Virginia will pay you to have bees

[Dallasbeek]

Says here

http://wtkr.com/2013/01/10/virginia-will-pay-you-to-take-up-beekeeping/
--

that  the state of Virginia will pay $200 per hive, up to $2,400 per person  year, for people to start keeping bees. 


On a side note, looks like I'm about to become a queen bee or whatever the next level is.  Just a couple more posts....how terribly exciting!   

[little john]

Written in January 2013 - very nearly 3 years ago - any information on what the uptake was ?

Wish someone would start a scheme like that over here.

LJ

[Dallasbeek]

Maybe some beeks in VA will enlighten us.

[little john]

Well - even though I'm thousands of miles away, I was interested enough in the potential uptake of schemes like that to click on the Virginia State Beekeepers Association: http://www.virginiabeekeepers.org but I couldn't see any mention of the scheme there.

SBA do provide a start-up scheme (basic kit supplied free to youngsters) - http://susquehannabeekeepers.com/youngbeegrant.html  - which is a great idea - but again, nothing that I could see in the way of State funding.

Which of course, will enable you to reply ... and thus make your 1,000th post - well done !

LJ

[GSF]

Last year the state of Alabama, and others I think, had a lottery of sort. They gave 2 hives away to new non bee keepers. They divided the state up into 6 parts and gave away equal number of hives to each part. My neighbor's name was drawn. He got 2 ten frame hives, I don't remember if it included a medium with the deep or not.

Folks had to fill out an application. Then if selected they had to join a local club and attend a half day class.

[Acebird]

Then if selected they had to join a local club and attend a half day class.

Seems backwards to me.  What good is the equipment if you don't know how to keep bees?  Why not have free classes on how to keep bees to many more people and let them get their own equipment?  Would you buy your kid a car and then see if they could figure out how to drive it.  Better to send them to drivers training and then let them buy their own car.

[Dallasbeek]

Well - even though I'm thousands of miles away, I was interested enough in the potential uptake of schemes like that to click on the Virginia State Beekeepers Association: http://www.virginiabeekeepers.org but I couldn't see any mention of the scheme there.

SBA do provide a start-up scheme (basic kit supplied free to youngsters) - http://susquehannabeekeepers.com/youngbeegrant.html  - which is a great idea - but again, nothing that I could see in the way of State funding.

Which of course, will enable you to reply ... and thus make your 1,000th post - well done !

LJ


Thanks, little john, for your research.  This makes the thousand. 

I agree that free classes would do a lot more good than just turning over wooden ware.

Gary

[Blacksheep]

Yes when you have your money involved it is a lot better than some one giving you a hive.They will try harder to care and learn about the bees.

[GSF]

The classes were given prior to them receiving bees. Most folks who get, or are thinking about getting bees are already learning about them. True to form, those with mentors did much better than those without.

[Maggiesdad]

for little john - http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant-industry-services-beehive-grant-program.shtml

VA Bee laws - http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant-industry-services-beekeeping-apiary-inspection.shtml


My take? I don't know anyone here in VA that has received funds... seems like a lot of hassle for the payoff... seems designed to only benefit commercial operations.

[little john]

Thanks for the link - appreciated. I think your assessment of this being a lot of hassle is spot on - and no doubt explains the lack of info about the scheme on amateur beekeeping sites. Pity - a missed opportunity to swell numbers, imo.
LJ

[LKBruns]

It would be great if Texas would do something similiar.  I like the idea of attaching a class to the program.

[Maggiesdad]

little john -here's some chat off of a Virginia beek group... I edited it heavily, but I think you can glean the flavor of the situation.

Chris -I have talked to some and they have gotten money. It has rarely been the year that they submitted.
December 22 at 11:50pm

John -first come first served budget limits the resources.
December 23 at 12:02am

Suzanne -It takes a year or more to get a check, but yes it eventually pays out. I know of someone who recently got a check.
December 23 at 4:57am

John -I got my hives in February. And submitted my grant application right away. I received my money just a few weeks ago. It took them nearly 9 months to process the application, and the check was received shortly after that. There were no updates during th...See More
December 23 at 5:17am

Erik -I had the same experience as John. I wasn't expecting anything because it is based on VA approving it in the state budget. It was a nice "surprise".
December 23 at 9:30am

John -The program isn't to make money in beekeeping, it's to get people interested. It may be a catalyst but not the reason.
December 23 at 7:23am

John P. - I do not understand the reason you make this comment, did I miss something in the original post or the other comments? Who is saying anything about the grant being about making money?
December 23 at 8:37am

John P.  -E. John the reason I added it is that in our club we often have new beekeepers join simply to learn more about the grant. Is there anything not factual there as we often have new Virginia beekeepers in the forum.

To be honest if you are getting into the...See More
December 23 at 10:16am ? Edited


Dennis A. Cooley - I'm still waiting....
December 23 at 8:52am


Samantha -I submitted my application in May and I'm still waiting...
December 23 at 9:33am

John W. -I submitted my paperwork electronically in Jan 2015 and there has been no change in the status since. I emailed and got a response that my application would probably be in the next processing batch, but its been a while.
December 23 at 10:02am

Diana -I submitted mine electronically 2 days ago, I'm glad to know that I should not expect any movement for a year.
December 23 at 10:06am


John W. -It all depends on how the state funds, amount of funding, etc. They make grants first come, first served, assuming a valid application, and hold applications until funds are available.
December 23 at 10:11am


Diana -and the state fiscal year starts in July, so don'y think: oh I'll wait till January and then it will be a new pot of money. no no no smile emoticon
December 23 at 2:23pm

Beverlyn -I submitted my application in April and just received the grant.
December 23 at 1:11pm

John W. -Wow, you did well!
December 23 at 2:29pm

Carla  - Yes, and yes.
December 23 at 1:27pm

Michael -I submitted a request in 2013, 14, and 15. I received a check in 2014 and 15. They process in the order received until the money is gone. With more people interested in beekeeping, the line is getting longer so we may have to wait longer. The check is a nice surprise when it arrives, but do not make decisions about expanding based on getting state funds.
12 hours ago

Greg -I submitted paperwork in Jan and recd $400 in Sep.
18 hrs

Amanda -I didn't get squat yet frown emoticon

[Dallasbeek]

About par for any governmental entity 

[little john]

Thanks for that.
I agree, it appears that government 'initiatives' and the bureaucrats that invent and run them are pretty-much the same the world over ...

[thomas]

Hello i am from Virginia and all that i know is that they will pay you but you have to buy your stuff and bees and then send in your reciept to them and they give you money back. I am the president of the club here and we can not get any help on anything i lost several hives last year and i am still waiting to get paid for my lost the paper work was sent in but that was last year in september and they tell me that the funds have been sent out Nationaly and i still have not gotten nothing i think its a bunch of B.S


Thomas Yancey

[Dallasbeek]

Yep, about par for a gummint.  They take your money in taxes, promise to give some people some of the money, spend most of it on projects they like better, then tell you to send more money so they can send you some back.  And we keep electing these boobies!