Raising bees and harvesting honey in Alaska | Hometown, Alaska

By Kim Sherry

Published October 13, 2025 at 11:55 AM AKDT

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Beehives in a garden. — Bees congregate around hives in a garden.

On this episode, we’re buzzing into the world of honey bees with a local beekeeper, Dusty Finley. We learn why bees are vital to our environment, the challenges of keeping them in Alaska’s unique climate and how their honey takes on the flavor of our northern flowers. It's a sweet conversation about bees, pollination and the taste of Alaska.

A man stands next to a truck in a white jumpsuit. — Dusty Finley has been beekeeping in Alaska for more than 27 years.

Later in the show we hear Episode 2 of Alaska Public Media's "Dracula."

HOST: Kim Sherry

GUEST: Dusty Finley, beekeeper

LINKS:
Pollinators in Alaska
Alaska Bee Atlas

Hometown, Alaska

Kim Sherry

Kim Sherry is a 4th generation Alaskan, who grew up in the small town of King Salmon. You may recognize her from the 3rd season of ‘The Great American Recipe’ on PBS as the first contestant ever coming from Alaska! Kim is an artist who currently specializes in pet portraits, but has also written and illustrated 2 children’s books and owned a clothing business in Anchorage. Coming from a family of subsistence hunters and fishers, Kim is an avid gardener who has always had an appreciation for the outdoors and a reverence for the wildlife that sustained their community.

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