In this episode, we talk with Kristy Allen, a beekeeper in Western Wisconsin. She sheds light on the impact of agricultural consolidation on bees, family farms, and rural communities. Kristy shares her firsthand experiences with beekeeping, including the challenges posed by land use, pesticides, and the need for diversity in forage. The conversation details the interconnectedness of bees' wellbeing and the way we treat our land to grow food.  

Kristy Allen lives in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, and is a full-time beekeeper, educator, and activist. She is President of her local Farmers Union chapter in Polk-Burnett and helped create the St. Croix Valley Food Alliance, which aims to strengthen and promote a thriving, resilient, and equitable local food economy in the St. Croix River Valley. Kristy has also been an advocate addressing an Iowa-based hog operation seeking to move 26,000 hogs to the St. Croix area.