A Dialog with Kim Flottum, Phase 1

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A Dialog with Kim Flottum, Phase 1

Retired, Longtime Bee Tradition Mag Editor
By means of: James E. Tew

We’ve grown outdated in combination
Readers, I’ve been buddies and feature labored with Kim Flottum, former Bee Tradition editor for just about 40 years. He started his obligations at Bee Tradition Mag in 1986. I used to be nonetheless a child of 38 when Kim took the process in Medina, Ohio. Over the various resulting years, for higher or worse, Kim permitted greater than 300 of my articles. We attended innumerable bee conferences and we produced digital tasks. We put in combination slide-deck methods and now, with the assistance of Jeff Ott, Kim and I provide podcasts on quite a lot of subjects each week. I may no longer recall to mind somebody extra suitable for an in-depth dialog. Ours has been a protracted, lengthy trek. What follows is Kim’s view of that ancient pathway.

Kim: I grew up in Central Wisconsin within the 1950’s. I performed some highschool soccer and I labored in a grocery retailer. I had a excellent early life with many reminiscences. School become an possibility so I attended the College of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for some time after which I transferred to the College of Wisconsin at Madison the place I studied horticulture and entomology. I landed a freelance process running for an entomologist there. After a couple of years, the investment for that assistant place ran out and I needed to to find some other process. The USDA Agricultural Analysis Carrier, Honey Bee Analysis Lab headed by way of Dr. Eric Erickson was once at the fourth ground of the development the place I were running.
Dr. Erickson and I had been speaking within the smash room in the future, and he stated, “Have you learnt anyone that may do that, this, and this?” I stated, “Sure – me.” He stated, “Neatly I want someone that may develop soybeans, and take a look at pollination, and take a look at bees and paintings bees,” and do all this loopy stuff. “Sure, me.” I wished a role, he wanted an worker, so I simply moved two flooring up and I used to be there for 4 years. Cross determine.

Jim: Have been you going to university all this time? Have been you taking different categories?

Kim: Sure, I graduated sooner than I ended running for Eric. I labored for Erickson for 4 years, doing issues I’d’ve by no means imagined doing, and on the finish of 4 years I used to be funded by way of a grant. I used to be utterly supported by way of that grant; Eric wanted a grad pupil.

On the finish of 4 years the grant ended, and Dr. Erickson stated, “Neatly other people we’re packing up. We’re shifting the lab to Arizona. Been a laugh running right here, bye.” “Neatly ok.” I moved to Connecticut, the place I knew some other folks, and I were given a role running in a greenhouse, after which I were given a role running on a farm. I used to be elevating a pair hundred acres of greens, and fruit, and the like. I had apple orchards and candy corn – all forms of issues.

Whilst I used to be there, I made up our minds to become involved with the Connecticut State Beekeepers Affiliation. All at once I used to be a Connecticut beekeeper, and I went to my first bee assembly. Quickly thereafter, the gang wanted a president, and I took at the process.

Jim: My goodness – that was once speedy.

Kim: They’d taken the Penwalt Chemical Corporate to court docket, they usually had received the case. Connecticut took the debatable pesticide Penncap-M off the marketplace. Felony charges, for the court docket case, had been $40,000. I used to be the president of the beekeeping staff, and if you understand how a industry is administered, the president in the long run is chargeable for the invoice except there’s one thing arrange to offer protection to him. I grew to become round and there was once no one there to offer protection to me.

For roughly a yr I campaigned throughout New England, from Maine to Florida, and to Illinois, telling our tale. “We were given Penncap-M off the marketplace, you’ll be able to, too. Right here’s the way you do it. Shape a coalition, pay one legal professional.” In lower than a yr, I raised the $40,000.

When I used to be the president of Connecticut Beekeepers, the president may be the EAS (Japanese Apiculture Society) delegate. All at once I used to be at the board of EAS, I went to the primary EAS assembly and John Root, from Bee Tradition, was once there. He was once at the EAS board, too. I had by no means even noticed the mag Bee Tradition. I didn’t find out about The A.I. Root Corporate. I had by no means purchased a work of beekeeping apparatus in my existence.

We were given to speaking a bit bit, and he stated, “I’ll ship you a duplicate of our mag.” He despatched me {a magazine}, and I checked out it. I talked to bee other folks in Connecticut. So far as they had been involved, this mag was once the cream of the crop in beekeeping literature. The following time I went again to an EAS board assembly, John stated, “What’d you recall to mind the mag?” I stated, “I will be able to see some issues that I’d most certainly regulate a bit bit, possibly alternate, no matter, nevertheless it’s were given excellent knowledge and it’s were given excellent other folks studying it and writing for it.”

