November saw the highlight of the Maine State Beekeepers Association’s year when its annual meeting and conference was once again held at Hampden Academy. This was the second year in a row that my club, Penobscot County Beekeepers, has hosted the meeting, so the high standards set last year needed to be maintained.
We had more than 260 beekeepers from all over the state attend, up by about 15 percent over last year. As usual, the Hampden Academy venue was awesome, spacious and comfortable.
I was particularly looking forward to hearing keynote speaker Mike Palmer of Vermont, one of the world’s leading authorities on beekeeping in northern climates. Palmer gave two talks.
“Keeping Bees in Frozen North America” pointed out the need for and means to achieve large colonies of healthy bees required to be successful in the north. He also pointed out the need for their sensible management and best strategies to achieve this.
His second talk, “The Sustainable Apiary — Brood Factories and Bee Bombs,” suggested how the overwintering of nucleus colonies, made from dividing up the less well-performing colonies, could be used to boost production, raise queens and provide a more reliable and less expensive supply of new bees in the spring.
Even I gave a brief talk, ably assisted by a student representative of the Hampden Academy beekeeping club, Lily Salfi. We talked about the club, discussing its establishment of the school club and plans and pointers towards starting more such groups around the state. From the feedback we had after our talk, it looks like that will soon be the case.
Salfi also pointed out how her participation in the club helped her to stand out from the crowd while attending college tours. While none of the schools she visited have a beekeeping club, they are all keen for her to start one when she gets there!
One of the highlights of the day for me was presenting the MSBA Lifetime Achievement Award to my friends, mentors and business partners, Harold and Hilda Swan.
Over the last seven decades, the name Swan has become synonymous with honey in Maine. I doubt that there are any beekeepers in this region who haven’t spent many hours with Harold Swan discussing beekeeping and learning from his unmatched expertise.
There also was a presentation to Peggy McLaughlin of York County Beekeepers as she was presented with the MSBA Beekeeper of the Year Award. McLaughlin is only the third woman in Maine to achieve the Master Beekeeper qualification.
An ever-popular event is the blind honey-tasting competition. Beekeepers from all over the state entered a sample of their honey. This year’s top placed honey was that of Lindy Allen of Freeport. Second place went to Patti Drake of Presque Isle, my personal favorite! There was a tie for third place between two of our local beekeepers, Mike Leighton of Orrington and Bruce Barker of Dixmont.
We expect that next year’s conference will be hosted by another chapter of MSBA so the hardworking folks at Penobscot County Beekeepers who have hosted the last two events can relax and enjoy the day more! Thanks to all who worked so hard and made both events so successful.
Now there is snow in the air, I am preparing for my new beekeeping classes for 2016. If you are interested in taking up beekeeping, you can check for a class near you in your local adult education office, at www.mainebeekeepers.org or call me to book a space at one of my one-day classes in Hampden.
If you are thinking about holiday baskets to send to friends and family out of state, you can help local beekeepers by buying local honey, lip balms, hand creams, candles and more as gift items. You can usually buy these direct from the beekeeper but also at local farm stands and health food stores. Buying this local produce helps us to grow more honeybees, pollinate our crops and create a healthier environment for us all.
Peter Cowin, aka The Bee Whisperer, is president of the Penobscot County Beekeepers Association. His activities include honey production, pollination services, beekeeping lessons, sales of bees and bee equipment, and the removal of feral bee hives from homes and other structures. Check out “The Bee Whisperer” on Facebook, email petercowin@tds.net or call 299-6948.