Welcome to SEMBA

Brad and Tammy Bonifeld

Brad Bonifeld has been a beekeeper since 2013 with an average of 15 personal beehives. He focuses on being a self sufficient, including overwintering hives and raising queens. He is a member of SEMBA and also attended 2014 Beginning and 2015 Advanced SEMBA Beekeeping School.

Camila Martin

I became a beekeeper in 2019. I was not enamored with the “Save the Bees” cause. I was not curious about insects from a young age. I was not trying to save money on honey (a fool's errand!) As a matter of fact, I was quite afraid of bees; my dad was nearly killed by Africanized honey bees as a teen back in 1963 in Paraná, located in the south of Brazil.

Instead, I became a beekeeper through an unexpected turn of events. A beekeeper friend left a hive at my property, unattended, after our bartering deal didn’t quite work out. I could not simply leave them without knowing what to do, so I signed up for beginner beekeeping classes at SEMBA. The marvelous little bugs immediately got my attention during the first class! Isn’t it funny how things go? If it hadn’t been for a deal gone south, I would never have discovered my love for beekeeping. This taught me that undesirable circumstances can transform into great revelations if you are willing to overcome obstacles.

Cecila Infante

Cecilia runs three apiaries for Bee Warriors, an organization advancing the needs of bees and war veterans through beekeeping and advocacy. She earned her doctorate in Literature from the University of Michigan, and currently blends her love of words and bees teaching writing at EMU and beekeeping for SEMBA, while researching the history of American apiculture as Historian for MBA.

Charlotte Hubbard

Charlotte, a beekeeper since 2008, manages about a dozen colonies. Michigan’s 2018 Beekeeper of the Year, Charlotte is the lead instructor for KVCC’s beekeeping program, a board member for the Kalamazoo Bee Club and past president, and author of numerous articles and books on beekeeping. All profits from her writing and charity go to feeding the homeless in SW Michigan. Learn more at www.hubbardhive.com.

Dr. Meghan Milbrath

Dr. Meghan Milbrath began working bees over 25 years ago, and now owns and manages The Sand Hill Apiary, a small livestock and queen rearing operation in Munith, Michigan. She studied biology at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and received degrees in public health from Tulane University and the University of Michigan, where she focused on environmental health sciences and disease transmission risk. Meghan worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University, studying nosema disease, and at Swedish Agricultural University. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at MSU, where she does honey bee and pollinator research and extension and is the coordinator of the Michigan Pollinator Initiative. Meghan is active in multiple beekeeping organizations, writes for multiple beekeeping journals, and speaks about bees all over the country. She currently runs the Northern Bee Network, a directory and resource site dedicated to supporting queen producers, and she is passionate about keeping and promoting healthy bees.

Dr. Melissa Holahan

Dr. Melissa Holahan began working with bees in 2016 when she & her sister joined the SEMBA beginner beekeeper school. Melissa enjoyed working with the other beekeepers so much that she completed the intermediate beekeeping school in 2018 and has been assisting with the beekeeping courses whenever possible since then. In addition to her day job as a small ruminant/honeybee veterinarian, she owns and operates Chubb E. Acres Farm, LLC, a small livestock farm (with a focus on ADGA Nigerian Dwarf goats) and honey bee operation in Northville, Michigan. She studied animal science at Michigan State University and received her degree in veterinary medicine from Michigan State University. After graduation Melissa completed an a 1-year internship at University of Pennsylvania and a 3-year critical care residency at Michigan State University. She remains active in multiple beekeeping organizations, teaches honey bee education through SEMBA beekeeping school and speaks about her experiences as both a veterinarian & beekeeper. She is passionate about practicing sustainable beekeeping, supporting local beekeepers and sharing honey bee education with others.

Dr. Peter Fowler

Peter Fowler received his DVM from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2020, where he focused on disease ecology and One Health. He is currently a 2nd year PhD student in the department of Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology (CMIB), working with Dr. Meghan Milbrath studying bacterial brood diseases of honey bees. His current focus is on transmission dynamics and drivers of virulence of Melissococcus plutonius the causative agent of European Foulbrood.

Jamie Walters

Jamie Walters manages and runs Kaydee’s Bees & Honey, with wife, Dalyla, and granddaughter Kaydee. Jamie teaches grafting classes, beginner and advanced internship, and wears many hats with OSBA.