He stated, “How’d you love to run it?” I stated, “Let me take into consideration that.” 3 months later I took the process, and I moved to Ohio. Right here I’m, most of these years later.

Jim: That’s numerous knowledge in a rush, Kim. Just right heavens. I believed that you just labored for Erickson for 4 years.

Kim: I did.

Jim: Right through that point, you didn’t purchase bee apparatus or become involved with the apparatus?

Kim: I didn’t need to. I used to be residing in an condo in downtown Madison, Wisconsin and I went to paintings on a daily basis and there have been 300 or 400 beehives proper in the midst of the town of Madison on a school experimental farm. I had the entire bees I sought after, the entire apparatus I sought after, the entire honey I sought after, I had the whole lot I sought after. On the finish of the day, I left all of it there, and went house.

Jim: How did you be told beekeeping, from Erickson or from the group of workers there?

Kim: I had a man named Dave Severson who was once a graduate pupil in honey bee control. He taught me the craft. There was once a man there whose identify I will be able to’t have in mind in this day and age, who did not anything his complete existence with the exception of instrumentally inseminate queens. I discovered that methodology from him.

Then I had a man there who may repair anything else that would smash – just about anything that would smash. After I broke one thing, I took it to him, and he confirmed me the right way to repair it. Then I had some other man there who knew each plant that bees visited on each continent on earth.

I were given to understand numerous the plant stuff on pollination after which we began planting pollinator gardens and we began taking a look at soil amendments for pollinator gardens and the entire issues that may impact a pollinator plant. We did that paintings for 4 years.

Every other large undertaking I achieved was once Penncap-M. It was once nonetheless killing bees virtually in all places, however no one had any in point of fact excellent numbers. For a whole Summer time I owned a sweetcorn box, and I’d be in the market at 5:30 within the morning.

I had this explicit trail; it was once a four-acre box, and I had this trail strolling in the course of the cornfield. Each and every 40 ft or so, there was once a stick within the floor. That was once a plant that I checked out. What number of bees are in this plant? What time was once it? I did that every one till the tip of pollen shed. I did that for 2 years. By means of the tip of 2 years, I may let you know what number of bees can be on what number of vegetation at what time of day. That stuck numerous consideration. Then Eric had this factor about pollinating soybeans, and he stated, “Can bees pollinate soybeans?” I stated, “Why wouldn’t they?”

I discovered why they’d, and once more, it was once the similar factor. It needed to do with soil amendments, time of day, number of soybean and the dimensions of the bee inhabitants. We nailed that proper down. The paper’s nonetheless in the market. I’m nonetheless cited for that paper, consider it or no longer. We didn’t clear up that downside, however we gave it numerous ammunition. He stated two issues. He stated, “This isn’t going to get me any place with USDA, nevertheless it’s been a laugh.” After I completed that corn experiment, that just about proved that spraying – What’s that chemical?

Jim: Penncap-M.

Kim: Sure, that’s it. Spraying Penncap-M at a undeniable time of day would kill each bee inside of 20 miles. In case you waited 3 or 4 hours, it was once all long gone, and the bees visited and virtually none of them died. The primary communicate I ever gave to a bunch of growers was once the right way to use Penncap-M. I went in there with bulletproof armor on.

Jim: That was once a gutsy transfer, Kim, regardless that. The ones had been contentious occasions. Encapsulation was once regarded as a secure manner to make use of methyl parathion, encapsulated. It was once riding bees loopy.

Kim: I gave a pair talks and no one threw anything else at me, curiously. So, I used to be in Connecticut and collaborating in EAS, however I needed to transfer to Ohio. I used to be right here at Root, I don’t know, possibly an hour and a part and the Medina Beekeepers Affiliation principally stole me and stated, “You get to be on our board of administrators.” Mark Bruner, the man who were editor sooner than me, had long gone to a few their conferences. I don’t know in case you have in mind Larry Goltz, who was once Bee Tradition editor sooner than Bruner.

Jim: I do.

Kim: Then there was once Larry Goltz for 10 years sooner than Bruner. For ten years, Larry Goltz edited the mag.

Jim: What number of editors have there been at Bee Tradition?

