Ben and Robyn Stinson's two kids, who help take care of Black Shepherd Apiaries in the Waikato.
Ben and Robyn Stinson's two kids, who help take care of Black Shepherd Apiaries in the Waikato.
A Waikato school was buzzing to get be(e)hind an initiative to teach children about bees, food production, and community.
The idea for the project came from Cambridge honey business Black Shepherd Apiaries which launched a limited edition ‘Bee-licious Kids Mānuka Honey’ with the help of Hautapu School.
Students aged between5 and 12 participated in a design and colouring competition for the label, but Black Shepherd Apiaries co-founder Robyn Stinson also educated them about bees and honey.
Hautapu School principal Tracey Bennett said there was “a real sense of pride” among the students about taking part in the project.
“The collaboration allowed our students to showcase their creativity and connect with our local community in a special way.
“The students and staff ... felt incredibly privileged to be part of such a meaningful initiative ... being included in the design process ... was both exciting and rewarding.
“The project also built upon prior learning that taught students about sustainability and the importance of bees in our ecosystem.”
During the design process, Bennett believed students gained an understanding of the link between their skills and real-world applications.
She said it had sparked curiosity about potential careers in design, marketing, and product development.
To add another level to the initiative, Black Shepherd Apiaries also got True Colours Children’s Health Trust involved, with a portion of every Bee-licious jar sold going to the charity.
The trust is a Hamilton-based charity providing holistic, and wraparound care to children with serious health conditions and their families.
The six finalist designs of students from Hautapu School in Cambridge. Photo / Robyn Stinson
Stinson said the trust was doing work close to her heart.
“We’ve had a few things happen in the last five years that really put life into perspective.
“It’s just made us realise how precious life is,” she said.
Stinson met the trust’s operations manager, Heidi Gleeson at an event and thought the work the charity did “was amazing”.
“They are all about helping families and children, and this is a kid’s Mānuka honey to help children.
“We just really want to help somehow.”
Gleeson said the trust was “really rapt and pleased to be asked” to be a part of the honey initiative.
The charity relied on communities for support and all donations, including the contributions from the honey, would go towards supporting children with serious conditions through music, art, or play therapies.
“It’s really exciting to collaborate with another organisation that is focusing on children’s health, just in a dietary way,” Gleeson said.
Black Shepherd Apiaries was named after the Stinson's family dog (not pictured), who sadly passed away last year.
Stinson makes her two kids have a spoonful of Mānuka honey every day.
“Coming into winter, we just wanted to help boost children’s immune systems [and] Mānuka honey is really good for you.”
From the label colouring competition, six finalists were chosen. The winning student’s label design will be printed later this week and soon adorn the Bee-Licious honey tubs.
Stinson’s two children, aged 8 and 6, go to Hautapu School, but they weren’t allowed to participate in the colouring competition.
Black Shepherd Apiaries was founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife duo Ben and Robyn Stinson, and named after their beloved German Shepherd who passed away last year.
They produce small-batch honey, and won a gold medal last year at the New Zealand Outstanding Food Producer Awards for theirKānuka Honey.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.
