Ross Conrad is Coming to the South

       There are very few voices in the world for the backyard beekeeper.  Ross Conrad is a voice for the backyard beekeeper.  I've been thinking a lot about the university researchers - they are funded by grants and who pays the grants - big money from the government or from private corporations.  These agencies are interested in bees for pollination, but not in bees for bees sake.

The backyard beekeeper does have a voice in people like Ross Conrad.  Ross wrote the book The Natural Beekeeper and keeps his bees in Vermont, but in March, he is offering a workshop in Florida about 26 miles from the Georgia line.  Here's the description he sent me:

Getting Started With Beekeeping: Organically with Ross Conrad

This two-day intensive class provides and introduction for folks interested in small scale and part-time (hobby) beekeeping. The workshop will present a balanced view of natural and organic beekeeping topics and practices including: location and equipment requirements; basic honey bee biology; swarming as an expression of the bees vitality; presence and mindfulness in the beeyard; non-toxic pest and disease control; and an appreciation for the role that pollinators and beekeepers play within the Earth's ecosystem. The class will be punctuated with visits to the bee yard weather permitting, so bring a veil.

When: March 1-2, 2014

Where: Caney Branch Farm, Monticello, FL

Register: 850-294-61626 rogertwitchell@yahoo.com

Cost:  $130

I can't go then, but I'd love to see Ross again.  I heard him at Young Harris a few years ago and posted about that then.  I also learned to make bee tea from him.