Snow Queen Bee Co

SCBGP PROJECT PROFILE TEMPLATE

DEFINITION OF A PROJECT

A project is a set of interrelated tasks with a cohesive, distinct, specified and defined goal. It follows a planned, organized approach over a fixed period and within specific limitations (cost, performance, quality, etc.). Additionally, it uses resources that are specifically allocated to the work of the project and usually involves a team.

Projects are different from other ongoing operations in an organization because, unlike operations, projects have a definitive beginning and end – they have a limited duration. One way to think about this is that a project has an overarching goal that you want to accomplish through a series of individual activities or tasks. Examples of projects could include researching new cultivars or marketing apples through a targeted promotional campaign.

Activities or tasks that could be a part of such projects might include hiring personnel, purchasing special equipment, holding an educational workshop, planting specialty crops or distribution product promotional materials.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Complete the profile below, describing how you will fulfill the goals and objectives of your project and provide key details. 2. Transfer data to the related sections in the ISDA online GMS system under your account for this opportunity.

PROJECT TITLE

Provide a descriptive project title in 15 words or less in the space below. The Indiana Snow Queen Production and Distribution Project

DURATION OF PROJECT

Start Date: 10/1/2021 End Date: 9/30/2024

PROJECT PARTNER AND SUMMARY

Include a project summary of 250 words or less suitable for dissemination to the public. A Project Summary provides a very brief (one sentence, if possible) description of your project. A Project Summary includes: 1. The name of the applicant organization that if awarded a grant will establish an agreement or contractual relationship with the State department of agriculture to lead and execute the project, 2. A concise outline the project’s outcome(s), and 3. A description of the general tasks to be completed during the project period to fulfill this goal.

FOR EXAMPLE: The ABC University will mitigate the spread of citrus greening (Huanglongbing) by developing scientifically-based practical measures to implement in a quarantine area and disseminating results to stakeholders through grower meetings and field days.

survivability rate. This cold adapted queen bee will be formally identified as the Indiana Snow Queen. When implemented, the Indiana Snow Queen will produce winter hardy bees which will increase the ability of Indiana specialty crop honey producers to more readily grow their apiaries as well as decrease the cost of honey production by eliminating or reducing the expense of constantly replacing winter losses. The project objectives will be achieved by selectively breeding queen honeybees from colonies overwintered in Indiana. These queens will then be introduced into existing and imported hives in order to alter colony genetics in a way that produces bees more apt to survive the winter here in Indiana. The project will produce 3000 queen honeybees at a rate of 1000 per season over the 3 year duration of the project. The Indiana Snow Queens produced annually will be distributed to interested parties through a simple application and selection process. SQBC will disseminate methodologies used in producing the Indiana Snow Queen as well as data related to the project to the appropriate local and state beekeeping clubs and organizations. SQBC will also hold an annual clinic to educate Indiana specialty crop honey producers on how to produce and implement winter hardy queen honeybees.

PROJECT PURPOSE

PROVIDE THE SPECIFIC ISSUE, PROBLEM OR NEED THAT THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS Indiana honey producers below the commercial level are dramatically impacted annually by high winter colony loss. This creates a financial burden for small honey farms by making it difficult to grow their operation or to produce and sell honey at a competitive price.

PROVIDE A LISTING OF THE OBJECTIVES THAT THIS PROJECT HOPES TO ACHIEVE

Add more objectives by copying and pasting the existing listing or delete objectives that aren’t necessary. Objective 1: To produce, distribute, and study 3000 queen bees which are genetically predisposed to winter survivability in Indiana.

Objective 2: To increase the honey production of small Indiana honey farms by establishing colonies of honeybees which come out of the winter healthy and strong.

Objective 3: To decrease the cost of producing local honey by eliminating the expense of purchasing bees to replace winter losses.

PROJECT BENEFICIARIES

Estimate the number of project beneficiaries: 3,000

 Does this project directly benefit socially disadvantaged farmers as defined in the RFA? Yes ☐ No  Does this project directly benefit beginning farmers as defined in the RFA? Yes ☐ No

STATEMENT OF ENHANCING SPECIALTY CROPS

By checking the box to the right, I confirm that this project enhances the competitiveness of specialty crops in accordance with and defined by the Farm Bill. Further information regarding  the definition of a specialty crop can be found at www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp.

CONTINUATION PROJECT INFORMATION

 Does this project continue the efforts of a previously funded SCBGP project? Yes ☐ No

If you have selected “yes”, please address the following:

DESCRIBE HOW THIS PROJECT WILL DIFFER FROM AND BUILD ON THE PREVIOUS EFFORTS

N/A

PROVIDE A SUMMARY (3 TO 5 SENTENCES) OF THE OUTCOMES OF THE PREVIOUS EFFORTS

N/A

PROVIDE LESSONS LEARNED ON POTENTIAL PROJECT IMPROVEMENTS

What was previously learned from implementing this project, including potential improvements?

N/A

How are the lessons learned and improvements being incorporated into the project to make the ongoing project more effective and successful at meeting goals and outcomes?

N/A

DESCRIBE THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE PROJECT BECOMING SELF-SUSTAINING AND NOT INDEFINITELY DEPENDENT ON GRANT FUNDS

This project could become self-sustaining by selling produced queens at the end of the project duration.

OTHER SUPPORT FROM FEDERAL OR STATE GRANT PROGRAMS

The SCBGP will not fund duplicative projects. Did you submit this project to a Federal or State grant program other than the SCBGP for funding and/or is a Federal or State grant program other than the SCBGP funding the project currently?

 Yes ☐ No

IF YOUR PROJECT IS RECEIVING OR WILL POTENTIALLY RECEIVE FUNDS FROM ANOTHER FEDERAL OR STATE GRANT PROGRAM

Identify the Federal or State grant program(s).

