All–

Thank YOU for attending the best CSBA Winter meeting that we’ve had under my watch!  There were well over 100 of you in attendance and the Douglas County Fairgrounds were simply perfect for the event.

We are expecting a major change in the weather tomorrow and I am hustling to replace all of my insulators that were destroyed by the flood.  Today is my final day to get them on–so that will be the plan.

As president of the CSBA, I find that people occasionally forget that I actually run a business, too.  In fact, I have a family also!   Between these 2 commitments, and the flood cleanup exercise, I am behind.  Please forgive me.  It has been a trying few months and the light is not at the end of the tunnel yet–but it is getting closer–and I do not think it is a train.

Happy Holidays to all of you from the CSBA leadership.  Enjoy the time with your loved ones.

Volunteering

The CSBA relies heavily on volunteers to accomplish its lofty goals every year.  As you can see from the events listed below, this is an ongoing need.  There are lots of different ways that you can volunteer for CSBA without being in the limelight.  Please consider helping on CSBA projects.  It is most appreciated.  Next month, I will feature some volunteering opportunities on CSBA committees.

Quasquicentennial

What the heck is that?  The quasquicentennial is the 125th anniversary celebration of the CSBA’s incorporation!  How many entities can you think of that have survived 125 years?  This is an event truly worth celebrating and we are planning on doing so for all of 2014!  Due to the ongoing nature of the celebration, there is a great need for volunteers around the state to make sure that each of your communities is aware of this milestone and can participate in educational events if they choose to do so.  Tony Fronczek is all pumped up about FINALLY participating in a valuable way at the Colorado State Fair in 2014.  He would like some help.  Unfortunately, being the social media idiot that I am, I can not find his contact info.  Just get in touch with me and I will figure out how to get in touch with Tony.

Winter Meeting Recap

The Winter Meeting was a tremendous success!  This year, we moved to Kirk Hall at the Douglas County Fairground facility right off of I-25 and Exit 181 in Castle Rock.  The venue was perfect–generously sized so there were tables available for all attendees; adequate room for vendors; proper facilities for the caterer and plentiful and close parking.  The weather, too, cooperated and we had beekeepers in attendance from all corners of the state as a result!

Our featured speaker was Dave Mendes and he gave 2 down-to-earth, practical speeches on his beekeeping operation, Headwaters Farm, and on what works for bee nutrition in his operation.  Dave runs 20,000 hives which is darn close to the number of hives that we have in the entire state!  I will get the slides of his presentation posted to the CSBA site soon–especially the “recipe” for his protein patties.  It would be good if we could get a little protein patty manufacturing operation going to capitalize on some cost savings…

The BIG MONEY HONEY contest had over 60 entries this year and kept our honey judges busy the entire day!  Special thanks goes to Chief Judge, Nancy Stead, for persevering through all of the entries.  She was joined by Mike Halby and John Hartley who also deserve a round of applause for their efforts.  The grand prize winner was Debi Daly for her light honey–extending the Daly dynasty supremacy for yet another year.  This makes 3!  CONGRATULATIONS to the Professionals!  Second place overall went to David Izaguirre of Izzy’s Honey in Greeley for his beeswax and third place overall went to Don Studinski for his amber honey.  Competition was stiff in all categories and I am delighted that we had such a strong showing!  This contest just keeps getting better and better–but it is not quite perfect yet.  I am going to solicit the Daly’s assistance in fixing the final few details that need to be addressed and, hopefully, next year we can claim perfection.

This year, we also hosted a Silent Auction for Flood and Fire victims and nearly $1000 was raised!  A HUGE THANK YOU to all who donated to the Silent Auction as well as to all who engaged in the bidding.  A final tally is still in the works and then the money will need to be distributed.  If you sustained losses relating to either the floods or fire this year, please contact me so that we may attempt to offset some of your losses through this fund.

