Irene Schmidt's love of nature and honey as a natural product led her to beekeeping. She was driven by various questions: Where does the honey from the supermarket actually come from? How is honey made? And under what conditions?

Convinced of the importance of treating bees and other insects with respect, she has redesigned her garden. This has created a space for insects in which there is sufficient food and shelter all year round. In 2016, she even received an award from the "Thuringian Bee Friends" project for her efforts.

Irene Schmidt has had two bee colonies since 2019 and added her first own offshoot in 2022. To distinguish her colonies, they are given female names: Marie Curie, Astrid Lindgren and Minna Eichler (one of the first women to be elected to parliament in 1919 and who came from Eisenberg).