News & Events: Information on Meetings and other News & Events
ACBA April Meeting - CANX
April 9, 2020
* There will be no April meeting for ACBA, Alleghany, Wilkes, or Watauga.
* Info regarding the May meeting will be passed along as soon as possible.
* Be sure to check out web sites and Facebook pages for the above groups. All are listed below (Watauga is in the process of getting a new web site)
* Hope everyone is staying healthy and staying put unless absolutely necessary. We can be thankful the bees can venture out!
Ashe - https://www.ashebeekeepers.org/ / Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ashecountybeekeepersassociation?fref=ts
Watauga - https://www.facebook.com/groups/173968829310745/
Alleghany - https://www.facebook.com/groups/227271690730610/
Wilkes - http://www.beekeepersofwilkes.org/ / Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/beeksofwilkes/
A Message to WCBA Members from Pam Anderson
March 16, 2020
I have just talked with the Extension Center staff. All meetings at the Center will be cancelled for the next four weeks. This means our April meeting will be cancelled.
Additionally, the second and third meetings (April 4th and April 7th) of the Beginning Beekeeping/Mentoring course will be postponed. I'll be working with Extension Center staff and our instructors to reschedule the class dates, but I probably will not know the new dates until mid-April. I will notify the students of the new class dates as soon as they are scheduled. Any student wishing to withdraw from the course at this point will receive a refund. Students should notify me of their intention to withdraw by the end of this week.
As the mother of a physician who is on the front lines fighting this epidemic, may I ask that you keep our healthcare workers in your thoughts and prayers?
May God see us all safely through this difficult time,
Pam Anderson 🐝
ACBA Monthly Meeting
March 12, 2020
* The 1st regular meeting of the Ashe County Beekeeping Association will be Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 7:00 PM at the Agricultural Center Building in West Jefferson. Pizza will be served @ 6:30.
* The meeting will be held at the Ashe County Agricultural Center Office, located at 134 Government Center Drive in Jefferson, NC.
NOTES FROM HELEN:
* It’s already March again - time for ACBA to buzz back into action! I’m not sure how that happened, but here we are.
* For our first meeting of 2020, Jim Rash will focus on spring hive inspections. In addition, he and Marna, our new program chairperson, will share some of what they learned at the NCSBA spring meeting the past few days.
* Dues for 2020 will be collected Thursday, so if you’d like to get that out of the way, Liam will be happy to oblige. Dues remain the same: Individual - $10, Family - $15. Also, You may join NCSBA or renew your membership online - https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/membership/join-or-renew-now. Don’t worry if you can’t remember your NCSBA membership number - https://www.ncbeekeepers.org/membership/member-number-recovery. Membership in the state group, $15/person, is suggested but not required.
* I know I’m not alone in sensing the loss of Bob Cole as we head back into the routine. I was one of several members who attended Bob’s poignant service last month. Before I pulled out of our driveway in the dreary, drippy, chilly weather, I was surprised - or not! - to notice a bee hovering on the windshield. I doubt I was the only one and hope that the presence of Bob's bees has comforted his widow, Susan. It will definitely not be the same without Bob, a founding member of ACBA, in our midst, but what knowledge and respect for bees he left behind! His was an extraordinary life, extending way beyond beekeeping. He is missed by many, many folks.
* PLEASE NOTE: Emailed meeting reminders will continue to be sent to those who desire to remain on the list. However, only paid members will receive other kinds of news and updates. If you aren’t in a position to attend the upcoming meeting or the one in April, please make arrangements to mail your dues to:
ACBA
PO Box 223
Jefferson, NC 28640
* Finally, If you would like to be removed from any mailing list associated with ACBA, just let me know as soon as possible.
* Hope to see you Thursday at the Extension Office and hear good news about your bees! As usual, the meeting starts at 7pm, but pizza and Maggie’s goodies will be available at 6:30, so come early! There will be door prizes, too!
ACBA Final Regular Meeting
November 14, 2019
* The final of the ACBA was our meeting/potluck dinner on November 14th!
* All were welcomed to come any time after 6:30.