Kim: I should provide you with a fuzzy resolution as a result of A.I. Root was once the primary one. Then it was once A.I. and his son, they usually had been doing it in combination after which it was once his son and his brother, they usually had been doing it in combination. Then they were given a pair individuals who had been running at the mag simply daily on stuff they usually’re all running in combination. Who’s the editor? There’s a reputation there, however there’s 5 names beneath it. I will be able to say there’s been a number of, however lots of them were circle of relatives.

Kim: Continuously it was once the BC secretary who responded the telephone. Continuously it was once the girl who took the pictures and responded the telephone. Every now and then it was once the promoting supervisor who took the decision. It wasn’t that there was once someone manner up right here, there was once an entire bunch of other folks proper in right here. Relying on who it was once, a few of them would by no means take a choice and a few of them would take each name they may get.

Jim: This editorship historical past is overwhelming. All issues thought to be up up to now, definitely about it, you’re the longest serving editor.

Kim: Proper.

Jim: We will be able to say that evidently. Then after all, after you, simply to say it on this article, Jerry Hayes is now the editor.

Kim: All proper, when all is alleged and executed in Connecticut and John had employed me, I’d been to Medina to interview, he employed me, and he stated, “Cross.” We moved to Medina and rented an condo for a bit bit after which purchased a area. The primary day at the process, the entire other folks on the paintings corporate got here in and checked out me the way in which they do with new other folks. I didn’t know them, they didn’t know me, nevertheless it labored out all proper.

I used to be in my chair, I don’t know, possibly a minute and a part, and the telephone rang. It was once probably the most writers for the mag that I didn’t know as a result of I hadn’t learn the mag but, who sought after to understand when his article was once due and considering speedy on my ft, I stated, “The similar day as final month.” He stated, “Ok.” So, I were given away with it. [laughter]

It took some time to get used to how the beekeeping trade and the Root Corporate interacted, and by way of then the Root Corporate was once phasing manner down in beekeeping provides. They had been nonetheless making some apparatus, however manufacturing was once headed in a single downward route. I took a take a look at that, and I took a take a look at the opposite producers within the trade. I stated, “Ok, I will be able to see my long run isn’t promoting apparatus from the Root Corporate. It’s promoting other folks’s apparatus to beekeepers.” That was once the way in which I began.

After I moved there, the mag didn’t have information on the time, the mag didn’t have an individual dealing with promoting. Any individual would name up and say, “I’ve an advert for the following month’s factor,” and the one that responded the telephone says, “Ok, I’ll give the message to what’s her identify and she or he’ll name you again.” That’s no longer provider with a grin personally. I employed an individual to promote promoting because of individuals who had been promoting to beekeepers.

That grew to become out to be an excellent option to make as a result of I were given, “Oh, excellent.” I discovered an individual who didn’t know anything else about beekeeping, which was once if truth be told excellent as a result of she needed to ask what issues had been when an advertiser took one thing as a right. She didn’t know beekeeping specifics so she requested explicit questions and it labored out neatly. We were given promoting going and I took a take a look at the writers and the second one large factor I did was once do a reader survey.

Kim: We had about 9,000 subscribers on the time, and I picked out a 3rd of them, 3,000. I put in combination a two-page survey of, “Who’re you, what number of bees, how lengthy holding bees, how outdated are you, the place do you reside, what do you favor, what don’t you favor? Reader survey.” I were given replies again, and I took a couple of month to collate it. I discovered that we had been doing numerous issues that individuals couldn’t care much less about, and we weren’t doing a little issues that individuals in point of fact sought after to understand extra about.

After I amassed the entire information and had some concepts of items to depart, issues to modify and issues to eliminate, I summarized it for the writers. I informed them, “Those are the instructions I feel we will have to be going as a result of that is what the readers need. Much less right here, extra there, new right here. Eliminate the outdated there.” The writers started to slowly alternate. Some, after all, would by no means alternate. Richard Taylor, a well-liked creator on the time, would by no means alternate, and I’m in point of fact happy he didn’t.

I’ll let you know a snappy tale about Richard Taylor. I went to his area a number of occasions as a result of he lived in Ithaca, New York, the place Roger Morris lived. Roger Morris, at Cornell, was once my medical stalwart in beekeeping knowledge. He was once the scientist that I had on name any time I sought after. I’d move see Roger or some such travel, after which I’d move to Richard’s.

I went to Richard’s area in the future and he stated, “You’re simply in time. We’re going to move take a look at a beeyard.” I loaded into his type “T” Jeep, one thing in point of fact outdated, headed out to the beeyard, went down a freeway, went down a dust street, went down a observe within the woods, went down so you must virtually see in the course of the timber, and got here to the beeyard. It was once out in the midst of completely nowhere.