Summer Meeting

We don’t rest on our laurels around here!  The Summer Meeting will be held in Silt on June 14th, 2014.  We have outgrown Paul’s facility, too and are looking at alternative venues for the morning lecture session.  We will keep you posted but mark your calendars now because the featured speaker will be Jim Tew!

WAS Conference 2015

Colorado is the proud host of the Western Apicultural Society Conference for 2015!  This is an exciting opportunity for us and I am looking forward to it.  This will be a joint meeting of the CSBA and WAS.  Very preliminary efforts are underway to research various conference facilities around the state and, if you are interested in helping, we could use your assistance!  Contact me and I will get you all together.  Let’s make this the best WAS conference yet!

Of Interest

There is a bill in Congress that needs your support called the Save America’s Pollinators Act.  A link can be found here.  You may notice, if you go to the site, that not a single Colorado representative is a co-sponsor!    Please, please, please, make the time to contact YOUR representative and let them know you support his bill.  There are several petitions circulating online, too–but calls and emails are better!

Restoring the Balance in Beekeeping by Phil Chandler

Oregon Restricts Pesticides after 50,000 Bumblebees were killed this summer

Crop Pollination Exposes Honey Bees to Pesticides Which Alters Their Susceptibility to the Gut Pathogen Nosema ceranae

Europe is banning bee-harmful pesticides.  The US should take a lead.

Monarch Butterfly Migration at Lowest Number on Record–I find this so terribly sad!

As always, thank you for being a member!

Beth Conrey

President

president@coloradobeekeepers.org

970-213-3099

All–

I have survived the first month of post-flood and have actually succeeded in making visible progress on some fronts.

The first success came quickly with the arrival of Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.  Scott gave three talks at three separate venues along the Front Range  a week after the flood and was warmly received.  Thank you to ALL of you who attended.  It encourages the CSBA to bring in more speakers when we have this volume of interest.

I also succeeded in attending the Western Apicultural Society Conference in Santa Fe.  Melanie Kirby and the entire WAS Executive Board did a fine job on the conference.  It was EXTREMELY WELL ATTENDED by Colorado Beekeepers and, for some odd reason, I was really pleased by this.  It had nothing to do with me but makes me realize that “together we’re better”.   The proof is in the attendance and I want to say a special thank you to those who ventured south.

Flood Assistance

Come Rain of Come Shine is a benefit that will be held on Monday, November 4th at Balistreri Vineyards from 6 to 10 pm.   This event is hosted by a long list of local agricultural support groups and sounds like a lot of fun!  Click here for more information.  If you are a beekeeper, and you have been adversely affected by the flooding, you may also qualify as a recipient of funds raised from the event.  For an application, click here. (Note:  This will open in Word as an editable file.  It needs to be filled out and emailed to lm@localfoodshift.com.)

Depending on your damages, you may also qualify for several State and/or Federal programs, too.  Colorado United is a website that has been set up to consolidate information.  Click here to go to the Business and Farmer section.

There was a large meeting at the Ranch in Loveland yesterday, October 31, that brought together all sorts of different organizations that are assisting in some form or fashion.  Present and available to help were the following:  CSU Extension (organizer), USDA-NRCS, USDA Farm Service agency, Small Business Administration (SBA),  Colorado Farm Bureau, Local Food Shift group, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, all of the Senators and Representative offices in the affected areas, Colorado Spirit, Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), CSU, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and CSU Marriage and Family Therapy.  Please use this list for additional support opportunities.

Further, if you know of any support opportunities for flood victims that are not mentioned above, please let me know.  (Not including FEMA and the Red Cross.)

Finally, if your beekeeping operation was adversely affected by the flood, please drop me an email or give me a call and let me know the extent of your damages.  970-213-3099 or president@coloradobeekeepers.org.

CSBA Winter Meeting

Early Bee registration has come to an end but you are still welcome to attend the CSBA Winter Meeting next weekend.  A little financial incentive goes a long way and I thank all of you who pre-registered.  Makes it easier to get a head count to the caterer!

