Wondering about membership in state beekeeping organizations

tillie · February 03, 2008, 04:20:33 PM

Yesterday I went to Covington, GA to the GA Beekeepers Association spring meeting. I've been a member but never been to meetings. Frankly, I was disappointed. Turns out that the attendance was 90% if not more commercial beekeepers. The focus was all on poisoning pests, using high fructose corn syrup, and selling honey. I felt like a fish out of water.

There were a number of the instructors from the Young Harris beekeeping school there. I missed talks on Friday - Kim Flottum (but he supposedly talked about CCD) and Dick Miksa (who talked about commercial queen rearing.)

Anyway, that was probably wonderful for all the commercial beeks, but I was disappointed. I did go to a seminar on websites but learned a lot that will help me in my business web site, but not with my beekeeping.

So it left me wondering if that is the flavor of most state beekeeping organizations - are they focused on beekeeping as a business or is it just Georgia?

On the very positive side, I won a cypress hive box from Rossman in the door prize drawing - and I never win anything.

Linda T in Atlanta

JP · February 03, 2008, 04:55:21 PM

I think its common to have some of the big players on board with state beekeepers associations at least this is true in my neck of the woods. I have a friend that's a board member and I know they push chemicals. They believe its the only way, but I'm not biting.

Brendhan posted not too long ago about this very subject and how disheartened he was with his local club, and I believe this is why he is running for president.

.....JP

Kimbrell · February 03, 2008, 05:14:06 PM

I try to never miss my state beekeeping convention. Sure, there are some commercial beekeepers there. But the lectures are geared more toward hobbyists, I think. Our meeting has a choice of 2 or 3 lectures at any one time. I can always find something I am interested in.
Maybe you could consider asking the meeting coordinator to include more speakers that would appeal to hobbyist beekeepers. It seems to me it would be to their advantage to attract as many people as possible to their meetings. The squeaky wheel gets the grease! :)

tillie · February 03, 2008, 05:30:05 PM

My local club has great speakers in the monthly meetings and is all oriented to the hobbyist, so I always get what I want there. There are many more people at my local club who are going it without poison, but I am in the far end of the spectrum, even there. I do wish there had been a better balance at my state level club.

On Saturday when there were choices of speakers, here were the choices:
1. How to sell your honey
2. How to put up a commercial website
3. How to rear queens for commercial sale.

The food was good, though. This one beekeeper puts on a low country boil every year - and it was yummy....shrimp, potatoes, corn, sausage, cole slaw. And I did hear a good talk on how to harvest pollen, although that's not something I am planning to do.

Oh, well,

Linda T in Atlanta

Kimbrell · February 03, 2008, 05:53:29 PM

Tillie,
The Tennessee State Beekeepers Associatiion meeting is held every fall in Franklin (near Nashville). I'll be glad to send you a notice about it if you are interested. We are all very friendly and would love to have you join us.

tillie · February 03, 2008, 06:04:12 PM

Great idea, Kimbrell - I'll look up the web page (I imagine there is one). I lived in Nashville for 13 years - college and grad school - and loved Franklin!

Linda T in Atlanta

Kirk-o · February 03, 2008, 10:29:13 PM

I have found it is a matter of reality.I went to one here in L A when I asked about not trating they all laughed.It was relly just a clique.I get more out of the bee web pages.
kirk

Michael Bush · February 04, 2008, 07:41:31 AM

There are several sideliners in our association, and maybe one actual commercial beekeeper. The rest are hobbiests.

indypartridge · February 04, 2008, 08:20:59 AM

Quote from: tillie on February 03, 2008, 04:20:33 PM
So it left me wondering if that is the flavor of most state beekeeping organizations - are they focused on beekeeping as a business or is it just Georgia?

Indiana isn't a major beekeekeeping State, so there's not a lot of commericial beeks to begin with. I'm sure that makes a big difference. Our problem is that we have TWO State associations (politics!). I'm active in one, and we have good meetings: "something for everyone". It seems like there's good comraderie and I always have a good time. Jerry Hayes is our speaker for our Spring meeting: I'm looking forward to it.

pdmattox · February 04, 2008, 08:40:12 AM

In Florida the state assoc. is mostly commercal beeks and sideliners. They have seen a rise in backyard beekeepers and declineing commercal keepers and are in the process of change so to atract all these new beekeepers. The problem i have in our local club is that everyone is a backyard keeper and shun anyone that is big or is getting big. All there programs and such never fit what I need to get out of it. I still like the small family atmoshere and goto the meetings when I can.

KONASDAD · February 04, 2008, 11:57:46 AM

I attended my first exec state meeting too this past week. I too left disheartened myself. The topic of Hivastan came up and the board decided to seek section 18 status w/o any knowledge of what it did or was. The rationale "Its another bullet" in the arsenal thinking. I mentioned the mites would be resistant in two years, response, by then there will be another option(chem). I was only dissent.

There are more hobbyists than ever, but the meeting was predominated by business issues for commercial beeks and sideliners.
One of these days someone will test honey and it will have coumophous or some other chem and then beeks will have more gov't intrusion than you can shake a stick at. It will be our own darn fault too.

Kimbrell · February 04, 2008, 05:17:29 PM

Indypartridge,
Jerry Hayes was one of our featured speakers this past fall. He is a wonderful speaker. He was very patient and even willing to answer questions from a no nothing beginner! :-D

Understudy · February 04, 2008, 07:39:21 PM

Tillie,

First it is a very good thing you went. the experience even if you didn't enjoy as much as others helps you gain insight as to what you want to do right now with your beekeeping.

Commerical beekeepers are a buisness. It is about profit and cost. And things directly related to those items.

And since you won the hive box I am sure you will appreciate more than the commerical beekeepers would have. That probably gets them a bit tick off too. :)

The change to backyard beekeeping and the hobbiest type is causing a transformation in the beekeeping industry. A transformation that will be painful.

On the flip side imagine if you are commerical beekeeper coming to one of your local meetings and all you are guys talk about is how to clean up my kitchen of bees wax.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Brian D. Bray · February 04, 2008, 11:11:27 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on February 04, 2008, 07:41:31 AM
There are several sideliners in our association, and maybe one actual commercial beekeeper. The rest are hobbiests.

There are 2 commercial beekeepers in my racing pigeon club alone.

steveouk · February 05, 2008, 12:08:59 AM

There does not appear to be a local bee keeping club in our area. which sucks big style !

kenpkr · February 07, 2008, 10:31:29 PM

Quote from: steveouk on February 05, 2008, 12:08:59 AM
There does not appear to be a local bee keeping club in our area. which sucks big style !

steveouk,

there is an association meeting in N. Dallas, about a 50 min drive for you.
Collin County Beek Assoc.
here's the site-
http dot www dot northtexasbeekeepers dot org

steveouk · February 08, 2008, 08:34:01 AM

Yes i know of them but they meet on a Monday and i cant make it then.