There have been about 8 or 9 colonies sitting in a semi-circle proper in entrance people, possibly 20 yards. He stated, “Have a look at that backyard.” He stated, “I’ve died and long gone to heaven.” That is the place heaven is and he began to get out of the automobile and he stated, “Oh, glance!” Probably the most colonies was once beginning to swarm and it was once pouring out swarming bees. By the point he were given shut, the swarm was once out of doors the hive and he did this – “I were given the queen.” Along with his hands, he pulled her proper out of the air. Are you able to consider it?

Jim: Oh wow. He captured her out of the air?

Kim: I simply sat there, and my mouth opened and I stated, “How the hell do you do this?” He stated, “Now not as a rule.” [laughs]

Jim: Oh my.

Jim: Because the years have handed, you may have grown to appear to be Richard Taylor increasingly more.

Kim: Roughly, sure. Anyway, I were given two, after which after 4 or 5 problems, possibly six problems were out. I began in March. My first factor was once Might 1986.

Jim: So, your introductory duration was once March to Might of ‘86.

Kim: By means of then, other folks had been calling me up, “We’ve were given a gathering arising, do you want to talk?” My first concept was once, “What do I discuss? I don’t know anything else.” I knew analysis from the USDA bee lab, I may draw on that. I additionally had excellent knowledge from the reader’s survey so I may percentage that with the folks that had been listening and that labored lovely neatly. Other folks appreciated the reader survey knowledge. The place did they have compatibility in with the entire remainder of the folks that had been studying the mag? After all, when I used to be executed, I’d do an actual fast reader survey up there.

“Ok, what do you wish to have kind of of?” I were given some in point of fact excellent firsthand knowledge from other folks sitting proper in entrance of me, that took me into Iciness. The primary yr I went to the American Honey Manufacturers Affiliation as a result of I don’t assume I used to be somewhat in Ohio but, Richard Adee knocked on my door. He sought after a work of this mag as a result of, he had some – or the American Honey Manufacturers had – I say this moderately – political agendas that they sought after to paintings with and sure, after all, I used to be the voice. I used to be probably the most large voices. They’d a number of, possibly one thousand contributors, one thing like that. I had a number of thousand subscribers. Beautiful quickly I were given to understand Richard and his son. What’s his identify, oh sure, – Bret?

Kim: I went to the Adee’s out in North Dakota a pair occasions. There’s numerous bees and beekeepers. I were given to understand extra of the large industrial guys. I used to be most certainly overly influenced with industrial beekeeping agendas greater than sideliner hobbyists and no longer lengthy after I used to be there, the noise at the Nationwide Honey Board began, numerous other folks sought after it and the folks that sought after it had been most commonly industrial retail and packers.

The folk that didn’t need it had been maximum industrial, wholesale bulk, and the way in which they checked out it, I’m no longer going to mention they all or any of them, however the way in which they checked out it was once: the way in which the honey board was once arrange was once to marketplace honey to other folks, no longer barrels of honey to different beekeepers. That rift lasted somewhat some time within the beekeeping international, however they were given the Honey Board handed and funded and all the ones issues. The problems moved into the mag by way of the brand new yr, I feel proper across the new yr, then the mag were taking up some, what do you name it? Some adjustments relating to stuff it was once manufactured from. The identify of the mag modified from “Gleanings in Bee Tradition” to a more practical “Bee Tradition.” The mag paper modified to raised high quality, colour print and pictures had been added, the whole collection of pages higher – the ones forms of issues.

It stepped as much as – I say this moderately – it was once about the similar high quality relating to taking a look at it and studying it because the American Bee Magazine (ABJ) and that grew to become a web page in my ebook. I’d stuck as much as the trade chief as a result of once I got here, ABJ was once best of the heap and knowledge was once best of the heap.

Then I began doing a little issues. I don’t know if it was once the second one, possibly it was once the 3rd yr I used to be there, the Root Corporate went thru a big virtual start. They introduced in an organization from I don’t know the place. 40 other folks descended on my workplace in the future and when I used to be executed, I had Catch The Buzz and I had e mail and I had extra emails. I had the whole lot virtual you might be able to consider.

We had been first by way of a protracted shot with Catch The Buzz, and that stuck numerous consideration. On a daily basis you’d get an e mail from Kim Flottum of Bee Tradition Mag telling you one thing you had to know to be a greater beekeeper. That was once successful. Then it dawned on me after some period of time, “I guess you, lets promote promoting on that”, and certain sufficient you must. That higher our source of revenue. By means of the second one or 3rd yr of Catch The Buzz, our subscriber base was once about equivalent to ABJ’s.

