Photo credit: University of Illinois Extension

The Illinois Director of Agriculture says one silver lining in 2020 was the explosion of interest in beekeeping across the state.

Jerry Costello tells Brownfield, “We actually registered 656 new apiaries in the state which is a 27% increase from 2019.”

Costello says COVID-19 related stay-at-home orders pushed residents to pursue more socially distant hobbies like hunting, fishing, and beekeeping. He says the pandemic also highlighted the importance of local foods and producers.

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