Greetings Friends, Beekeepers, and Honey Bee Lovers,
The University of Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab has its two big events coming up again! Have you marked your calendars? Here is everything you need to know!
The Master Beekeeper Program will be holding its biannual training and exams on Thursday March 6th at the Whitney Lab in St. Augustine, Florida. The Master Beekeeper Program (MBP) is a five-year beekeeper training and certification program and boasts nearly 300 active members. This collection of registered beekeepers performs public service credits as a part of program advancement. To date, they have collectively reached nearly three million people in the state of Florida and beyond. They serve as bee ambassadors to beginning beekeepers, the public, and our community, by teaching and serving as an extension of UF/HBREL The MBP trains and educates beekeepers on new techniques, equipment, potential problems, tips and tricks to improve their beekeeping skills. Perhaps most importantly, it keeps beekeepers around the state and country connected and furthermore, connected to their communities. Beekeepers must have owned at least one hive of bees for at least one year to register, and entry to the MBP is attained by passing the apprentice examinations on exam day. Further into the program, students choose a major and attain major and core credits. To graduate as a Master Craftsman beekeeper, the final level in the program, one must complete a research project or Extension program.
For more information about the Master Beekeeper Program please visit: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honeybee/extension/master_beekeeper.shtml
For registration to the upcoming spring event please visit: https://spring2014mbp.eventbrite.com
The University of Florida Bee College is the most extensive educational honey bee event in the state of Florida and is back for its seventh year! Everyone is welcome to attend Bee College: beekeepers, naturalists, farmers, gardeners, county agents, and anyone interested in honey bees! It’s not too late to register, as you might know, we fill up pretty fast but there is still time! Registration is open until Tuesday March 4th. Bee College is the best time you could have learning about honey bees and beekeeping, the full schedule will be announced soon. There are topics for beginners, advanced, hands-on demonstrations, workshops on everything from Honey Extraction, Varroa Biology, Grafting, Queen Rearing and IPM approaches! The keynote speakers this year are Dr. Dewey Caron, (U. Delaware) and Dr. Jim and Maryann Frazier of Penn State. As always, we have the Fl apiary Inspection Team, the HBREL team and a host of other great speakers. Bee College has enough beekeeping knowledge to last you all year! We give you a stunning Bee College pin, a goody bag, a program binder with lecture material, snacks, lunch, banquet dinner, awards ceremony and a raffle where you can win great prizes! The full schedule and course titles will be announced early next week!
Coupled with the UF Bee College is the Annual Bee College Honey Show. Our honey show is the largest in the state, and winners can proudly claim the title of “Best Honey in Florida”! The Bee College Honey Show provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase all of your (and your bees!) hard work. The show will be judged using the Welsh Honey Judge methods by certified professional Honey Judges and Stewards, and winners will be announced during the awards ceremony Friday evening. If you want to exhibit in the show, all you have to do is register for the Bee College and send your entry form in early. You can enter items such as extracted honey, candles, frames for extraction, artwork, and more. Exhibit classes and the entry form will be posted online next week!
Register today! https://2014beecollege.eventbrite.com (ticket prices and purchasing)
For more information please visit: www.ufhoneybee.com (general program information)
For general questions email me: jklopchin@ufl.edu
For registration questions, please email Glinda Burnett at gburnett@ufl.edu
->VENDOR space still available! Please see our website for a vendor application (fees apply).
Did you know that you can pay by check? It’s easy! Just go https://2014beecollege.eventbrite.com and enter the number of registrations you would like to purchase (skip the register button). Next choose ‘SHOW OTHER PAYMENT OPTIONS’ (below the REGISTER button). Then, click ‘PAY OFFLINE’. Here you will add your personal information to register for the event. You may then mail your registration fee the address below (please make checks payable to the University of Florida).
Please, feel free to tweet, Facebook, email, post, blog about us!
Hope to see y’all soon!
~ Jeanette
on behalf of Jamie Ellis, & HBREL
Mailing address:
UF Bee College
c/o Glinda Burnett
Department of Entomology and Nematology
University of Florida
Bldg 970 Natural Area Drive
PO Box 110620
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
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