News & Events: Information on Meetings and other News & Events
ACBA Notes of Interest
April 10, 2017
1. Our April meeting Thursday will feature B Townes, president of Beekeepers of Wilkes County, who will talk about foraging. With our crazy winter and spring weather, we're particularly eager to hear what B has to say. The meeting starts at 7pm at the Extension Office behind Bojangles in Jefferson; B will be speaking first, so come early and grab some delicious snacks, too! Visitors are welcomed!
2. Bill Naser, our treasurer, will be on hand to take dues before the meeting and during break. ACBA (local) dues - $10/individual or $15/family. NCSBA (state) dues - $15/individual.
3. Tickets for the nuc will be sold thru the break at the meeting Thursday, and the drawing will be held at the conclusion of the meeting. Tickets for the nuc, valued at $140+, are $5 each, or 3/$10. If you took tickets to sell, please be sure to bring them and the tickets to the meeting! If you can't attend Thursday, let me know, and arrangements will be made to get them.
4. Door prizes this time: Wiss Utility Shears (courtesy of Hidden Happiness Bee Farm), cap (courtesy of Hive Tracks), comfrey plants, and pollen patties.
5. Pollen patties will also be on sale at the meeting: $3/patty, or 4/$10. All proceeds will go to ACBA.
6. Orders for NCSBA’s Honey Cookbook need to be turned in April 30. The cost for the book, which includes 300 recipes using honey, is $20. All profits will be donated to the NC Agricultural Foundation and will directly benefit the Apiculture program at NCSU.
7. Linda Katsoudas and I had fun representing ACBA at the Ashe County Library’s Seed Library kick-off on Friday! We talked to several folks very interested in bees, including a library staff member who is now a beekeeper. Big thanks to Marna Napoleon, beekeeper/new ACBA member/library staff member for inviting ACBA and to Linda for agreeing to help!
8. On Saturday, April 22, ACBA will be at the Ashe Farmers Market from 8am-1pm for Earth Day. Several members have volunteered to help, but we’re always game for more helpers! If you’d like to help for even a little while, please let me know. We always have fun! I don’t have any other information yet but will pass it on as soon as I get it.
9. Also on the 22nd (12-1pm) is a beekeeping meeting with Greg Fariss, state apiary inspector, at Southern States in Jefferson. Lunch is provided at no charge. Reservations need to be made by the 19th to the Extension Office (336-946-5850 in order for them to be prepared with ample materials, seating, and lunches.
ACBA Update
March 2017
* The first meeting of the year is March 9th and will begin at 7:00 at the Extension Office. The focus of this meeting will include a brief discussion by James Wilkes of a hive sampling program he was involved in last year, followed by President Randy's explanation of nucs and how to install them.
* Maggie McClelland, our program chair, will provide delicious refreshments again, and raffle tickets for the nuc will be sold! The nuc tickets - $5 each or 3/$10 - will be sold at the April meeting as well, with the drawing taking place at the conclusion of the April meeting.
* For those paying dues, Bill Naser, our treasurer, will be available around 6:15, if not a little earlier. If you can come early to pay your dues, please do, as Bill will need to leave for another meeting around 6:45. He should be able to return before the end of the ACBA meeting if you miss him.
* If you'd like to purchase raffle tickets, you're also urged to come a little earlier than usual to get that taken care of.
* If you're not sure if your 2017 dues have been paid, feel free to check with me by Wednesday afternoon (I'll be on unexpected grandmama duty and will miss the meeting... and Maggie's treats!).
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* We had a successful Introduction to Beekeeping class last month (see pictures, in the thumbnails to the right). All passed the class portion of the Certified Beekeeper test, and I'm pretty sure everyone ended up with a little more knowledge than they started with. We're fortunate to have some terrific new members of ACBA, too!
* We had a double winner of the hive donated by Hidden Happiness Bee Farm! Gilly and Eben Macknee, father and son, tied with the highest score in the class (100, but who's counting)! What a relief that no one 'lost' the hive thru a drawing. Congratulations to Gilly and Eben, and another big thanks to Hidden Happiness Bee Farm for the generous donation! Gillly and Eben's bees should be quite pleased with their beautiful new digs :)
* One of our new members, Tina Roberts, has some yellow blossom sweet clover packages to sell for very reasonable prices (1 lb - $4, 8 oz - $2, 4 oz - $1). Randy's talked to two beekeepers who both raved about their bees' love for yellow clover, so he's been dreaming up places to plant some ever since. If you're interested in learning more about the yellow clover, you can contact Tina at tina@oriannanaturals.com.
* Also, Joy Lewis said that if anyone is interested in her 'Joy Be Sweet' (her version of Honey B Healthy), let her know - jsljjj@skybest.com. The bees love it!
REMINDER: ORDER NUCS BY FEBRUARY 15TH!
February 9, 2017 Post
* This is a reminder for anyone who would like to order nucs from Hidden Happiness Bee Farm (to benefit ACBA):
- Nucs are available this year thru Hidden Happiness Bee Farm in Deep Gap! Cost per nuc is $140 + tax.
- Nucs purchased thru Hidden Happiness Bee Farm by current members of Ashe County Beekeepers Association will benefit ACBA, so be sure to mention that you’re a member of ACBA at the time you place the order.
- For more info and/or to order, contact Hidden Happiness Bee Farm (moldings56@yahoo.com or 336-957-0275).
- There is currently a planned delivery of nucs for mid-late April and another for mid-late May, so please be prepared to specify which delivery you’re interested in.
* IMPORTANT NOTE: Orders must be placed no later than February 15 to assure availability.
Beekeeping NUCs and other products
* Joey Bullin will sell nucs to Randy for $115; ACBA is excited to be offering nucs for sale in 2017.
* Hope to sell raffle tickets for a nuc at March and April meeiting. A winner will be drawn at the end of April meeting.
* Attendees of Intro to Beekeeping course will get a discount on nucs and woodenware.
* Joey Bullin will make and sell grease patties for $2 each.
* Pollen patties can be made by Maggie McClelland, Randy and Helen Baldwin and others? ACBA would sell to members and would pay for supplies to make them.
NCSBA "Bee Buzz"
Winter Issue
NCSBA members should read the Winter issue of Bee Buzz and be sure to look up the article about our own Doug Galloway on page 21! He and Mary Williams, president of the Watauga bee group, are making a difference by going out into the community (including schools!) and teaching about bees!
Ashe County Beekeeping Association (ACBA)
November 10, 2016
* The final ACBA meeting was our annual potluck dinner held on November 10.
* Those in attendance brought loads of goodies: salad, dessert, drink, bread, veggie, etc. The club furnished the meat but also had other meat dishes!
* A final appeal in 2016 to all Ashe County beekeepers to please consider volunteering! Because all of us have so many other things going on, we try to keep 'in person' meetings to a minimum after our initial meeting (January or February) to map out the year. We've been able to communicate with each other via email most of the time. It's a fun group, and we're excited about ideas for next year!
Ashe County Beekeeping Association (ACBA)
October 13, 2016
* The October meeting of the ACBA for 2016 was on Thursday, October 13, 2016 at the Ashe County Cooperative Extension Office, Ashe County Center, 134 Government Circle, Jefferson, NC 28640.
* As our last regular meeting for the year, Greg Fariss, state apiary inspector for the area, was on hand to tackle whatever questions were presented by members! We've never been disappointed with what we learn from Greg, tho it's possible some of our brains implode a tiny bit each time from all the information :)
* Also dues payments were accepted...for 2017 dues will remain the same:
- Local (ACBA) - $10 for individual, $15 for family
- State (optional) - $15 for individual