Proposal: VBA Recognition Program
The VBA Board of Directors is considering enhancements to the VBA Recognition program. We would like to form a committee consisting of one or more Board members as well as interested VBA members to develop any ideas and potentially implement the Recognition program. The information below was proposed as a starting point at our last VBA Board meeting. If you would be willing to help out on this effort, please contact VBA Board member, Fred Putnam, at 802-247-3323 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thank you for your interest!
Support Request for the Vermont Bee Research Team
Dear Vermont Beekeepers,
In December 2016, we appealed to the beekeeping community to make a donation through Experiment.com to support a research project on effects of migratory beekeeping practices on honey bee disease (link). We were fortunate to receive enough support to conduct an experiment in which we compared disease loads in a group of stationary hives with those in a group we sent to California for almond pollination. We have some very interesting results with real-world applications to improve honey bee health, and are excited to report that a manuscript describing this work is accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal!
Recent Events in Pictures...
Amanda Werner provided these images from the September 29 Northern Yard Workshop on getting things ready for winter. Kim Greenwood sent along more photos from the Tunbridge Fair.
Sweet Days at the Tunbridge Fair - 2018
From left to right: Ron Hernandez, Tony Antonucci & John Mcneil
...with Bill Mares and Scott Wilson
The Allurements of Theorists
"The Allurements of Theorists" is an article from a simpler time, written in language that reflects the era.
Bee culture is a very profitable as well as fascinating pursuit, yet in choosing it as a profession a person must be very sure he likes it above all other trades, or he will not be very sure to make a success of it. The trade a person engages in is never to blame for the failure of the person who has adopted it. If you like your team you will take good c
are of it ; just so with your trade, no matter what it may be. After having made sure you like bee keeping as a trade, make up your mind to drive it well, and never let it drive you.
"Added Sugar" Labels Update
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says new guidance about added sugars that will provide an alternate labeling option for pure maple syrup and honey will be released next year.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Thursday that the new rules will provide “a path forward for pure, single-ingredient” maple syrup and honey products that does not involve an “added sugars” declaration along with the nutritional facts.
Congratulations Dr. Samantha Alger!
VBA Advisory Board Member Samantha Alger has successfully defended her Ph.D. and is now officially Dr. Samantha Alger!
Her work has aided both the scientific and beekeeping communities to better understand how disease transmission between bee species occurs.
In addition, we applaud her ability to channel newly gained scientific knowledge into useful tools and recommendations for beekeepers in this state. We look forward to Dr. Alger’s bright future and offer her congratulations for her amazing achievement.
Dr. Alger will be facilitating a partnership between VBA and the UVM Beekeeping Club - one of the topics discussed at the last VBA board meeting.
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!