* If you are able to come, please contact Maggie as soon as possible (336-982-4104 or Mmcclelland@skybest.com) and let her know how many will be in your party and what you will bring (please also let her know if you are unable to attend so she’ll know you received this). Delicious surprises are always welcomed, but it’s also nice to know at least some of what’s coming in order to fill in blanks! The main meat will be smoked brisket, provided by ACBA; however any other meat dish is welcomed, along with anything else! This is an appreciative group :)
* Also, please consider volunteering for Program Chair. Maggie has done a terrific job for 3 years and is ready to pass the torch. The Program Chair does NOT need to worry about following Maggie in the snack department! Pizza will still be served, and I’m pretty sure plenty of us will be happy to help out in some way. There will also be plenty of help planning the programs! A Program Chair needs to be named at the meeting or shortly after in order to be submitted to NCSBA. Again, the Program Chair will have help with the planning!
* Project reminder: Randy and I have known Sarah Goodman for over 20 years and have supported her generous projects in the past. Two years ago, ACBA members donated enough small jars of honey that every box had one! If you have honey (or anything else) you would like to donate to this exceptional cause and/or you have questions, please contact me if you don’t know Sarah, and I’ll pass it on to her.
- The deadline for donations is November 21; if you have honey, I will be happy to meet you somewhere and take all that is collected to the drop-off (Mount Jefferson Motors in Jefferson) by then. If you have other donations, I’ll be happy to take that as well, or you can drop it off yourself. If you have any honey, you can label it yourself, or I’ll put ‘Ashe Beekeepers’ and a short greeting on it. If you drop it off at Mount Jefferson Motors, please let me know so I can see what else is needed. Thanks!
- It’s that time of year again, time for The Praise Brigade’s 7th Annual Hospice Thanksgiving Boxes. Each year the Praise Brigade, which is a group of 20+ girls from elementary to high school age, get together and fill boxes with everything needed for a complete Thanksgiving meal all the way down to the rolls and pumpkin pie. We work with Jennifer B. Richardson at Medi Home Hospice who then distributes these meals to their patients. Each year our number increases so we could use your help. We have 36 meals to do this year. Any boxes left over we give to needy families. If you would like to do a box I have put a list of items below. You can also help by donating rolls, pies, gift cards (for turkey or ham) or cash or check and we can do the shopping for you. These items can be dropped off at Mount Jefferson Motors across from Farm Bureau in Jefferson. No donation is too small. The sweet thank you cards we receive back each year show that we are making a difference. Any questions contact me or Becky Carlton Greer.
Items that go in a complete box:
Large can of corn
Large can of green beans
Cranberry Sauce
Large box of Mac N Cheese
Large Box of instant potatoes or a bag of potatoes
Cake mix/icing Stuffing Mix
Pumpkin Pie ( the ones from the bakery)
Rolls $10 gift card to purchase ham or turkey
We also add items such as jello, applesauce, napkins etc..
These items will need to be dropped off by November 21st.
* * * * *
Hope to see you Thursday!
Other Notes:
* Dues for 2020 will be taken Thursday, so if you’d like to get that out of the way, Liam will be happy to oblige. Dues remain the same: Individual - $10, Family - $15.
Alleghany County Beekeepers Seminar by Greg Farris
March 15, 2020
The below message was forwarded from Jack Cahn
* Any message that starts with the phrase "out of an abundance of caution" is surely going to be followed by disappointing news.
* But in addition to caution, it is now critical that individual needs be made secondary to those of society. It is clear that aggressive social distancing is our primary weapon against the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Therefore the Monday, March 16 bee class is cancelled.
* A decision will be made later regarding the regularly scheduled April meeting.
* Please have a look at the below post...
Jack Cahn
Beekeeping Class Planned for 2020
March 9 - April 27, 2020
* If anyone is interested in taking a beekeeping class, this one should be terrific!
* ACBA member, Jim Rash will be teaching a class at Wilkes Community College; the class begins the first week in March at the Ashe Campus, 6:00 - 9:00 9 PM.
* For more information contact Becky Greer, 336-903-3117 or via e-mail, rcgreer213@wilkescc.edu.
Beekeeping Class @ WCC/Ashe
October 7, 2019 to November 25, 2019
* ACBA member, Jim Rash, will be teaching again at WCC/Ashe this fall - Intermediate Beekeeping. We know it will be a good class!
* Jim has provided contact info below, so don’t hesitate to holler if you’d like to learn more!
- Wilkes Community College Intermediate Beekeeping class
- Mondays 6-9 PM, Ashe Campus
- October 7 through November 25th
- Cost - $70
* Interested or for more information and to preregister, contact Becky Greer at 336.903.3117 or rcgreer213@wilkescc.edu.
- Jim will email a tentative syllabus if desired.