The extended forecast was looking like rain for the weekend, but April 15 and 16 turned out to be BEE-utiful for a beekeeping short course at the UMES Research, Extension and Teaching Farm. The Lower Eastern Shore Beekeepers Association and UMES Extension teamed up to train some 25 participants in basic and advanced concepts of honey beekeeping.
UMES’ willingness to collaborate helped jump-start the group after the pandemic took a toll on the group’s activities along with board and general membership.
“The last couple of years were very difficult and the short course was not able to be held,” said Patricia “Tricia” King, (at right) LESBA’s incoming president. “When I accepted the position, my main focus was on gaining membership and fulfilling our club mission to ‘provide mentorship to local beekeepers, educate the community about the importance of honeybees (and other pollinators) and to promote responsible sustainable beekeeping.’ This short course achieved all of that and more, beyond our wildest hopes!”
UMES Extension’s associate dean, Dr. Enrique Nelson Escobar, opened the event with “Basic Beekeeping.” Other sessions included, “Trees for Bees” by Ginny Rosenkranz, a commercial horticulturist with University of Maryland Extension; “Integrated Pest Management” by Thom Babcock, LESBA secretary and owner of Babcock’s Apiary in Whaleyville; “Beekeeping as a Business” by Lauren Pascarella, owner of BayBees Honey in Whaleyville; “Rookie Beekeeping” by Beth Bloom, a LESBA member; and “Swarms and Splits” by Jim Leether, LESBA past president and owner of Victory Garden Apiary in Princess Anne.
“We were even able to offer live installations of packages and nucs into hives in the UMES apiary and registrants were able to experience honey harvesting firsthand,” King said. “We are deeply thankful for Dr. Escobar and his team for their generous support and assistance in making this year’s short course possible. For $22, registrants took part in two full days of classroom and hands-on training, plus lunch on both days. The reviews that we have received so far have been glowing.”
For more information on UMES’ beekeeping program, contact Escobar at enescobar@umes.edu.
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications and media associate, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, gcstephens@umes.edu 410-621-3850.
Photos by LESBA, Dr. E. Nelson Escobar and Todd Dudek, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, tdudek@umes.edu.