N/A

Describe how the SCBGP project differs from or supplements the other grant program(s) efforts.

N/A

EXTERNAL PROJECT SUPPORT

Describe the specialty crop stakeholders who support this project and why (other than the applicant and organizations involved in the project).

The specialty crop stakeholders are each and every beekeeper in the state of Indiana below the commercial level many of which experience extreme winter losses anually. The stakeholders support this project because it has the potential of substantially reducing winter losses which in turn would increase honey yields and reduce annual operating costs.

EXPECTED MEASURABLE OUTCOMES

SELECT THE APPROPRIATE OUTCOME(S) AND INDICATOR(S)/SUB-INDICATOR(S)

You must choose at least one of the eight outcomes listed in the SCBGP Performance Measures, which were approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to evaluate the performance of the SCBGP on a national level.

OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Select the outcome measure(s) that are applicable for this project from the listing below. : Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased sales (required for marketing ☐Outcome 1 projects) : Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased consumption ☐Outcome 2 : Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased access ☐Outcome 3 Outcome 4: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops though greater capacity of sustainable practices of specialty crop production resulting in increased yield, reduced inputs, increased efficiency, increased economic return, and/or conservation of resources Outcome 5: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through more sustainable, diverse, and resilient specialty crop systems : Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increasing the number of viable ☐Outcome 6 technologies to improve food safety : Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased understanding of the ecology of ☐Outcome 7 threats to food safety from microbial and chemical sources : Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through enhancing or improving the economy as a ☐Outcome 8 result of specialty crop development

OUTCOME INDICATOR(S) Provide at least one indicator listed in the SCBGP Performance Measures and the related quantifiable result. If you have multiple outcomes and/or indicators, repeat this for each outcome/indicator.

FOR EXAMPLE: Outcome 2, Indicator 1.a. Of the 150 total number of children and youth reached, 132 will gain knowledge about eating more specialty crops.

Outcome 4, Indicator 2.a 1500 growers/producers indicating adoption of recommended practices

Outcome 5, Indicator 3 1500 specialty crop growers/producers (and other members of the specialty crop supply chain) that have increased revenue expressed in dollars.

Outcome 5, Indicator 7 1500 viable technologies/processes developed or modified that will increase specialty crop distribution and/or production.

MISCELLANEOUS OUTCOME MEASURE

In the unlikely event that the outcomes and indicators above the selected outcomes are not relevant to your project, you must develop a project-specific outcome(s) and indicator(s) which will be subject to approval by AMS.

DATA COLLECTION TO REPORT ON OUTCOMES AND INDICATORS

Explain how you will collect the required data to report on the outcome and indicator in the space below. Outcome 4 Surveys will be conducted with program participants to determine that they have implemented the Indiana Snow Queen honeybee in their apiaries. Reports will be given by program participants specifically detailing annual honey production for the season prior to and the year following the implementation of the Indiana Snow Queen. These production numbers will be then compared.

Outcome 5 Reports will be given by program participants specifically detailing annual honey production for the season prior to and the year following the implementation of the Indiana Snow Queen. These production numbers will be then compared. Financial data will be collected from program participants in the form of annual profit and loss statements for the year prior to and the year following the implementation of the Indiana Snow Quee

BUDGET NARRATIVE

All expenses described in this Budget Narrative must be associated with expenses that will be covered by the SCBGP. If any matching funds will be used and a description of their use is required by the State department of agriculture, the expenses to be covered with matching funds must be described separately. Applicants should review the Request for Applications section 4.7 Funding Restrictions prior to developing their budget narrative. Budget Summary Expense Category Funds Requested Personnel $173,400.00 Fringe Benefits $0.00 Travel $0.00 Equipment $0.00 Supplies $1,650.00 Contractual $39,507.00 Other $0.00 Direct Costs Subtotal $214,557.00 Indirect Costs $0.00

Total Budget $202,557.00

PERSONNEL

List the organization’s employees whose time and effort can be specifically identified and easily and accurately traced to project activities that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. See the Request for Applications section 4.7.2 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, Salaries and Wages, and Presenting Direct and Indirect Costs Consistently under section 4.7.1 for further guidance. Level of Effort (# of Funds # Name/Title hours OR % FTE) Requested 1 Nicholas Jones, Program Director 100% $105,000.00 2 Jessica Jones, Program Coordinator 100% $45,000.00 3 Summer Baxter, Program Assistant 50% $23,400.00 4

Personnel Subtotal $173,400.00

PERSONNEL JUSTIFICATION For each individual listed in the above table, describe the activities to be completed by name/title including approximately when activities will occur. Add more personnel by copying and pasting the existing listing or deleting personnel that aren’t necessary. Personnel 1: $35,000 x 3 years. Will oversee the program, conduct all training and hiring of the program assistant, submit all reports for grant, track all expenses, ordering all supplies or rental equipment, manage the colonies, production of the queen honeybees.

Personnel 2: $15,000 x 3 years. Will provide direct service to the participants of the snow queen project; including developing application and implementing terms of policies and procedures, conduct local community outreach.

Personnel 3: $10 per hr for 30 hrs a week for 26 weeks. Will assist the Program Director by data collection, colony managing, equipment managing, and any additional needs of the Program Manager.

