Celebrated Vermont beekeeper Ross Conrad will host an organic beekeeping workshop on Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This workshop includes two highly-requested topics by local beekeepers: “Overwintering Bees and Spring Management” and “Beeswax: Production, Collection, Processing, and Uses.”
The event is presented by The Nature Museum at Grafton and will take place at NewsBank Conference Center at 352 Main St. in Chester, across from the main NewsBank campus.
One of the most challenging aspects of keeping bees in the Northeast is successfully overwintering the hives so that bees survive through to the spring. Conrad will discuss the primary issues that need to be addressed to help bees survive the winter and how to steward colonies through the critical time period of late winter and early spring.
In part two of the workshop, Conrad will cover the origins of beeswax and its uses for health and healing, everyday practical use, and artistic expression. Participants will explore the origins of beeswax within the hive, its properties, how bees use it, and how we benefit from this incredibly useful substance. Various methods of collection and processing especially suited for the small-scale beekeeper will be discussed.
Conrad will present a balanced view of natural and organic beekeeping topics not often covered by conventional beekeeping lessons. Questions are encouraged at this interactive workshop, and plenty of time will be allotted to discuss beekeeping and answer questions. He will be signing copies of his book following the workshop.
Light morning refreshments will be served, featuring special treats from Grafton Village Cheese. Participants are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch.
Conrad is the author of Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture. He learned his craft from the late Charles Mraz, world-renowned beekeeper and founder of Champlain Valley Apiaries.
A former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, Conrad is a regular contributor to Bee Culture: The Magazine of American Beekeeping. His beekeeping business, Dancing Bee Gardens, supplies honey, candles, and other bee-related products and also provides bees for Vermont apple pollination.
This talk is part of The Nature Museum at Grafton's 2015 community program series, “Look Up.” This full year of programs focuses on the idea that to appreciate the wonders of the natural world.