by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (September 16, 2019) – Diane and Rich Lund showed up at the September 3 Committee of the Whole meeting with a token of appreciation for the Village Board—12 small jars of honey produced by their own bees this summer.
Mayor Patty Eidam explained during the Mayor’s Report, “Many of you will remember that several months ago we amended our Village Code of Ordinances…to allow beekeeping in our village under certain circumstances. …And so tonight we have before us the one who spearheaded our changes!” Mayor Eidam invited the Lunds to address the Board.
Lund thanked the Board for making the environment a priority in Lansing, referencing as one example the bioswales that have been installed at Fox Pointe. More specifically she thanked them for “amending the article that allowed my husband and I to try beekeeping.”
The Lunds have two hives, and they have learned “a lot” about bees and beekeeping and honey since October 2018 when the ordinance was amended. Though it is somewhat unusual for a new colony—and a new beekeeper—to produce enough honey during the first year to have extra, the Lunds’ bees were successful. “The bees hibernate in the winter, and they need 60 pounds of honey to survive the winter,” Diane explained. “Well, one of the hives gave me 27-1/2 pounds extra!” The Lunds also learned how to extract the honey, a process that was not as sticky as they thought it would be.
Lund presented the current Board members and the two retired members from last year’s Board each with a small sample of honey as a token of their appreciation. “It’s been a lot of fun,” she told them.
Related
- Honeybee advocates succeed at changing ordinance (October 2018 article)