FRINGE BENEFITS

Provide the fringe benefit rates for each of the project’s salaried employees described in the Personnel section that will be paid with SCBGP funds. # Name/Title Fringe Benefit Rate Funds Requested 1 2 3 4

Fringe Subtotal $0.00

TRAVEL

Explain the purpose for each Trip Request. Please note that travel costs are limited to those allowed by formal organizational policy; in the case of air travel, project participants must use the lowest reasonable commercial airfares. For recipient organizations that have no formal travel policy and for-profit recipients, allowable travel costs may not exceed those established by the Federal Travel Regulation, issued by GSA, including the maximum per diem and subsistence rates prescribed in those regulations. This information is available at http://www.gsa.gov. See the Request for Applications section 4.7.2 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, Travel, and Foreign Travel for further guidance. Type of Unit of Expense # of Measure Cost (airfare, car # of Travelers Funds # Trip Destination (days, per rental, hotel, Units Claiming Requested nights, Unit meals, the Expense miles) mileage, etc.) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Travel Subtotal $0.00

TRAVEL JUSTIFICATION For each trip listed in the above table describe the purpose of this trip and how it will achieve the objectives and outcomes of the project. Be sure to include approximately when the trip will occur. Add more trips by copying and pasting the existing listing or delete trips that aren’t necessary. Trip 1 (Approximate Date of Travel MM/YYYY):

Trip 2(Approximate Date of Travel MM/YYYY):

Trip 3(Approximate Date of Travel MM/YYYY):

Add other Trips as necessary

CONFORMING WITH YOUR TRAVEL POLICY

By checking the box to the right, I confirm that my organization’s established travel policies will be adhered to when completing the above-mentioned trips in accordance with 2 CFR 200.474 or  48 CFR subpart 31.2 as applicable.

EQUIPMENT

Describe any special purpose equipment to be purchased or rented under the grant. ‘‘Special purpose equipment’’ is tangible, nonexpendable, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost that equals or exceeds $5,000 per unit and is used only for research, medical, scientific, or other technical activities. See the Request for Applications section 4.7.2 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, Equipment - Special Purpose for further guidance Rental of "general purpose equipment’’ must also be described in this section. Purchase of general purpose equipment is not allowable under this grant. See Request for Applications section 4.7.2 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, Equipment - General Purpose for definition, and Rental or Lease Costs of Buildings, Vehicles, Land and Equipment. Rental or Acquire Funds # Item Description Purchase When? Requested 1 2 3 4

Equipment Subtotal $0.00

EQUIPMENT JUSTIFICATION For each Equipment item listed in the above table describe how this equipment will be used to achieve the objectives and outcomes of the project. Add more equipment by copying and pasting the existing listing or delete equipment that isn’t necessary. Equipment 1:

Equipment 2:

Equipment 3:

Add other Equipment as necessary

SUPPLIES

List the materials, supplies, and fabricated parts costing less than $5,000 per unit and describe how they will support the purpose and goal of the proposal and enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. See Request for Applications section 4.7.2 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, Supplies and Materials, Including Costs of Computing Devices for further information. Per-Unit # of Units/Pieces Acquire Item Description Funds Requested Cost Purchased When? Mac Book $1,500.00 1 9/2021 $1,500.00 Medical Supplies $75.00 2 9/2021 $150.00

Supplies Subtotal $1,650.00

SUPPLIES JUSTIFICATION Describe the purpose of each supply listed in the table above purchased and how it is necessary for the completion of the project’s objective(s) and outcome(s).

Mac Book: used throughout the duration of the project for collecting data, correspondents, research, processing applications, budget and expense reporting, and grant reporting. At project completion this device shall be donated to Snow Queen Bee Co a non-profit co

Medical Supplies: The medical supplies will be first aid kits complete with epi-pens, Benadryl, and wound care items. Two kits are being requested.

CONTRACTUAL/CONSULTANT

Contractual/consultant costs are the expenses associated with purchasing goods and/or procuring services performed by an individual or organization other than the applicant in the form of a procurement relationship. If there is more than one contractor or consultant, each must be described separately. (Repeat this section for each contract/consultant.)

ITEMIZED CONTRACTOR(S)/CONSULTANT(S) Provide a list of contractors/consultants, detailing out the name, hourly/flat rate, and overall cost of the services performed. Please note that any statutory limitations on indirect costs also apply to contractors and consultants. # Name/Organization Hourly Rate/Flat Rate Funds Requested 1 Grafting Tool $4.00 $40.00 2 Grafting Frame Stand $50.00 $50.00 3 Queenright Locally Overwintered Drone $250.00 $750.00 Producing Colony 4 Queen Cell Incubator with tempature and $100.00 $300.00 humidity control 5 Queenright Locally Overwintered Colony $250.00 $1,500.00 6 Queenless 5-Frame Starter Colony $200.00 $2,400.00 7 Queenright 10-Frame Double Deep Finisher $250.00 $6,000.00 Colony 8 Queenless Mini Mating Nucleus Colony $35.00 $21,000.00 9 Queen Cages $30.00 $990.00

# Name/Organization Hourly Rate/Flat Rate Funds Requested 10 Queen Marking Pen Set $8.00 $16.00 11 Complete Bee suit with Gloves $50.00 $450.00 12 Push-In Cell Protectors $13.00 $330.00 13 Pollen Patties $200.00 $600.00 14 Queen Excluder - Metal $8.00 $160.00 15 Liquid Feed $500.00 $1,500.00 16 Thin Surplus Wax Foundation $275.00 $825.00 17 Apiary Insurance $300.00 $900.00 18 Queen Rearing Complete Frames $24.50 $196.00 19 Queenright Support Colony $250.00 $1,500.00

Contractual/Consultant Subtotal $39,507.00

CONTRACTUAL JUSTIFICATION Provide for each of your real or anticipated contractors listed above a description of the project activities each will accomplish to meet the objectives and outcomes of the project. Each section should also include a justification for why contractual/consultant services are to be used to meet the anticipated outcomes and objectives. Include timelines for each activity. If contractor employee and consultant hourly rates of pay exceed the salary of a GS-15 step 10 Federal employee in your area, provide a justification for the expenses. This limit does not include fringe benefits, travel, indirect costs, or other expenses. See Request for Applications section 4.7.2 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, Contractual and Consultant Costs for acceptable justifications. Contractor/Consultant 1: Grafting tools are used to remove larva from the cell and load into the grafting cup. Will need 10 tools at four dollars each.

