Beekeeping in Vermont...
VBA's Testimony on H.205 - Feb. 20, 2019
VBA's initial testimony on H.205 - Regulation of Neonicotinoid Pesticides - is presented here for your review. (PDF file.)
VBA member Chas Mraz reports the committee was receptive to working with VBA to improve the bill. The board of directors will continue to meet on this issue and will publish their suggestions when finalized.
WCB Organizational Meeting
Forty people attended Saturday afternoon’s organizational meeting of the new Windham County Beekeepers!
Great discussion, great plans and a great start for what looks to be an important addition to local ag!
Congrats to Jeff Battaglini and Lesley Weisbrot for organizing this and to all who attended! (Jeff and the crowd pictured.)
VBA 2019 Winter Meeting Minutes Posted
VBA Members: The minutes and program summary from the 2019 Winter Meeting meeting have been posted in the Members Only area of the VBA website. Please check them out!
Beekeeping in Oaxaca, Mexico
Help Oaxaca Escuela Secondaria Tecnica No. 14
Paul Yanus passed this note along concerning an effort Mike Palmer is supporting.
"Mike Palmer is trying to raise money to help Oaxaca, Mexico students buy beekeeping equipment that he personally saw that was needed by them.
Mike writes “The school is trying to educate these children, with few resources. The bee boxes are rotten. The extractor is a rust bucket. They’re handling Africanized bees with falling apart bee suits and veils with rotten screens.
Risk Management Programs
Vermont Beekeepers 2019 Crop Year
Jake Jacobs, Crop Insurance Education Coordinator at UVM's Department of Community Development and Applied Economics presented at the VBA's 2019 Winter Meeting.
She provided us with the attached handout describing how beekeepers in Vermont have a number of options available to help manage risk.
Legislation: H. 205 - ACTION REQUESTED
Regulation of Neonicotinoid Pesticides
Here is the link to the new bill introduced on 02/12/19. It affects Vermont Beekeepers. Please read it and use the VBA forums to post your thoughts. There is a forum post already created specifically for this bill.
The VBA wants to hear from you and your responses can help us draft a position paper. (VBA members, login to the VBA website and join the discussion here.)
The Board of Directors will be meeting Tuesday, February 19, to discuss H.205.
