Aitkin's Emily Campbell crowned state honey queen
Emily Campbell, the current North Central Beekeepers honey queen was crowned the Minnesota state honey queen on Friday at the summer meeting of the Minnesota Honey Producers in Duluth.
She is the daughter of Paul and Becky Zenke, Aitkin and also lives in Aitkin. Campbell graduated form Aitkin High School in 2012 and plans to attend the University of Minnesota-Crookston with a major in animal science.
“The North Central Beekeepers were really great about providing me with a mentor to learn more about bees,” she said.
The new state honey queen has an extensive background in 4-H and FFA, and is raising her own colony of honey bees this summer.
The main duty of the honey queen is to promote honey and the beekeeping industry. Campbell is available to speak to schools and organizations about bees and honey. She will spend all week at the Crow Wing County Fair at the North Central Beekeepers’ honey booth, and will also be at the Minnesota State Fair in the Minnesota Honey Producers booth. On Thursday she’ll travel to the Twin Cities for the Pollinator Party and event that promotes beekeeping.