Ron Miksha
Encyclopedia
Ron Miksha is an American-Canadian beekeeper
, scientist, and Canadian author.
, one of ten children in a poor rural
family living along the edge of the Appalachian Mountains
. The family survived by growing potatoes, corn, cabbage,
and by keeping bees and selling honey. Miksha learned beekeeping from his parents and older brothers.
In 1975, at age twenty-one, he moved to Saskatchewan
, Canada
to keep bees. His popular book, Bad Beekeeping,
describes the ten years Miksha lived and farmed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, a remote prairie
village surrounded
by badlands
and large cattle ranches. The area, part of the Palliser Triangle, is prone to extreme drought as
depicted in Miksha's book. But Bad Beekeeping is more than a beekeeping narrative. It espouses a strong libertarian
'"small-government" philosophy and has been both condemned and praised by readers on opposite ends of that discussion.
In Hivelights Magazine, Grant Hicks, Alberta representative to the Canadian Honey Council, claims "Bad Beekeeping
is the most impressive piece of beekeeping information that has come my way." The book has been influential abroad - the Norwegian heavy metal band Miksha
(Half the Battle) derived its name from the book and its author.
Following ten years of Saskatchewan beekeeping, Ron Miksha studied at the University of Saskatchewan
, graduating with high
honours in geophysics
. His undergraduate research work, sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, investigated the atmosphere's effects on the Earth's inner core vibrations. His research work and studies led to a business in Calgary, where Miksha now lives.
In 1998, Ron Miksha began The Beekeeper's Home Pages one of the first, and according to Google, the most popular website for beekeeping. Dr. Tom Sanford, apiculture specialist for the University of Florida
wrote "this web site gets a grade A for its effort to be the definitive web site for beekeeping." Miksha is also a contributor to Bee Culture, American Bee Journal, and Hivelights.
In 2005, with his brother Don and other family members, Ron Miksha formed Summit Gardens Honey Farms Ltd., Canada's largest
producer of comb honey
. Summit Gardens is located near Milo, Alberta.
In addition to beekeeping, Miksha also works in Earth Science
. In 2007, he made two trips to Lima, Peru, South America, for the Canadian International Development Agency
to teach aspects of geophysics.
Beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly; pollinating fruits and vegetables; raising queens and bees for sale to other farmers; and/or for purposes satisfying natural scientific curiosity...
, scientist, and Canadian author.
Biography
Miksha was born in a farm house in Mercer County, PennsylvaniaMercer County, Pennsylvania
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 116,638. Its county seat is Mercer; Sharon is its largest city....
, one of ten children in a poor rural
family living along the edge of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. The family survived by growing potatoes, corn, cabbage,
and by keeping bees and selling honey. Miksha learned beekeeping from his parents and older brothers.
In 1975, at age twenty-one, he moved to Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to keep bees. His popular book, Bad Beekeeping,
describes the ten years Miksha lived and farmed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, a remote prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
village surrounded
by badlands
Badlands
A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
and large cattle ranches. The area, part of the Palliser Triangle, is prone to extreme drought as
depicted in Miksha's book. But Bad Beekeeping is more than a beekeeping narrative. It espouses a strong libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
'"small-government" philosophy and has been both condemned and praised by readers on opposite ends of that discussion.
In Hivelights Magazine, Grant Hicks, Alberta representative to the Canadian Honey Council, claims "Bad Beekeeping
is the most impressive piece of beekeeping information that has come my way." The book has been influential abroad - the Norwegian heavy metal band Miksha
Miksha
For the author, see Ron Miksha.Miksha is a Norwegian extreme metal band from Trondheim, Norway, formed in 1999.-Band history:In 2002, shortly after relocating from far north Vadsø, Norway, Miksha won the coveted Best Band In Trondheim...
(Half the Battle) derived its name from the book and its author.
Following ten years of Saskatchewan beekeeping, Ron Miksha studied at the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
, graduating with high
honours in geophysics
Geophysics
Geophysics is the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods. The term geophysics sometimes refers only to the geological applications: Earth's shape; its gravitational and magnetic fields; its internal structure and...
. His undergraduate research work, sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, investigated the atmosphere's effects on the Earth's inner core vibrations. His research work and studies led to a business in Calgary, where Miksha now lives.
In 1998, Ron Miksha began The Beekeeper's Home Pages one of the first, and according to Google, the most popular website for beekeeping. Dr. Tom Sanford, apiculture specialist for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
wrote "this web site gets a grade A for its effort to be the definitive web site for beekeeping." Miksha is also a contributor to Bee Culture, American Bee Journal, and Hivelights.
In 2005, with his brother Don and other family members, Ron Miksha formed Summit Gardens Honey Farms Ltd., Canada's largest
producer of comb honey
Comb honey
Comb honey is honey, intended for consumption, which still contains pieces of the hexagonal-shaped beeswax cells of the honeycomb.Before the invention of the honey extractor almost all honey produced was in the form of comb honey...
. Summit Gardens is located near Milo, Alberta.
In addition to beekeeping, Miksha also works in Earth Science
Earth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
. In 2007, he made two trips to Lima, Peru, South America, for the Canadian International Development Agency
Canadian International Development Agency
The Canadian International Development Agency was formed in 1968 by the Canadian government. CIDA administers foreign aid programs in developing countries, and operates in partnership with other Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors as well as other international organizations...
to teach aspects of geophysics.