Contractor/Consultant 2: Grafting frame stand is used to hold the grafting frame during the grafting process.

Contractor/Consultant 3: One Queenright Locally Overwintered Drone Producing Colony needed for saturating the drone congregation area with desired genetics. One colony used per year times 3 years.

Contractor/Consultant 4: The queen cell incubator with temperature and humidity control will house the unhatched queen cells at a specific temperature and relative humidity until they are ready to be transferred to the mini-mating nuc.

Contractor/Consultant 5: The hives will be leased from Earthling Bee Co . Two queenright locally overwintered colonies needed for breeder stock to breed the Indiana Snow Queen. 2 colonies times 3 years.

Contractor/Consultant 6: These will be used to start the grafted queen cells. Four colonies leased per year times 3 years.

Contractor/Consultant 7: Eight Queenright 10-Frame Double Deep Finisher Colonies needed for finishing grafted queen cells. Eight colonies leased x 3 years.

Contractor/Consultant 8: 200 Queenless Mini Mating Nucleus Colonies will be leased annually for the duration of the project for the purpose of hatching and mating the queen bees.

Contractor/Consultant 9: Queen cages are used to deliver and slowly introduce the new queen to the colony of the chosen participant. 33 pack containing 100 cages per pack will be used for the total 3 year grant period.

Contractor/Consultant 10: Queens are marked with a specific color in regards to the year that the queen is produced. This helps the beekeeper distinguish how old the queen is.

Contractor/Consultant 11: Bee suits with gloves will be leased to each personal. This gear is needed to protect the personal while working with the colonies. This lease is per suit per year.

Contractor/Consultant 12: One push-n cell protector will be used per queen cell to introduce the queen cell to the mini-mating nuc.

Contractor/Consultant 13: Pollen patties are used to build up the hives in the early spring season. The cost of $200 is per year times 3 years.

Contractor/Consultant 14: Used to control where the queen can be in the colony. One queen excluder needed per colony times 20 coloines.

Contractor/Consultant 15: Liquid feed is used to feed the colonies. Cost of $500 per year times three years.

Contractor/Consultant 16: The thin surplus wax foundation is placed in the mini-mating nuc for the worker bees to make cells for the queen to lay her eggs in.

Contractor/Consultant 17: Commercial General Liability Insurance policy via State Farm Insurance Company to provide liability protection in the breeding yard and other areas used during the project. Coverage will be provided during the whole 3 year grant period.

Contractor/Consultant 18: Eight Queen Rearing Complete Fames needed are used to hold the grafting cups which produce the queen cells that will be used throughout the process of breeding queens. These will be reused each year for the duration of the project.

Contractor/Consultant 19: Six Queenright Support Colonies needed for producing bees and other resources required for queen breeding. Six colonies times 3 years.

CONFORMING WITH YOUR PROCUREMENT STANDARDS

By checking the box to the right, I confirm that my organization followed the same policies and procedures used for procurements from non-federal sources, which reflect applicable State and local laws and regulations and conform to the Federal laws and standards identified in 2 CFR Part 200.317  through.326, as applicable. If the contractor(s)/consultant(s) are not already selected, my organization will follow the same requirements.

OTHER

Include any expenses not covered in any of the previous budget categories. Be sure to break down costs into cost/unit. Expenses in this section include, but are not limited to, meetings and conferences, communications, rental expenses, advertisements, publication costs, and data collection. If you budget meal costs for reasons other than meals associated with travel per diem, provide an adequate justification to support that these costs are not entertainment costs. See Request for Applications section 4.7.2 Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities, Meals for further guidance. Per-Unit Number Acquire Item Description Funds Requested Cost of Units When?

Per-Unit Number Acquire Item Description Funds Requested Cost of Units When?

Other Subtotal $0.00

OTHER JUSTIFICATION Describe the purpose of each item listed in the table above purchased and how it is necessary for the completion of the project’s objective(s) and outcome(s).

INDIRECT COSTS

The indirect cost rate must not exceed 8 percent of any project’s budget. Indirect costs are any costs that are incurred for common or joint objectives that therefore, cannot be readily identified with an individual project, program, or organizational activity. They generally include facilities operation and maintenance costs, depreciation, and administrative expenses. See Request for Applications section 4.7.1 Limit on Administrative Costs and Presenting Direct and Indirect Costs Consistently for further guidance. Indirect Cost Rate Funds Requested 0% $0.00

Indirect Subtotal $0.00

PROGRAM INCOME

Program income is gross income—earned by a recipient or subrecipient under a grant—directly generated by the grant-supported activity, or earned only because of the grant agreement during the grant period of performance. Program income includes, but is not limited to, income from fees for services performed; the sale of commodities or items fabricated under an award (this includes items sold at cost if the cost of producing the item was funded in whole or partially with grant funds); registration fees for conferences, etc. Description of how you will reinvest the Source/Nature of Program Estimated program income into the project to enhance the Income Income competitiveness of specialty crops

Program Income $0.00 Total

The Indiana Snow Queen Project

Honey is the only food consumed by humans that is produced by an insect. Pure, raw honey is medicine for humans in many ways. Honey is a powerful source of antioxidants, it boasts antibacterial and antifungal properties, it works hard to increase gut health, and it is also a perfect natural sweetener. This amazing and unique substance that we so affectionately refer to as honey is really just a survival tool for honeybee colonies. Bees don’t produce honey as a byproduct of their life process for us to harvest at will. Bees produce and store honey to survive the winter. Plain and simple. If a honeybee colony doesn't produce enough honey stores or too much of it is harvested for human consumption, the colony will starve in the winter. When viewed in this way we can confidently infer that proper management of honey production is directly related to honeybee colony health. The fact is unhealthy (or dead) bees don’t produce honey. Therefore, to properly manage the production of honey as a specialty crop, we must begin with sustainable beekeeping practices that produce healthy bees that survive the winter.