The festivities begin Friday evening at 7 pm at the Lowell Ranch at Plum Creek as we host our second annual “Meet and Greet”.  Come on down for a relaxing evening with Dave Mendes, our featured speaker.  Senator Gail Schwartz, sponsor of the Cottage Industry Bill, will also be in attendance.  We will have beverages from some of our local mead makers and brewers as well as non-alcoholic beverages and light refreshments.

On Saturday, the main event will take place at Kirk Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds located at I-25 and Exit 181 in Castle Rock.  You can’t miss it!  This venue is a bit larger than our previous venues as we have been a bit cramped for space and this gives us ample room for vendors.  Of course, the BIG MONEY HONEY contest is back, too.  We will have lots of prizes and will also host a Silent Auction to benefit Flood and Fire beekeeping victims in Colorado.  If you would like to donate something to the auction, we will gladly accept it.  Otherwise, plan on having some fun for a good cause. Registration begins at 8 and the meeting at 9.  All information from pre-registration forms to speaker bios to agendas, hotel deals and honey contest rules can be found here:  http://coloradobeekeepers.org/wintermeeting/.  I hope to see you there.

WAS Conference coming to Colorado!

Kudos to Miles McGaughey, President of Boulder County Beekeepers Association, who successfully put in the Colorado bid for the 2015 conference!  The WAS conference has never been held in Colorado and it will be a pleasure to show off our state to the WAS beekeeping group.  If you are interested in assisting with this conference, please contact me at 970-213-3099 or president@coloradobeekeepers.org.  It will take a lot of us working together for quite a while to successfully host this conference.  I know it is a long way off–but it will be here before we know it!  Thank you in advance for volunteering.

Of Interest:

Scientists Discover Key Molecule Linking Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Bee Viruses–fascinating and exciting!

Kauai Moves to Curb Gene-Altered Crops, Pesticide Testing

Bee Inspired 2014 Bee Calendar now available from Kodua Photography.  Discounts available for bee groups for fundraising.

Epi Pen Website–Discounts on Epi-Pen

Interested in Beekeeping in Lithuania?  Here’s a tour opportunity!

As always, thank you for being a member!

Beth Conrey

President

president@coloradobeekeepers.org

970-213-3099

All–

The saying “come hell or high water” has taken on new meaning here in Colorado this year! In June, CSBA Treasurer John Hartley and his wife Donna, lost their home and bee business in the Black Forest Fire “hell”.  And on Friday, the 13th of September, many of us in Northern Colorado fell prey to “high water”.

Personally, I was flooded to the tune of 4 foot 10 inches in my basement.  It was a near total loss.  And yes, uninsured as business, homeowners and even flood insurance do not cover anything under ground level.  Thankfully, my older son Patrick came down from CSU and moved bees to higher ground and saved a lot of items in the basement.  (We were out of town at a wedding which, of course, we then missed.)   A mighty mess of mud and river water.  I have posted some photos that can be found here–if you still have any interest in looking at the damage.  But I was but one of many NoCo beekeepers adversely impacted and I only lost 4 hives.  Hundreds of hives were lost  from Longmont to Loveland and beyond.  My thoughts go out to those with heavy losses.

The CSBA has taken the liberty of setting up a donation button on our website.  In addition, I have written or emailed all of the major vendors requesting a price or shipping break to affected beekeepers as they work to rebuild their apiaries for the inevitable arrival of spring and another bee season.  Hopefully, they will be able to assist in some form.

Scott Hoffman Black

Many thanks to all of you who came to any of the Xerces Society talks featuring their Executive Director, Scott Hoffman Black.  All of the talks were well attended and I would like to extend a special thank you to Alexander Dawson School–and particularly member Tom Nangle–for their help with the Lafayette talk; to Colorado State University–and especially Drs. Boris Kondratieff and Whitney Cranshaw–for all of their organizational and promotional assistance.  Dr. Cranshaw kindly donated the use of his home to Scott for both his accommodations and an “after-party” on Wednesday evening.  Lastly, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science–and especially Liz Davis, Adult Program Coordinator–for a yet another well attended event at the DMNS.

