VBA Takes the Blue at the Tunbridge Fair
Each year, the Vermont Beekeepers Association's Tunbridge Fair Committee, led by Mary and Bob Stoddard, organizes a comprehensive and wide-ranging display about apiculture at the Tunbridge World’s Fair. It’s a very popular display at the fair.
VBA booth volunteers posing with the blue ribbon. Pictured left to right: Bob Stoddard, Mary Stoddard, Bill Mares, and Bob GrimItems in the display include an observation hive, honey sticks, pollinator garden seeds, a mannequin in a bee suit, beekeeping information, and much more. They also sell honey from a number of Vermont honey producers large and small who provided their honey to be sold at the VBA booth. This gives fair goers a unique chance to see the range of honey being produced in Vermont.
The Tunbridge World’s Fair is a popular and well attended event drawing many thousands of fair goers each year. The VBA display is colorful and eye-catching. It draws the attention of many visitors who stop by the booth, maybe buy a honey stick or some honey, and learn a bit about apiculture in Vermont.
The booth is staffed by a group of knowledgeable VBA volunteers whose efforts are organized by the Stoddards. Mary Stoddard is a talented and efficient principal organizer behind the scenes.
Mary Stoddard putting the finishing touches on the blue ribbon VBA booth at the Tunbridge World’s Fair
Thanks to Mary and Bob’s leadership and the efforts of the crew of volunteers, this year’s VBA booth was awarded a blue ribbon for first place concession!
Congratulations and special thanks to the Tunbridge World’s Fair Committee and all of the VBA volunteers who helped organize the booth and who worked shifts during the fair!
2023 Recognition Awards
The following were recognized for their support of beekeeping in Vermont at the August 12 Summer Meeting:
Jacob Esch - Friend of the Bees
Jacob Esh has been the past president and a mainstay of beekeeping support in southwestern VT for more than 40 years.
He started keeping bees in the early 1970's. His first colonies were swarms and he learned by successes and failures. In the early 1980's Jacob expanded his hive count by about 4 hives each year and became an A.I. Root dealer in Bennington.
In 2006 he wrote/published his book Beekeeping: Profitable Enterprise. He was named VT Beekeeper of the Month in 2005 by the VBA. Later he also sold Brushy Mountain woodenware.
State of the Bees
2023 Updates from the Vermont State Apiculturist and the Vermont Bee Lab.2023 Beekeeper of the Year - Andrew Munkres
At the summer meeting of the Vermont Beekeepers Association (VBA) on August 12, 2023, Andrew Munkres, was recognized as the VBA’s Beekeeper of the Year. Few people have had the positive impact on apiculture in Vermont as Andrew Munkres. It’s important to note that the following is only a partial description of the extent of his workload and accomplishments.
For many years, Andrew has made great contributions to the Vermont Beekeepers Association, Vermont beekeepers, and the practice of apiculture in Vermont. It’s not exaggerating to state that his experience and knowledge of the practice and politics of apiculture is encyclopedic. This makes him an especially effective as an educational speaker and unquestionably credible in the broader political and state policy realm.
Sell Honey @ the Tunbridge World's Fair
September 14-17, 2023
Dear VBA members,
The VBA Tunbridge Fair Committee is again soliciting honey (and other bee-related products) to be sold at the Fair.
This activity is the largest annual fund-raiser and promotional event for the VBA. To make this process both fair and simple, we have a few guidelines for your submissions:
Meet Bianca Braman
Bianca Braman is the newly elected Vice President of the VBA board of directors.
Born and raised in the Adirondacks, Bianca is an adventurous person who loves to spend much of her time outside.
After an education in Communications and years of working indoors, she discovered a fierce interest in honeybees.
She was an active member of the Champlain Valley Beekeepers Association of New York before she attended a lecture given to the club by Michael Palmer. Impressed by his depth of knowledge, Bianca asked if she could visit Palmer's operation - and she did. She volunteered at French Hill Apiaries in 2018, before getting a full time job offer from another commercial beekeeper. When she asked Mike for a reference, he told her that she should work for him instead.
Bianca has continued to work with Mike for the last six seasons. Mike taught her how to graft and she has developed a thorough understanding of his queen rearing methodology.
In 2021, Bianca became a partner in Vermont Bees LLC and now brings her knowledge of bees to bear on her own beekeeping operation of over 300 colonies.
VAAFM Survey Request
The Agency of Agriculture is requesting information from farms and organizations who were impacted by the flooding and severe weather that occurred between July 7 and 18. The purpose of this survey is to capture the type and scale of the damage suffered by agricultural producers in the state.
Survey data will be used to inform response efforts, effectively allocate resources, and advocate for future relief and recovery programs.
The survey should take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete and will remain open until August 28, 2023. Link to survey: https://forms.office.com/g/VXfb1jGTc4
Mike Palmer’s 50th Anniversary
Internationally known beekeeper Mike Palmer, who began beekeeping in 1974, was celebrated this week in an article published by the St. Albans Messenger. The story tells of a group of 25 beekeepers who helped Mike search for queens and gives a good overview of his contributions to beekeeping.
You can read the story here.