“The Bee Informed Partnership” (BIP) is a national 501(c)(3) organization that collects data on annual honeybee colony loss. They reported average annual winter losses of 24.93% in Indiana for 2019/2020. We feel that this number is dramatically higher than their reports show. We are confident that the inaccuracy of their report is directly driven by a lack of reporting. Beekeepers are not required to report losses so many choose not to do so. In fact, the data for the BIP report for Indiana is based on losses reported by a mere 70 beekeepers across the entire state. So far this year our company has sold replacement colonies to more than 10 beekeepers in Lake and Porter counties alone that came out of winter with 100% colony loss. We have also spoken with many other beekeepers in Northwest Indiana that also report extremely high winter losses. Our company went into winter with just over 100 colonies and our winter losses from what we have seen so far will likely be in the 90% range. I will reiterate: unhealthy (or dead) bees don’t produce honey. So why are our bees dying?

Beekeeping, particularly at the local producer level, typically involves as much folklore and tradition as it does science. Old beekeepers speak of a time when it was very simple to keep bees alive. We know beekeepers that remember honey being sold for not much more than $1 per pound. Currently local honey goes for around $8 per pound in the cities in Indiana where we produce and sell honey. This dramatic increase in honey price is directly related to increased cost of honey production. The largest cost of honey production for small specialty crop honey producers is replacing winter colony losses. So what has changed over the last few decades that has caused our bees to become so vulnerable to the cold Indiana winters? There are a few factors involved. Let's discuss some of them.

For many years the biggest enemy to colony health has been the Varroa mite. Varroa mites, known also by their appropriate scientific name of varroa destructor, are an invasive parasitic honey bee pest which was introduced from Europe in the mid 1980's. These mites invade a hive and begin laying their eggs in the wax cells where honeybees live in the larval and pupal stages of their lives. Once the Varroa eggs hatch, the mites then attach themselves to the adult honeybees and feed on their fat bodies. The mites are directly responsible for causing several diseases that weaken or kill the colony. As bad as the mites are, they can be controlled by regimented testing and treatment. The industry standard threshold for treatment is 3% mite load. Our colonies went into the winter with less than 1% mite load and most of our colonies still died. We have sampled beekeepers in Northwest Indiana who were adamant about treating for mites and beekeepers who were completely against most forms of treatment. Both beekeepers lost 100% of their bees this past winter. So what is killing our bees?

Many experienced beekeepers feel that prolonged cold temperatures can kill bees. So they wrap their hives with insulation or build windbreaks to maintain a higher temp within the hive. The first problem with this theory is that honeybees survived and even thrived for thousands of years in hollowed out trees with zero help from humans. Honeybees are different from us in that they don't require their environment to be warm and cozy. They are only concerned with heating the winter cluster. The winter cluster is when the colony shrinks in size and forms a tight ball of bees around the queen. These clustered bees then vibrate their muscles in unison to create friction heat. They can survive dramatically cold temperatures in this way. There is another problem with the theory that the cold is killing the bees. This problem is that we know beekeepers who focused on maintaining higher hive temps and beekeepers who did nothing and both lost 100% of their bees this past winter.

Yet another potentially valid theory regarding winter losses is concerned with maintaining proper ventilation of the hive. Think of it in this way. When you are sitting in your warm car even for a few minutes in the dead of winter what happens to your car windows? They fog up with condensation. Now imagine living in your car all winter without rolling down the windows. That layer of condensation on the glass would likely build up to the point where it would drip onto the dash of your car causing many wet surfaces. In the hive the bees are producing heat to survive. This causes condensation to build up right above the bees head on the inside roof of the hive. Now we have water dripping on the cluster of bees. Cold wet bees will likely die. Many beekeepers feel that ventilation is key to maintaining a safe, dry environment for the bees. They are probably right. The same problem persists for this theory that permeates every other theory that we've discussed so far: The hive dies regardless of which side of the spectrum the variables fall.

So maybe the environmental factors are favorable for most of the winter. Perhaps the mite count was low, the temperature wasn't polar vortex cold, and the humidity level in the hive wasn't too high at inopportune times. Could the bees then starve to death in a perfectly balanced environment? Absolutely! Small honey farms biggest source of income is honey sales. In fact, local markets depend on hobbyist and sideliner beekeepers to provide a highly sought after speciality crop. However, even with the driving force of high market demand, most small honey farms aren't producing enough honey to supply their clients through the winter. Local honey becomes scarce in the off-season. All things considered, most beekeepers understand the environmental and economic value of bringing their colonies successfully through the winter. They would never want to starve their bees. So they feed them. And they still die in the cold with supers packed full of honey right above their heads.

So what are we missing here? Here at Snow Queen Bee Co. answering that very question has become our quest.

Our theory is that our bees are dying in the winter because they are not genetically adapted to handle the cold, harsh winters here in Indiana. Imagine an experiment involving white mice and brown mice. If you began the experiment with an equal amount of white and brown mice in a prairie, over time predators would eat more of the easily spotted white mice. The decrease in population of white mice would equate to less white mice that could spread their genetics. Over time the white phenotype would mostly disappear. It would be bred out of the mice. Of course, the same evolutionary principles apply to honeybees. We propose that Indiana bees are dying in the winter because winter hardiness has been bred out of them dramatically over the last 20 years. The reason for this rapid and drastic evolutionary shift hinges on one glaring tidbit of information: The US honey bee industry is driven by the California almond industry.

