SigMT

As we drove by his wheat fields, summer fallow fields, alfalfa plots for hay, and a new tri-blend cover crop he is experimenting with, we stop to wander around and look out over what Phil calls their "hill country," rough breaks with pine trees, sage and prairie flowers that eventually drop into the Yellowstone River floodplain. e hill country is excellent habitat for deer, geese and ducks coming off the river, and doves. ese hills, and the habitat they provide, are one part of the Steinberger's efforts to diversify their farm income. People from all over the country come to their farm to hunt and to stay in their two guest houses that they have renovated for this purpose, and they even have RV hook--ups. ey named their business PR Country Comforts which stands for Phil and Renee. "My wife and I renovated the old red barn, we call it Larry's Barn, and we've tried to make the farm an ideal location for people to come and hunt, have family reunions and gatherings, and even some weddings." Phil told me, "We've got people staying here year round." en Phil points out the dozens of bee hives on the edges of the farmed fields. Almost right on cue, his son Drew arrives with his bee boxes stacked in the back of his pickup. "My son, you know," Phil says as he slaps Drew on the back, "he thinks outside the box." But really, Drew is thinking inside the box: the bee box. What first started as a work project in 2015 through his day job with North 40 Outfiers in Great Falls has turned into a larger scale honey- making, beekeeping operation in Forsyth. It's small enough that he can manage the business from Great Falls with frequent trips back to the farm on the weekends, but large enough to make it profitable. "I started learning about beekeeping at North 40 when we started selling beekeeping equipment," Drew told me. "We need to have an understanding of the product we were selling. Previous to that, I had zero experience. A local beekeeper helped me out and of course, YouTube videos." Bees crawl around on an unfilled frame that Drew added to the hive. Drew shows his daughter Kinsley a brood frame. A bee brood refers to the eggs, larvae and pupae of honeybees. Each frame which is mainly occupied by brood is called a brood frame. This was Kinsley's first time in a bee suit. Thinking inside the bee box SiG MT 49

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