their roles in the hive. All worker bees are female and have stingers, while male bees, known as drones, mate with the queen bee and do not have stingers.

During the 30-minute session, Johns showed the students the inside of the hive, beginning with how he safely opens the hive using a steamer.

“The smoker is important because bees do everything off of smell,” he said. “They live in darkness almost 24 hours a day. The only bees that don’t live in darkness are the ones out foraging and getting food for the rest of the bees.”

Students asked Johns various questions about how bees find pollen and what happens if the queen bee dies.

At the end of the session, the students learned about honey and how it is harvested to make soap, lotion, candles and jars of honey.

More information on Farm From School
The May Farm From School will give students a look at how agriculture plays a role in making baseball gloves.

Learn more about Farm From School at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc. Registration for the fall semester will open later this summer.