Saturday February 18, 2023 -NOFA-VT Winter Conference - UVM Campus, Burlington, VT
Getting Started in Organic Beekeeping
Saturday March 3-5, 2023 - Vermont Flower Show, Champlain Valley Exposition, 105 Pearl St., Essex Junction, VT
Why Keep Bees & How to Get Started
Saturday/Sunday May 20-21, 2023 - 9am-5pm - Organic Beekeeping for Beginners -Metta Earth Institute - 334 S. Geary Rd., Lincoln, VT
Learn about the current state of the honeybee and the beekeeping industry, as well as alternatives to the failing status quo. Designed for the rank beginner, but beneficial for those with several years experience, we cover honey bee biology, resources for sourcing bees, choosing an apiary site, and the tools and equipment you will need. Safe, nontoxic, and effective methods for controlling hive pests and diseases such as mites and foulbrood will also be covered, as well as tips on successfully overwintering hives. Whether you are looking to use fewer chemicals, or are committed to keeping bees organically, this course is for you. The class will be punctuated with visits to the bee yard and the opportunity for hands-on experience, weather permitting. Fee: $135 (includes copy of course text book, Natural Beekeeping or DVD) To Register: Call Ross at 802-349-4279 or email dancingbhoney at gmail dot com
Sunday June 4, 2023 - 9am-5pm - Intermediate Beekeeping Class - Middlebury, Vermont
This class builds on the beginner class with a focus on working with queens and swarms and producing, harvesting, processing and using all the products from the hive (pollen, propolis, honey, beeswax, royal jelly, and bee venom) for use in apitherapy. The class also covers making nucleus colonies and participants will get the opportunity to practice assembling a nucleus colony if the weather is favorable for a visit to the bee yard. Fee: $85 To Register: Call Ross at 802-349-4279 or email dancingbhoney at gmail dot com
Friday September 22 - Common Ground Country Fair - 12 Noon - 12:50pm - Unity, Maine
Apitherapy: Health and Healing with Products from the Hive - This workshop will provide an overview of products from the hive (pollen; propolis; honey; and honey bee venom); how to produce and harvest them; and their uses for health and healing.
Saturday and Sunday, September 23-24 - Common Ground Country Fair - Unity, Maine
Getting Started with Organic Beekeeping: Designed for the rank beginner; but beneficial for those with several years experience; we will do an overview of resources for sourcing bees; choosing an apiary site; and the tools and equipment you will need to get started. Safe; nontoxic; and effective methods for controlling hive pests and diseases such as mites and foulbrood will also be covered; as well as tips on successfully overwintering hives. Whether you are looking to use fewer chemicals; or are committed to keeping bees organically; this workshop is for you.
Saturday November 18, 2023 - Keeping Bees Healthy: Naturally - Western New York Honey Producers - East Aurora Theater, East Aurora, New York
Ross Conrad has been keeping bees for over 30 years using natural and organic methods of honey bee management. His presentation will explore ways beekeepers can work with nature and the honey bee's natural instincts to maintain healthy, vibrant hives rather than try to force nature to conform with antibiotics, toxic synthetic pesticides, genetically engineered bees, honey bee vaccines, or artificial diets composed primarily of sugar syrup and protein patties. Ross will cover proven natural methods for controlling varroa mites, foulbrood, nosema, CCD, wax moths, small hive beetles, honey bee viruses, raising nucleus colonies, and the critical components of successfully overwintering hives in a northern climate.