Although almonds have been grown in our country for more than 100 years, it wasn't until just after the turn of the 21st century that the California almond industry went into full scale boom. Prior to the 1980s, almond growers kindly allowed beekeepers to place their hives in the almond groves because it helped the almonds and the bees. Almonds benefit from insect pollination and bees build up strong from the early almond pollen. As almond popularity grew, beekeepers began charging the farmers pollination fees. Two colonies of bees per acre of almonds for maximum fruit set became the industry standard. Beekeepers in the 80’s would often charge up to $25 dollars per colony of bees performing almond pollination. By 2003 global demand via trends and creative marketing caused a cataclysmic shift in the beekeeping industry. Suddenly California was producing 100% of the nation's almonds as well as supplying 80% of the worldwide almond demand. In 2006 almond popularity peaked simultaneously with a national honeybee shortage which was attributed to colony collapse disorder (CCD). This perfect storm quickly drove the almond pollination prices to over $150 per colony. Farmers were buying up land in the central California almond valley to increase their holdings which in turn increased their yields which in turn increased the requirement for honeybee pollination. Beekeepers throughout the US who were struggling to keep up due to problems with Varroa mites and CCD saw the earnings potential of almond pollination. The entire market shifted from honey production being the primary revenue source for most beekeepers to almond pollination being the holy Grail of commercial beekeeping. Beekeepers began trucking in bees from all over the country to meet the demand for pollination. Not only did the beekeepers get paid a substantial amount of money to pollinate the almonds, but they also had the benefit of producing very strong colonies coming out of the almonds at the end of their 6-8 week long contracts.

So here's a scenario to consider. Say I'm a beekeeper running 10,000 colonies of bees and I send my bees to the California almond groves in mid-February. When my pollination contract ends in late March, my hives are so strong that they are ready to split. Splitting is when we make one colony into two. This situation creates quite an opportunity for the commercial beekeeper. All of the sudden my 10,000 colonies are ready to become 20,000 colonies. Many beekeepers playing at this level are comfortable with their apiary size so this tremendous build up creates a surplus of honeybees. So as the commercial beekeeper, I have made my almond pollination money. Now I begin selling off the surplus bees. Coming off the almonds, entire truckloads of 450 colonies of honeybees readily change hands. It can often be more lucrative for me to sell these surplus bees as package bees or nucleus colonies. These “packages” and “nucs'' created from almond pollination are the primary source of bees for hobbyist and sideliner beekeepers all over the country. When the Indiana beekeeping season begins in April, a majority of the bee stock are California bees.

To help understand the scope of this mass dispersion of honey bees, you have to think in terms of how many acres of almonds are pollinated each year versus how many colonies of bees exist in the US. Over the past 20 years the US has averaged around 2.6 million colonies of honeybees. The California almond bloom is by far the largest annual managed pollination event in the world. We are talking about over 1.2 million acres of almond groves that require two colonies of honeybees per acre to pollinate. So do the math. If every tree that is planted bears fruit, it would require the efforts of nearly every colony of bees in the entire United States to travel to California to handle this pollination task. So when we say that the entire honey bee industry is driven by the California almond industry that is exactly the fact of the matter. Because of this fact, we feel that the bees that we are purchasing to produce honey, particularly here in Indiana, are not genetically adapted for cold climates. The bees sold to specialty crop producers are mostly adapted for the warmer climates of California. Changing the genetic makeup of Indiana honey bee colonies to produce more winter hardy bees is the only way to increase winter survivability.

The primary goal of our project is to produce, distribute, and study 3000 queen bees from honeybee colonies that were overwintered in the much harsher climate of Northwest Indiana. Because honey bees have short life cycles, they have the ability to rapidly progress through generations. In a few brood cycles the queen bee’s genetics are the entire genetics of the colony. Therefore, in this way winter hardiness could be bred into Indiana honey bees. Indiana Snow Queen Project Summary

Snow Queen Bee Co. (SQBC) will establish a queen honeybee breeding yard in Indiana which will assist in the research and development of a queen bee which is genetically predisposed to produce offspring with a high winter survivability rate. This cold adapted queen bee will be formally identified as the Indiana Snow Queen. When implemented, the Indiana Snow Queen will produce winter hardy bees which will increase the ability of Indiana specialty crop honey producers to more readily grow their apiaries as well as decrease the cost of honey production by eliminating or reducing the expense ofconstantly replacing winter losses. The project objectives will be achieved by selectively breeding queen honeybees from colonies overwintered in Indiana. These queens will then be introduced into existing and imported hives in order to alter colony genetics in a way that produces bees more apt to survive the winter here in Indiana. The project will produce 3000 queen honeybees at a rate of 1000 per season over the 3 year duration of the project. The Indiana Snow Queens produced annually will be distributed to interested parties through a simple application and selection process. SQBC will disseminate methodologies used in producing the Indiana Snow Queen as well as data related to the project to the appropriate local and state beekeeping clubs and organizations. SQBC will also hold an annual clinic to educate Indiana specialty crop honey producers on how to produce and implement winter hardy queen honeybees.

Indiana Snow Queen Project Implementation Plan

Planning Phase

The planning phase of the Indiana Snow Queen Project will begin on September 30, 2021. At this time Snow Queen Bee Co. (SQBC) will create standard operating procedures regarding methods that will be used in breeding genetically superior queen honeybees which will be heavily selected for winter hardiness in Indiana with a secondary emphasis placed on honey production and mite resistance. SQBC will then gather data pertaining to potential research colonies, procure equipment to be used in carrying out project goals, and begin screening beekeepers who would benefit from the implementation of winter hardy queen honeybees in their apiaries through an application and selection process. These applicants will be required to share data relating to their apiaries such as number of colonies, previous overwintering success rates, pest levels and control methods, honey yields, and any other relevant data that may assist in furthering the objectives of the project. We will also select the location where the queen breeding will take place from a pool of local properties owned by parties interested in furthering project goals and the plight of honeybees in general. This location will be selected with key factors in mind such as proximity, forage, and available acreage. The chosen location will be referred to as SQBC Breeding Yard Alpha.