Western Apicultural Society (WAS) Conference

There are quite a few Coloradans heading to the WAS conference in Santa Fe, NM on October 16-19th at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe.  For more information on lodging, conference details, maps, registration info, etc. click here.  Here is a copy of the agenda which sounds busy indeed–with something for everyone  My parents live in Santa Fe so I will take the opportunity to visit them and attend the conference.  Hope to see you there!

CSBA Winter Meeting  November 9th

It seems like the CSBA WInter Meeting is just about here also!  In response to some complaints on the difficulty in finding Roxborough Community Center last year (even though it is beautiful!), we have changed the venue yet again.  This year, the CSBA Winter Meeting will be at Kirk Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Saturday, November 9th from 9-5.  Doors open at 8 for pre-registration and entries for the BIG MONEY HONEY contest.  It can not be easier to find as it is right off of I-25 in Castle Rock.

Featured speaker this year is Dave Mendes–former president of the American Beekeeping Federation and owner of Headwaters Farm, a 20,000 colony commercial pollination beekeeping operation in North Fort Myers, FL.  He will be speaking on “A Year in the life of Headwaters Farm” and “Honeybee Nutrition 101″.  Dave will be joined by speakers from the Farm Service on the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) which is available to cover losses on honey due to both drought as well as flood (imagine that!) and a contingent of CO beekeepers who would like to start a CO queen breeding program.  Here is a link to the agenda.

On Friday evening, we will have a Meet and Greet at the CALF facility, Lowell Ranch on Plum Creek.  This, too, is just off the highway in Castle Rock.  Here is a link to a map.  Our featured speaker Dave Mendes will be there as will Senator Gail Schwartz from Aspen, sponsor of the Cottage Industry Bill.  Otherwise, we will just be socializing and networking.

I have posted all of the information on the CSBA website.  Click here to be redirected to the Winter Meeting page.

Of Interest:

Honey Laundering Article

New Proposed EPA Bee Label:

Washington Examiner

Truth.org

Marla Spivak on TED

The Save America’s Pollinators Act of 2013

More Neonic Stuff to Ponder:

Health Canada–Bee deaths linked to insecticides

All sorts of info from AHPA on Neonics and EPA label

 Beyond the Birds and the Bees–Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Agriculturally Important Beneficial Insects

As always, thank you for being a member!

Beth Conrey

President

president@coloradobeekeepers.org

970-213-3099

Happy September!  Normally, September is when I harvest my honey but not this year.  This year my husband’s niece in Montana decided to claim Honey Harvest Day as her Wedding Day.  Just as well as I was out of equipment and could barely move the supers I had on they were so full!  All around Northern CO, I am hearing tales of bumper honey crops while in the SW section I am told they are feeding.  There is no justice in agriculture or apiculture.  For those of you with a wonderful harvest, enjoy!  For those of you without, let’s hope for a mild winter and a better crop next year.

The CSBA Road Show will be making its final 2 stops in Brighton and Durango this upcoming weekend.  This has been a lot of fun and incredibly educational for those involved.  Interest has been high and I hope to continue the road show next year, too.

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation Lecture Series

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs worldwide. The Colorado State Beekeepers Association, along with Colorado State University and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, will be hosting the Xerces Society’s Executive Director, Scott Hoffman Black, for a lecture series September 24th through 26th, 2013.

Tuesday, September 24^th – Lafayette

Bring Back the Pollinators: Scott Hoffman Black will discuss the importance of insect pollinators, what groups of insects provide pollination services in North America and conservation measures that can be taken to provide habitat for pollinators.  Scott will also discuss how each and every one of us can play an important role in pollinator conservation.