Jim: That’s attention-grabbing.

Kim: Then, I used to be nonetheless at the board of EAS once I got here from Connecticut. Dr. Dewey Caron was once chairman. He were chairman for 10 years. Dewey was once chairman once I left Connecticut. Since I used to be now situated in Ohio, my standing as a director from Connecticut ended however he appointed me to stick on for roughly 3 years as club chairman. My process was once to make use of the mag to inspire other folks to enroll in EAS, come to the conferences, the ones forms of issues.

After his tenth yr – the EAS board appreciated Dewey so much – after ten years, he stated, “I feel I’m executed.” They wanted a brand new chairman, and everyone simply checked out me. “You understand everyone, you realize the whole lot, you move in all places, we select you.” All at once, I used to be chairman of The Japanese Apicultural Society.

Jim: Chairman of EAS, a big beekeeping group. That was once spectacular enlargement, Kim.

Kim: I’d been going to EAS conferences most certainly 5 – 6 years. 4 or 5. Anyway, so I used to be in point of fact conversant in how conferences had been arrange, how chair other folks had been picked, electing officials. I had two jobs. One in all them was once to get new contributors however the different one was once to determine how – EAS was once at a loss for words. There have been numerous other folks looking to lend a hand run it and no longer having enormous luck. Dewey and I wiped clean area and decreased the confusion, kind of. Then, Dewey and Anne Harmon and I put our heads in combination and we got here up with an enduring strategy to run a gathering, from selecting the president two years down the street, to the last phrases on the finish of the assembly. We made a, what do you name it? A agenda, no matter.

Jim: Kim, do you imply a “template”?

Kim: Sure. A template – that individuals may use. Those templates may range. Every now and then the assembly location brought about a priority, no matter, nevertheless it labored out neatly and EAS in point of fact prospered. That’s about whilst you and I were given concerned, in ‘95.

Jim: The 12 months of the Hive, 1995. Wooster, Ohio.

Kim: We had that journey. I’ll let you know, principally for 2 years, you and your group of workers, Sherry Ferrell and Dave Heilman and I lived in combination in numerous tactics.

Jim: Sure, getting in a position for that vast match.

Kim: For me, it was once a in point of fact excellent two years. It nonetheless is a great two years for me. I loved the assembly, I loved the corporate, the whole lot. The one factor I want I had was once an air conditioner. [laughs]

Jim: Sure, it was once scorching, that overdue Summer time. That was once the Japanese Apicultural Society assembly in 1995 to Wooster, Ohio. It was once Summer time and it was once scorching.

Kim: We were given that sorted. I stayed on as chairman, other folks moved on. Then other folks began paying attention to what we had been pronouncing within the mag. I used to be getting individuals who had no longer written for the beekeeping trade, executive other folks and trade other folks relating to producers. A few of my writers moved up in notch somewhat than simply the right way to forestall a swarm. We were given a few of that getting into there. That were given one of the most industrial other folks going relating to what are we able to do larger with the feds, with all of that. Issues began to construct that manner.

On the similar time, on account of that enter and since our flow was once rising and our advertisers had been being a hit within the mag, all of sudden I used to be invited to a number of puts, quite a bit and a number of puts. I used to be going to little the town halls in anywhere Michigan and I used to be going to the capital of america. I were given to visit the White Area a host of occasions.

Jim: Oh wow!

Kim: The White Area beekeeper invited me there a number of occasions. I didn’t get to discuss with with the individuals who lived there however I were given to discuss with with the entire individuals who labored there. The chefs and the gardeners and the individuals who took care of the natural lawn. The DC beekeepers had a few conferences proper at the White Area garden, and I were given to talk there. Are you able to consider that? Talking at the White Area garden.

Jim: No, I can’t consider that Kim.

Kim: I were given to do it. The ones forms of issues got here. Then I introduced Charlie Gibbons, the White Area beekeeper, to Medina. Individuals had been status out at the sidewalk on the Root Corporate, with the doorways open, to hear him. The room was once packed. It was once most certainly the most important bee assembly ever in Medina, Ohio. Charlie was once satisfied and I used to be satisfied, and it labored out in point of fact neatly. He caught round till the bees left the White Area after which he retired. As well as, he labored on the White Area. He was once a wood worker.

Keep tuned for Phase 2 of this interview within the January 2024 factor of Bee Tradition Mag.