Winnipeg Free Press Interviews Isabel

By Author: Wendell
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Wendy King interviews Isabel Wendell about food, the honey business and Wendell Estate Honey for the Winnipeg Free Press here.
https://wendellestate.ca/2020/03/29/isabel-wendell-interviewed-for-wendell-estate-honey-feature-in-winnipeg-free-press/

When Canadians think of the prairies we often picture vast blue summer skies over a colorful patchwork of fields and pastures, and, of course, long, cold winters. This pristine environment with its extreme seasons is the home of Wendell Honey.

John Wendell purchased his first bee hives over eighty years ago. Since then Wendell Honey Farm has been producing premium Canadian white honey. Wendell Honey is still based on the original site near the village of MacNutt, Saskatchewan, but has grown to become a modern honey producer with over 4000 producing bee hives and more than 50 employees in the peak harvest season.

John and Alvera’s son, Tim left his teaching career in 1974 to take over Wendell Honey Farm. Tim’s life’s work and labor of love is all things bees and honey. On the Board of Directors for the Saskatchewan Beekeeper’s Association for 12 years, ...
... he also served as president for 8 years. Honey industry conferences around the globe have invited him to share his expertise through talks and presentations. Tim has participated in numerous international research studies, including projects lead by Tom Rinderer with US Department of Agriculture, Rob Currie with Manitoba Queen Breeders Association, Albert Robertson with the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Association and Leonard Foster with the University of British Columbia.

Daughter of renowned Manitoba horticulturalist Frank Leith Skinner, Isabel grew up on Skinner’s Nursery near the village of Dropmore, Manitoba. While Tim is busy in the bee yard or attending conferences, Isabel keeps the farm running. Despite managing everything from finance to logistics, employee affairs to taxes, certifications to sales and marketing for Wendell Honey and Wendell Estate, she still finds time to play with the grandchildren and tend to her substantial vegetable and flower gardens.

In recent years sons Nathan and Jeremy have returned from their careers abroad to rejoin the family farm, young families in tow.

Nathan divides his time between beekeeping and office management duties. Following in Tim’s footsteps, he currently serves as President of the Saskatchewan Beekeepers’ Development Commission (SBDC). Unsurprisingly, Nathan’s young sons Elijah and Henry already express a love of nature and a keen interest in bees. You’ll hear Nathan’s voice narrating many of our youtube channel videos. Nathan’s wife, Amy, is the star presenter of our recipe videos

Jeremy spends a little too much of his time behind a desk in the office, but is always happy to get out help out with the farm work. He applies his medical and epidemiology background to researching the health benefits of honey. Jeremy’s wife, Carol Ye Min, a marketing professional originally from Wuhan, China is invaluable in collaborating with our China-side business partners. She leads our marketing efforts, Chinese and otherwise