05/25/2017

OSU Research Project Focuses on Huntington Convention Center Bees

Pollen traps to measure where bees collect pollen in urban areas

Andy Mondello, a junior studying business management at The Ohio State University, Wooster, is serving an internship for Levy at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland this summer, focusing on the Real FarmVille from every angle, including basic farmhand duties and working closely with the bees.

“Andy will bring his knowledge and passion for bees and beekeeping to our Real FarmVille this summer as well as conducting important research for Ohio State University,” said Matt Del Regno, Levy's executive chef. “He will ensure that our property is show-ready at all times for the thousands of guests who love to view the farm, learn about sustainable farming and growing practices, and see where much of their food is coming from”

Situated on the north end of the property, just outside the windows of the Grand Ballroom, is a working farm to help produce food in-house for catering purposes. Operated by Levy and SMG, the farm is home to between 500,000-1.5 million honey bees in 13 hives generating more than 2,000 pounds of honey annually, 26 chickens that provide about two dozen eggs daily accounting for a quarter of the facility’s total annual shelled egg use, a variety of raised beds that feature seasonal greens, herbs, and vegetables and three Mangalista heritage breed pigs.

During his studies at OSU, Mondello has developed an interest in entomology under the tutelage of Professor Reed Johnson with the Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI). During the summer, Johnson and Mondello are conducting research into bee pollen collection utilizing two pollen traps.

The idea is simple: The bees fly anywhere up to approximately three miles from the hives, collect pollen from various sources, including clover and buckwheat, and then return to the 13 hives on the property of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. The pollen traps, located inside two of the hives, require the bees to work through a vent and funnel to re-enter the hive. The traps collect pollen that drops off the bees as they reenter the hive to make honey. The OSU researchers are studying bees in urban environments and what type of pollen the bees are collecting in and around downtown Cleveland. The pollen can also be utilized to create pollen balls, very useful in prescribing to people suffering from allergies.

“I would ideally like to work here as long as possible and also to start a side business as a beekeeper,” said Mondello. “I plan on having a bee business in the future where I can sell my own honey. I really like it here, and people have really welcomed me. This is a perfect place for my internship!”

Mondello is an active member of the OSU ATI Bee Club, working with 30-40 hives in the ATI Bee Lab. He is earning college credit with the internship this summer and hopes to begin his own bee business in the future, selling his own honey. He will also be working as a farmhand on the Real FarmVille this summer, feeding and caring for 26 hens and three Mangalista pigs, as well as tending to the vegetable and herb gardens that produce corn, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes to serve to convention center guests. To assist with weed control, the Real FarmVille will once again rent or borrow goats and sheep to eat the weeds.

SMG, the convention center and facility management firm hired by the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation (CCCFDC) to manage operations for the and the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, recently completed its annual RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) report for the LEED Gold facility, resulting in more than 55.6 percent of trash recycled during the past year. Levy, the facility’s exclusive food and beverage provider, donated more than 12,500 meals from leftover food to the Cleveland Food Bank.

A LEED Gold Facility, the team works daily to reduce environmental impact, conserving resources, implementing recycling initiatives both internally and for organizations hosting meetings and utilizing environmentally friendly products and practices. A comprehensive co-mingled, single-stream recycling program strives to divert waste from landfills to recycling centers via reducing, reusing, and recycling paper, cardboard, metal, aluminum, glass and plastic.

Levy partners with Chef’s Garden in Huron, a local, family-owned 300-acre vegetable farm, to purchase produce from a source committed to sustainable agriculture utilizing practices that replenish nutrients depleted from the soil and growing crops through natural means. Wherever possible, Levy purchases food products that are sourced locally and responsibly raised, including antibiotic free poultry from Gerber Farms in Kidron and Fresh Fork Market in Ohio City, cage-free eggs, and hormone- and antibiotic-free pork from Cleveland’s Pork Chop Shop.

The Global Center for Health Innovation was built in Cleveland to serve as the focal point for healthcare innovation, conventions, and industry-specific meetings, and is home to internationally-recognized brands such as GE Healthcare, Siemens, Philips Healthcare, Cisco Systems, Cardinal Health and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) along with Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. The Global Center is home to 45 of the world’s leading healthcare brands and more than 300 industry meetings annually. Each tenant partner space displays innovation and technology contributing to the overall mission of improving patient outcomes and lowering costs for healthcare providers and consumers. 

The Huntington Convention Center provides 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 32,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, 35 meeting and breakout rooms, a robust technology package, an expansive truck loading dock and a 12.5-acre green roof with spectacular views of Lake Erie. The attached 600-room Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel features a 32-story tower filled with guest rooms, meeting space, ballrooms and multiple dining and entertainment options.