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Iowa Honey Producers Association |
The Buzz Newsletter May 2006 |
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Greetings from the President of the IHPA
May flowers are popping up everywhere. It is a good thing that we did receive some April showers. We could do without so much wind and the many storms that have come through the state. I received an e-mail from Dr. Mary Ebert, the IHPA secretary, that her home did not get any damage, but that her clinic did receive some damage from the storm that went through Iowa City. I hope that other members are fairing well. How is the package installation and colony splitting going? I had heard that packages were delayed because of weather in other parts of the United States. Hope all is going well and we will have a great crop. Speaking of a great crop, the bid sheet is included in this issue for the Iowa State Fair sales booth. It is not too early to be thinking about the fair. The tickets have been ordered and paid for, the stage has been reserved for beekeeping educational presentations and I need to start on getting workers. I have had some volunteers from the new beekeepers that took classes this winter. It takes lots of bodies to make the promotion and sales go smoothly. Make plans to attend the Summer Field Day. Pat has put lots of work into making this an educational, fun-filled relaxing day. It will be a great learning experience and of course, feature wonderful food. Mark Saturday, July 8th on your calendar now while you have time and don’t forget to travel to the Iowa 4-H camp by Madrid. It just so happens that the Farmers’ Market that I attend on Saturdays is not going to be open on the 8th, so I can attend and not feel guilty. Besides, my sister lives a couple miles from the camp. If you have a local promotion don’t hesitate to ask Iowa Honey Queen, Liz, to help you. Contact her early to see if she has time in her schedule. People love royalty! It attracts attention and also helps your sales or gets the word out that you are in the area. If you are interested in helping people get rid of honey bees or other flying insects from buildings or to retrieve swarms, contact the local extension office, police department, fire department, the town council or county supervisors in your area. If you really want to work at it, take out an ad in the local paper or put up flyers. I get lots of calls from people, you could even let me know if you are interested so that I can pass on your name. I received thank you notes from the Mississippi Beekeepers and the Texas Beekeepers for the money that the IHPA sent to help repair the beekeeping businesses damaged by the hurricanes. The notes will be presented to the membership at the annual meeting business meeting. May will surely go by as quickly as the other months have so far, so work fast to get everything done that needs to be. Enjoy time with your families and remember what Memorial Day stands for. Sincerely, Donna Brahms,
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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