From Fieldays to Open Day – Mānuka Orchard to Host Another Free Event for Beekeepers

Beekeepers are renowned for their gusto for a winter conference, and this off-season Mānuka Orchard’s Open Day on July 24 will again be their best bet, with the Bay of Plenty honey processing and storage facility inviting the beekeeping industry to the free event.

Mānuka Orchard owner and director Logan Bowyer presents on ‘The Future of Mānuka: Why the very best years are ahead’ during Fieldays ‘Tent Talks’, June 10 at Mystery Creek.

Once again held in the Paengaroa Community Hall, the now well-established Open Day will mix expert discussions, trade displays and a dinner and drinks in nearby Mount Maunganui, as it has done since 2020.

With apiculture’s main industry groups in rebuild mode, Mānuka Orchard has stepped into the fold this winter to not only throw open the doors for a day of beekeeping education and socialising, but also led the way by holding a stand at Fieldays at Mystery Creek, June 10-13, for the first time.

“We know beekeepers love to get together, to talk business, and just to get together at a quieter time of year in the work calendar,” Mānuka Orchard owner Logan Bowyer says.

“But people forget that for stuff to happen, you actually have to organise stuff. It doesn't all happen by chance.”

Bowyer has certainly taken the bull by the horns there, with last year’s Open Day drawing in approximately 150 beekeepers, suppliers, scientists and assorted industry stakeholders. With even less events on the calendar in 2026, a similar turnout is expected at the free event in the heart of kiwifruit country.

The day’s speakers will include crop pollination expert Melissa Broussard of Plant and Food Research, speaking to her recent research into the forage value of pollen from Green, Gold and Red varieties of kiwifruit, and in honey science Megan Grainger of The University of Waikato’s Honey Research Unit. The Ministry for Primary Industries will be represented by senior regional advisor Denis Collins as well as Sharon Morrell, who will update attendees on the yellow-legged hornet response and MPI’s work with beekeepers. Beyond that, Bowyer usually takes the opportunity to update on Mānuka Orchard’s latest services offered.

“Our online honey sales portal has developed a lot in the last six months, with a big focus on sales reporting. Therefore, I’m looking forward to sharing not numbers on the screen, as in the past, but decision-based graphs for buyers and sellers which showcase our pricing and orders which need to be filled. I think people around the industry will gain a lot by attending and seeing this alone, but there will be a lot more to interest too,” the owner says.

Lunch will be catered, with drinks at the hall to follow the speakers and an evening social session at Mount Maunganui restaurant Master Kong.

The Mānuka Orchard team prepare for another busy day at Fieldays, June 10-13. From left, Logan, Chloe, Tania and Joel Bowyer, Pennie Miller and Dean Taylor.

Fieldays First

While several honey sellers had a presence at the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event, Fieldays at Mystery Creek, Waikato, June 10-13, Bowyer says the apiculture industry’s only “business to business” presence was through Mānuka Orchard. He would like to see that change in future years, saying a dedicated apiculture section of the event, with multiple facets of the industry represented, would be of benefit.

“We made a commitment to be there, to represent the honey and beekeeping industry, but that investment was paid back ten-fold,” Bowyer says.

More than 132,000 people filtered through the four-day event and Bowyer says their display – featuring a ‘read the land’ mini-putt and Wai Mānuka mānuka-honey based drink to keep punters engaged – was continuously manned by four people and continually busy.

The Mānuka Orchard team of Pennie Miller and Dean Taylor talk honey at Fieldays with another interested punter.

“When you get out there, it is amazing,” Bowyer says.

“You've got everyone from foreign diplomats, to board members of industry groups, to farmers and landowners who have parts to play in our industry, plus the staff and business owners that we do business with from day to day.”

Connecting with landowners and offering a trusted bridging service between them and beekeepers was key to the Mānuka Orchard mission at the busy event and where Bowyer sees his business being able to add even more value beyond their existing honey services.

“All our post-harvest service comes from land somewhere, but I see varying deals between beekeepers and landowners, some of which are 10 percent profit share, some a fixed hive fee. But when it comes to what best suits the landowner, I think there is an element of trust we can bring to that deal, through the openness of the data we collect. We are a transparent business that has a data set of average price sales and if someone is saying ‘I’m going to give you 10 percent’, well if it is 10 percent of nothing it is nothing, but if it is 10 percent of a number based off hard data, then that is something. If both landowner and beekeepers trust the service provider, from extraction right on through with data collection along the way, then deals struck are more likely to be sustainable and longer lasting between beekeepers and landowners.”

Bowyer also flew the flag for the honey industry by taking a public speaking slot, his presentation titled ‘The Future of Mānuka: Why the very best years are ahead’.

He says he has already signed Mānuka Orchard up for a presence at Fieldays 2027, and he hopes their team will have some company from within the industry.

“There is a massive need for a uniform group to have a presence there. To be promoting the products, promoting the innovation of the industry, and to promote the industry in a positive light because we are a key piece of New Zealand's primary industries.”