Time: 7pm

Location: Theater in Art Center, Alexander Dawson School, 10455 Dawson Drive, Lafayette, CO 80026

Directions: Please find a map of the Alexander Dawson School here (theater in art center #1 on map). The school is very easy to find and get to for the Boulder and Brighton Beekeeping groups and I expect strong attendance from both.  It also has great parking.

Tickets: $5 for non-CSBA members, $5 suggested donation for CSBA members

Wednesday, September 25 – Fort Collins

Citizen Science and Invertebrate Conservation:  A look at how citizen science can help with our conservation efforts and an overview of Xerces citizen science efforts.  Bumble bees, migratory dragonflies, monarchs and freshwater mussels.

Time: 12pm (noon)

Location: Behavioral Science Building, Room 103, Colorado State University.

Directions: The Behavioral Science building is located north of Pitkin with parking to the east. With school in session parking may be limited. Please allow time to park and walk to building. Click here for a map of the CSU campus, then click on printable PDF for a plain map (Behavioral Science building on grid is on 5 between D and E).  Hopefully, we will see some NCBA members in attendance!

Tickets:  FREE for CSBA members and students.  Donations gladly accepted.

Thursday, September 26 – Denver

Bringing Back the Pollinators: Scott Hoffman Black will discuss the importance of insect pollinators, what groups of insects provide pollination services in North America and conservation measures that can be taken to provide habitat for pollinators.  Scott will also discuss how each and every one of us can play an important role in pollinator conservation.
Link to DMNS lecture.

Time: 7 pm

Location: Ricketson Auditorium, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80205

Tickets/registration: $8 adult member (DMNS and *CSBA); $10 for non-members.

*Please note that DMNS has set up a special promotional code for CSBA members.  Use promo code: CSBKA when purchasing tickets on the Museum webstore to get the same rate as DMNS members. Enter the number of nonmember tickets you wish to purchase, add to cart, and enter the promo code on the next page.

EACH EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and I would appreciate you “spreading the word” in your community.  We will also be putting notices on the community pages of local radio stations and newspapers.  Any further suggestions on where to advertise would be appreciated.  Please contact me at 970-213-3099 or email me at president@coloradobeekeepers.org.

Please support our efforts to bring in additional speakers throughout the year.  I always learn something from our guests and I hope to see you at one of the lectures.

National Honey Month

September is National Honey Month according to the National Honey Board.  In fact, it has been recognized as national honey month for over 20 years! The National Honey Board has press kits available for delivery to local media, at no cost to beekeepers.  Please contact Andrea at the Honey Board at Andrea@nhb.org or 800-553-7162 to request your kit.  The National Honey Board is located right here in Colorado and you should visit their website every so often to see what’s new.

September Activities

WOW!  There are some pretty neat events going on around the State in September!

On September 14th, To Bee or Not to Bee will be hosting the Honeybee Jubilee!  All the details may be found on the CSBA calendar.   As this is the aforementioned wedding day, I will not be able to attend and I am TOTALLY BUMMED about that–but it will give someone else a chance to win in the baking contest…

On September 28th, Denver Urban Homesteading will be hosting the Colorado Honey Festival.  All the details may be found on the CSBA calendar.  I will be in attendance at this event and am looking forward to it.  I attended “The Bee Festival” at DUH this spring and there must’ve been 800 people in attendance!

Finally, Brent Edelen of Grampa’s Gourmet Honey is really shaking things up in Southern CO!  He has opened a new store in Alamosa and is hosting his first annual honey and food pairing event featuring his line of gourmet honeys and Laz Ewe 2 cheese and local fruits.  The event is free and the whole family is welcome.

Again, please support your local beekeepers and beekeeping community.  Together, we’re better!

Of Interest:

A Sperm Bank for Better Bees

Swingle Relocates Bee Colony–I wish all of the tree companies were this bee considerate!

As always, thank you for being a member!

Beth Conrey

President

president@coloradobeekeepers.org

970-213-3099