Ken Schramm

Kerry Wysocko

This is my seventh or eighth season of beekeeping. I have 25-30 hives in Oakland County. I’m president of the Oakland Beekeepers Club, MBA District 3 Representative and a mentor for SEMBA Bee School. When not in the bee yard, I can be found in my gardens, on a tennis court, a golf course or whipping up a hive/botanical concoction in my kitchen. I am mother to Sloane and Jake, both of whom are afraid of bees.

Lisa Stinson

A self proclaimed, "Accidental Beekeeper," Lisa Stinson began keeping bees seven years ago while working at a co-op farm. Three hives were purchased and a mentor brought on board for the purpose of teaching "all things bees" to anyone who made use of the co-op program that had an interest in bees. Keeping consistent mentorship quickly became a challenge, yet participation in the beekeeping program steadily increased. Lisa found herself simultaneously learning and teaching beekeeping. After 3 years, the apiary finally had bees survive the winter. In the 4th year, the farm shifted its focus from co-op to one that supplies a farm to table restaurant. Lisa is one of three full time staff members (not including the bees) who work to produce as many ingredients for The Bricks, located in Grosse Pointe Park, as they can muster. The apiary has increased to forty hives and the bees never fail to "pull their weight" in terms of contributing to the farm to table concept. While harvested honey is used in numerous dishes at The Bricks, the bees' signature restaurant contribution is an outstanding hot honey that can be found at every table.

Lisa and Jeff, her husband of 28 years, live in rural southern Lapeer County. Although their "nest" is rapidly emptying of their children, they continuously fail to reduce their population of animals.

Mike Sautter

Mike has been a beekeeper for 20+ years. As an active sideline beekeeper with over 100 colonies, Michael’s knowledge has been acquired by doing hands-on work with the bees, including swarm collecting and removals, research, networking and attending numerous local & regional seminars. Several years ago after attending a Larry Connors queen rearing course in Detroit, he began rearing quality queens and nucs. Recently he earned his Kentucky Queen Breeders Certificate. In the last 10 years he has obtained breeder queens from various locations throughout the United States. sk Michael is passionate about helping others in their quest for sustainable beekeeping, by providing support, encouragement and education, as well as being a source for quality locally bred queens and nucs.

Mohammed Cherri

I have been charmed by the allure of the beautiful being that is the honeybee for quite some time now. I am so entrenched in beekeeping that I have lost sight of the beginning and any potential end of my relationship with bees. I drank from the intoxicating elixir of beekeeping one fateful day when a well-meaning and dear friend of mine offered to show me her bees. I agreed and wasn’t prepared for what came next. In an outyard abutting a hayfield, under the open blue sky, I gazed intently as my friend lifted a telescoping cover off a beehive and with a gentle downward push of her hive tool she carefully pried the inner cover away, the thick caramel-like strands of propolis that were grabbing it gave way to expose the pulsing heart of the hive. In an instant I was engulfed in a whirlwind of sensation. I listened as a gentle hypnotic humming harmoniously swam through my ears. The aroma of fresh-baked bee bread filled my nostrils and the pupils in my eyes widened to make room for the tantalizing sight of translucent nectar laboriously being to turned into the amber ambrosia that is honey. I was spellbound, simultaneously captivated and terrified, and unable to break away. Shortly after dusk that evening, I left bearing a generous gift from my friend, a complete Langstroth hive. More importantly, my first encounter with the beautiful bees left my heart and soul imbibed with a passion that has since preoccupied my entire being for countless years now.

Preston Zale

Preston has been keeping bees for eight years. He is a hobbyist keeping around 20 colonies and likes to experiment with new strategies and products. He is also the president of Seven Ponds Beekeeping Club and enjoys teaching and encouraging other beekeepers.

PRESIDENT: MICHIGAN BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

A city beekeeper for over 20 years, currently caring for 40 hives.

Educational Director for SEMBA’s Bee School program, Past President Heartland Apicultural Society and a candle maker.

Rick Dimanin

Senad Livadic

Richard Anderson

Richard Anderson is the proprietor of Fractured Acre Farms, a small scale hops producer located within the City of Detroit on just over two acres (and growing) of once abandoned and neglected residential lots. Richard has been a keeper of bees since 2012. His passion (nerdiness) for bees has grown ever since and includes honey production, apiary expansion and queen rearing. Richard currently sits on the SEMBA Board of Directors as 2nd Vice President.

Shanna Way

Buzz! Shaana resides Galesburg and maintains several apiary locations in SW Michigan. She supplies equipment, bees, queens, and mentorship to other beekeepers and performs bee removals locally. Shaana has worked with beekeepers internationally and teaches queen breeding abroad through USAID Farmer to Farmer.