We currently have a presence in key locations in northwest Indiana throughout Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties through our sister company Earthling Bee Co. (EBC) Having access to a project location in the harsher winter climate of northwest Indiana will only further the impact that queen honeybees which are successfully overwintered in this area could potentially have on apiaries throughout the state. We currently own colonies through EBC which are located on properties owned by Zandstra's Greenhouse in Highland, IN as well as their feeder farm in Lowell, IN. We also manage colonies for Purdue University Northwest (PNW) and they have also expressed interest in the project. We are currently partnered with PNW and have placed and are managing colonies at both the Hammond and the Westville Campuses. We also manage colonies at Gabis Arboretum in Valparaiso, IN which is also owned by PNW. Aside from these properties, we also have access to a pool of at least 20 other farms and privately owned properties throughout Northwest Indiana. All of these locations would be considered potential prospects in selecting SQBC Breeding Yard Alpha.

Research Phase

SQBC will begin the research phase of the project in mid April 2022. During this phase SQBC will establish SQBC Breeding Yard Alpha.

SQBC Breeding Yard Alpha will implement the starter/finisher method of breeding queen honeybees. The starter/finisher method that we will employ for this project utilizes larva grafting techniques to produce a substantial number of queen honeybees out of each starter/finisher setup. Finished cells are then either incubated or placed immediately into mini mating nucleus colonies to hatch and to be open mated. SQBC Breeding Yard Alpha will consist of 221 research colonies in the following format: (2) queenright locally overwintered colonies for selecting breeder stock, (4) queenless 5-frame starter colonies for starting the grafted queen cells, (8) queenright 10-frame double deep finisher colonies with queen excluded to the bottom deep chamber and queen cells excluded to the top deep chamber for finishing grafted queen cells, (6) queenright support colonies for producing bees and other resources required for queen breeding, (1) queenright locally overwintered drone producing colony for saturating the drone congregation area with desired genetics, and (200) queenless mini mating nucleus colonies. The 200 mini mating nucleus colonies will house 1 queen cell each which will be supplied from the finisher hive or the queen cell incubator. The queen cell will be placed in the mini mating nucleus colony and will hatch, perform her mating flight, and begin laying eggs. Detection of eggs is how we will determine the queen was successfully mated. Once the queen has been determined to be mated by observing eggs in the mini mating nucleus colony, she will be marked, inventoried, and delivered to the chosen applicant. The properly mated Indiana Snow Queen will then produce more winter hardy offspring in the colonies in which she is placed.

All colonies will be tagged for identification purposes and placed in SQBC Breeding Yard Alpha. They will then be tested and treated for Varroa Mites. We will also thoroughly inspect for any other pests or issues that may require attention at this time. The colonies will also be given a nectar and pollen supplemental feed to increase colony strength and colony health. Strong, healthy colonies will always produce more bees and better queens.

In the event that there is an unforeseen issue with procuring locally overwintered colonies for selecting breeder stock, we will also have the contingency option of purchasing local winter hardy queens as well as bees from reputable certified Indiana queen breeders. We do not foresee any issues in this regard, but in the event that we do have any problems there will be a plan in place. We will provide further details during the planning phase of the project. We have a strong connection to the Indiana Queen Breeders Association (IQBA) via our sister company Earthling Bee Co.. The IQBA is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation located in central Indiana with a similar mission of breeding winter hardy queen honeybees. We also maintain strong ties to our state bee club, The Beekeepers of Indiana (TBOI), which could also offer resources if required.

Study Phase

The study phase of the project will take place once the queen honeybees are distributed. This phase is projected to begin mid to late summer of 2022. This phase will extend through the duration of the project. During this phase, data regarding all aspects of the project including program participant studies will be collected and compiled. We will closely monitor and report all aspects of SQBC Breeding Yard Alpha as well as participant colony health and longevity throughout the full term of the project. All collected data will be reported to the grantor as well as disseminated to appropriate parties of interest including local bee clubs, honeybee organizations, and industry related journals. SQBC will also provide education related to pertinent findings in the form of an annual clinic where breeding winter hardy queen honeybees will be discussed and demonstrated. Snow Queen Bee Co. affiliation with Earthling Bee Co.

Snow Queen Bee Co.

Snow Queen Bee Co. (SQBC) is a not-for-profit corporation which acts as a sister company to our for-profit corporation Earthling Bee Co.

Earthling Bee Co.

Earthling Bee Co. (EBC) is a well known bee company based in Griffith, IN with hives spread throughout northwest Indiana that specializes in providing 100% pure, raw local honey to the community.

History of Earthling Bee Co.

EBC was founded in 2019 by Nicky and Jessica Jones in Griffith, Indiana. EBC is a Griffith, IN based bee company with hives spread throughout NWI specializing in providing raw, unfiltered, 100% pure honey. They also showcase beeswax products such as melts, candles, beeswax wraps, and beeswax lip salves as well as local bee pollen and a variety of unique honeybee collectibles and curiosities.

Nicky grew up down south in Georgia. He comes from a family who had roots in farming. In years gone by, bees were just part of farm life. Most farms would have a bee hive or two just to have fresh honey on the table. Although Nicky's family had moved to the suburbs before he came along, Nicky's grandfather still kept a few hives. Some of Nicky's earliest childhood memories involve his grandfather's bee equipment such as his smoker and honey extractor. Nicky's grandfather passed on before Nicky had his own hives, but the seed had been planted.

