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| BEEKEEPING WORKSHOP Friday August 29, 2008, 4:30 PM to 9 PM Cost: $85 ($110 with optional beginners' session) Presenter: Ross Conrad learned his craft from the late Charles Mraz, world-renowned beekeeper, father of apitherapy, and founder of Champlain Valley Apiaries in Vermont. Former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, Conrad is the author of Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches To Modern Apiculture (Published by Chelsea Green, 2007), and has written numerous articles on organic farming, natural healing, and health issues. His 12-year-old small sideline beekeeping business, Dancing Bee Gardens, supplies his friends, neighbors, and local stores with honey and provides bees for Vermont apple pollination in the spring. Cancellation policy: Sorry, there
are no refunds for cancellations less than one week in advance of
a workshop. Credit may be applied to a future course or workshop
however. Food and lodging may be arranged at Metta Earth
Institute. |
This
workshop covers topics suitable for commercial and hobby beekeepers,
with a primary focus on intermediate and advanced methods. For beginners,
a special Friday afternoon session that covers hive construction
and layout, the basics of bee biology, and handling bees is strongly
recommended (see times and fees below). The rest of the workshop,
Friday evening and all day Saturday, presents a balanced view of
natural and organic beekeeping topics and practices not ordinarily
covered in lectures and articles, including: presence and mindfulness
in the bee yard, swarming as an expression of the bees vitality;
working with swarms and making nucleus colonies; non-toxic mite
and foul brood control; and an appreciation for the role that pollinators
play within the Earth's ecosystem. Weather permitting, the day will
be punctuated with visits to the hives, where techniques for handling
bees are demonstrated with opportunities for hands on experience
by workshop participants. Bring a veil, smoker and hive tool if
you have one.
