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Iowa Honey Producers Association |
The Buzz Newsletter March 2006 |
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Greetings from the President of the IHPA Dear Honey Producers, Phil outlined some of the projects that the IHPA board is working on in an article last month. This is a very energetic and active group of individuals. We are working on some new programs specifically targeted toward new beekeepers. We have some great ideas and plans in the works. We will keep you posted. If you have suggestions for the board to work on, please contact a board member or officer. The new beekeeping classes are being well attended and we need to thank the education committee for the work that has been done to make sure that these classes are being held. Thank you to the presenters for taking time out of your busy schedule to make this happen. The new hive registration program is being outlined in another article in this issue. If you have any questions, please contact Becky at IDALS (Iowa Dept. of Agriculture and Land Stewardship). Make sure that you register your hives to protect you in the instance that chemical spraying is done in your area. If you are not registered, you are not going to get any help in the event that your bee yard is sprayed and it causes damages. It is a simple thing to do to ensure that every precaution will be taken to avoid a disaster for you and the chemical applicator. Chuck Eckermann in the pesticide bureau at IDALS contacted me to say that the section 18 needed for API LIFE VAR and Checkmite + has been applied for. The EPA has to approve this, so now we wait. Mike and I attended the International Meadfest held in Boulder, CO over Valentine’s Day weekend. We attended some workshops and got to taste some great Meads from all over the world. Dr. Marion Ellis was also there and we were able to speak to him. He entered some of his mead in the Home Mead Maker Competition and is anxiously awaiting the judges comments. The Home Mead Maker Competition was a new competition this year. Dr. Ellis stated that there were 63 entries in the class he entered. The membership is always down this time of year. Some members don’t remember to renew their membership. If you know of someone who hasn’t done so, remind them that a lot of our future endeavors might reflect the number of beekeepers in the state and if we can’t substantiate the numbers, we don’t look like a viable organization. A new directory is being worked on and if the beekeepers aren’t in the database, they won’t be included in the directory. It is hard to get an accurate directory without everyone’s help. As you are planning your coming year, don’t forget to block out some time to help at the Iowa State Fair. The IHPA State Fair sales booth is the only money making project of our organization so a lot rests on the shoulders of the membership to help make the stand a success. The Iowa State Fair is August 10th through the 20th this year. Please consider helping. Hope to see a lot of you on March 3rd and 4th for the joint meeting to be held in Overland Park, Kansas. I hope March comes in like a lamb, but also goes out like a lamb. I am being spoiled by our nice “winter” weather. Sincerely,
The Buzz Newsletter Submissions Please send submissions, classified ads, and photos
to Alex W. Ebert by email to TheBuzz@ABuzzAboutBees.com The Buzz is a monthly newsletter published by the Iowa Honey Producers Association which is an affiliate of the Iowa State Horticultural Society. IHPA Membership is only $10 annually. To join IHPA and receive your complimentary member subscription to The Buzz Newsletter, please contact:
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