When Nicky and Jessica moved to Griffith, IN in 2017 they struggled to find local honey. Winter came and the one quart of wildflower honey they were able to procure dwindled. One afternoon, as Nicky and Jessica watched the sun set over the freshly fallen snow, Jessica posed a simple question. "What next?" Nicky and Jessica absolutely love being in nature and making the world around them beautiful and sustainable. Nicky answered Jessica’s question of “What next?” by mumbling something about a cash crop of organic tomatoes. Then Jessica asked a now infamous follow up question. "What about bees?"

Nicky took the question Jessica posed very seriously and they went to work nearly immediately lining up bees for the spring. Nicky and Jessica started their first colonies in April of 2019 and with that EBC was born. Nicky and Jessica had a beautiful first season amongst the bees, quickly developing a passion for beekeeping and finding ways to bring their passion to their friends and neighbors throughout NWI. EBC made a decision to expand substantially for 2020 ramping their apiaries up to around 10 bee farms spread across NWI. They also officially launched their market presence in the summer of 2020 and also began supplying local honey to a few local small businesses. EBC currently manages 19 bee yards including 4 yards managed in partnership with Purdue University Northwest (PNW).

EBC currently offers their products in 10 local partner stores strategically spread across northwest Indiana. They will also sell their honey and other products of the hive at 10 local farmers markets per week during the 2021 season as well as at over 20 seasonal local events. EBC also maintains a website where they offer yet another option for purchasing their products via shipping or local pickup option. The website also directs their clients to their partner stores in the area. EBC brings to bear an established community presence as well as strong brand recognition across multiple social media platforms. EBC contributes to several local charities including the Fraternal Order of Police, Imagine Griffith, and also sponsors a Griffith Youth Baseball Team. EBC also donates to the Beekeepers of Indiana Young Beekeeper Scholarship Fund and the Pollinator Partnership.

EBC has a passion for our planet and we adore our bees and the work they do. Our mission is to connect our friends and neighbors with local honey while promoting sustainable bee farming practices, fostering a love for pollinators, and providing honey bee education.

Earthling Bee Co./Snow Queen Bee Co. Collaboration

EBC will act as an indirect support system for SQBC by providing beekeeping experience, community and industry connections, and other resources that may benefit project goals. EBC will also be a primary source of leased locally overwintered research hives.

Snow Queen Bee Co. Articles of Incorporation

Snow Queen Bee Co. is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. No part of the net earnings of Snow Queen Bee Co. shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that Snow Queen Bee Co. shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article Third hereof. No substantial part of the activities of Snow Queen Bee Co. shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and Snow Queen Bee Co. shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, Snow Queen Bee Co. shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Earthling Bee Estimate EST0706 Co. DATE 4/9/21

225 N Elmer St. Griffith, IN 46319 219-359-2337

Estimate Created For: Snow Queen Bee Co. [email protected]

DESCRIPTION RATE QTY AMOUNT

Annual Lease Queenright Locally Overwintered Colony $250.00 2 $500 Annual Lease Queenless 5-Frame Starter Colony $200.00 4 $800 Annual Lease Queenright 10-Frame Double Deep Finisher $250.00 8 $2000 Colony Annual Lease Queenright Support Colony $250.00 6 $1500 Annual Lease Queenright Locally Overwintered Drone $250.00 1 $250 Producing Colony Annual Lease Queenless Mini Mating Nucleus Colony $35.00 200 $7000 SUBTOTAL $12,050

X 3 years term $36,150

TOTAL $36,150 Starter/Finisher Method

This project will utilize the starter/finisher method of queen breeding. The starter/finisher method of queen breeding begins with selecting the queen with desired genetics. The queen is then picketed on a clean, polished frame. The picketing process uses a special queen cage that confines the queen to a specific frame in the hive so that she is forced to lay eggs on that frame. This allows the researcher to know the age of the eggs which ensures selection of the optimal age larva to be used in the grafting process. We will now break down the process by days spent on each step including the details of each step.

Day 1-4: Queen Picketed in a strong locally overwintered colony. On day 4 very young larva is moved from the picketed frame into the grafting cup using a specialized grafting tool. Grafting cups are placed on a special grafting frame that holds 45 grafting cups. The filled grafting frame is immediately placed in a prepared queenless 5-frame starter colony.

Note: To maintain the population of the starter colony, we will add two frames of emerging brood to the starter prior to each graft.

Day 4-5: Grafts are placed in the prepared queenless 5-frame starter colony. When removed from the starters after 24 hours, the started queen cells should have a small wax ring around the edge of the grafting cup. The larva should have also doubled in size and worker bees will have begun to fill the cells with royal jelly. The started grafting frame is immediately placed in a prepared queenright 10-frame double deep finisher colonies with queen excluded to the bottom deep chamber and queen cells excluded to the top deep chamber for finishing grafted queen cells.

Note: When placing the grafting frame in the finisher pull 2 frames of pollen up from the bottom chamber on either side of the grafting frame along with 1 frame of young brood. Also give honey or feed the colony to maintain optimal colony strength during finishing.

Day 8 or 9: The queen cells should be nearly capped. Most of the feeding is done at this point.

Day 12: Finished cells should be removed from the finisher and moved into the incubator or placed directly into the prepared mini mating nucleus colony to be hatched, mated, marked, inventoried, and prepared for transfer to selected program participants.

Note: Use a reversed vacuum to gently blow the bees off the finished cells.

Note: When finished cells are removed from the finisher, immediately replace them with new started cells.

Note: If an incubator is used, the temp should be kept at 90-93° and 60-70% humidity and it should be dark.

Mini Mating Nucleus Colony: Each finished (and possibly incubated) queen cell will be placed in a cell protector and pressed into the wax of the mini mating nucleus colony. The queen cell will then hatch into the mini mating nucleus colony, perform their mating flight, and begin laying eggs. Once the queen has been determined to be mated by observing eggs in the mini mating nucleus colony, she will be marked, inventoried, caged, and delivered to the chosen applicant.