Speakers
Past Speakers
Jim Rash
January 11, 2024
Ashe County Agricultural Extension Office – 6:00 pm
Subject – Swarms – We all know that bees will swarm, but this presentation will focus on how do we prepare for these events? What items will you need to capture a swarm?
What equipment will help you be prepared to capture a swarm and get them to not only survive – but to thrive?
James Wilkes
February 8, 2024
Our very own member, James Wilkes will be our speaker for the February 8, 2024 ACBA meeting. He will be addressing the issues of splits and how to properly multiply your hives this spring to increase the size of your apiary and grow you number of hives!
James is a beekeeper, college professor, farmer, and entrepreneur. With a career in computer science education and years of practical beekeeping experience that includes building a small family farm and bee business, his expertise is working at the intersection of computing and honey bees. He creates technology solutions that deliver a positive impact for honey bees and the stakeholders and the food systems that depend on them. James enjoys engaging with the beekeeping community to improve our understanding and care of honey bees.
Anton Joubert
March 14, 2024
Our speaker for the March 14, 2024 ACBA meeting will be our new NC Apiary Inspector, Anton Joubert. This will be a great time to meet the newest member of the State Agricultural team as he just started his new position over the Western Piedmont Region on January 2nd of this year!
Anton was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa and immigrated to the United States in the late 90s. He grew up in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, and got a Bachelor's of Science Degree from UNCG in 2013. His love for the outdoors and research took him all over the continental US, working in ecotoxicology research with honeybees and native pollinators. Anton is a first-generation beekeeper, has always fascinated by the inner workings of the honeybee colony, and loves the diversity in different kinds of people and backgrounds that the beekeeping hobby attracts.
Brandon Simmons
April 11, 2024
Brandon Simmons is a third-generation beekeeper and owner of Foothills Farm & Apiary who has been beekeeping for over 20 years. Under his leadership, Foothills Farm & Apiary has been in the forefront of honey bee breeding for seven years. The breeding program employs an innovative approach incorporating artificial insemination to precisely control genetic selection. Brandon’s dedication extends beyond the apiary as he actively engages in research aimed at understanding genetic factors influencing honey bee traits. Come hear a fascinating presentation on his research and findings at our April Beekeepers Meeting!
Dr. Dana Stahlman
May 9, 2024
Dr. Stahlman will be presenting some incredible information about honeys and different varieties, highlighted by some honey tasting of 10 different varieties at the beginning of the meeting, and followed by some insight into honey harvesting and usage of all things from the hive – including wax products! You will not want to miss it!
Dr. Stahlman writes:
I was born into a commercial beekeeping family, I still remember my grandpa got me a smoker for Christmas. I was encouraged to go to college and I have had two careers -- bees and teaching. I took over the business full time in 1993 moving bees from Ohio to Georgia and back. I learned to graft queens by the time I became a teenager. One high point of my beekeeping life was knowing Vick Thompson and Walter Rothenbuler at THE Ohio State University in the early 1980's. I was manager of The Ohio States Buckeye Gardens on the West Campus. I developed two lines of queens that no longer exist (Buckeye Belle & Buckeye Reb). I sold Stahlman Apiaries in 2015 and moved to Raleigh. There are still individuals who contact me about queens, but now I just have fun with bees and working with the new beekeepers from Wake County Beekeepers Assoc. I have written four books and during the 1990's and early 2000's I wrote articles for Bee Culture Magazine. I currently write a weekly beekeeping newsletter.