2025 Winter Meeting

This year's Vermont Beekeepers Association Winter meeting will be held again at the Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU) in Hinesburg, VT. This is just minutes from I-89 Exit 12.

 

Both Betterbee and Hampshire Hives will bring your orders to this meeting to save shipping costs!

 

2025 VBA Winter Meeting Agenda

February 1, 2025

Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg, VT

This meeting will bring back the long-standing honey show.

Submit samples by morning break at 10:15. Classes and judging criteria are here.

8:30 – Meeting starts - registration

9:00 - 9:05 -Welcome and opening remarks – VBA President, Jeff Battaglini

9:05 – 9:20 Recognition - VBA Recognition Committee – Anne Bowers, Jeff Cunningham, Jeffrey Hamelman, Peggy Apple-Woods, Fred Putnam, Jr.

9:20 – 10:15 – Information topics

• Update on Mares Memorial Vermont Beekeeping Historic display
• Beekeeper Relief Fund – Mike Plunkett
• Hives For Heros – Charlie McMaster
• Update on upcoming VBA website changes – Fred Putnam
• Update on VBA Grants – Andrew Munkres

10:15 - 10:45 Morning break and social gathering to welcome new members - Refreshments provided.

10:45 - Noon - Guest Speaker  – Ben Kilham - bio. below

Topic: Black Bear Behavior

Noon – 1:00 Brown bag lunch. Make it a point to chat with some of the new folks.

Also at Noon – 1:00 Honey show judging. Judges Mike Palmer and Michael Willard

Afternoon Presentations

1:00 – 1:45 What can we legally do to deter “nuisance” wildlife affecting bees, other livestock, and crops? – Lt. Wes Butler, Beekeeper and Game Warden with the VT Department of Fish and Wildlife

1:45 – 2:15 Vermont Bee Lab update – Sydney Miller/Dr. Samatha Alger, Vermont Bee Lab

Concurrent workshops/Educational Sessions

2:30 – 3:15 Honey Bee Microscopy – Sydney Miller, Technician at the Vermont Bee Lab - Limit attendance to 20.

2:30 - 3:15 Making nucs – Andrew Munkres and Bianca Braman

3:15 - 3:20 Announcing honey show results – Michael Willard, Michael Palmer

3:20 - 3:30 Wrap-up - President Battaglini.

3:30 P.M. End

Speaker bios/photos below.

About our Guest Speakers –

Ben Kilham

Independent Wildlife Biologist

B.S., Wildlife Biology, University of New Hampshire, 1974

Ben is an independent Wildlife Biologist - Licensed by the State of New Hampshire as a Wildlife Rehabilitator, with special license to conduct research on black bears.  Ben also holds Federal license to rehabilitate birds - U.S. Patent for jabstick to dart wild animals.

Lecturer – Ben has conducted over 600 lectures on black bear behavior to schools and other organizations throughout New Hampshire and New England  More than 60,000 people have attended.

www.kilhambearcenter.org

Lt. Wesley Butler

Game Warden, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife

Beekeeper

Wes Butler has over a decade of experience as a State Game Warden with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and has worked in Rutland and Addison counties. Wes currently serves as the Lieutenant for the Central Vermont Supervisory District which spans from Lake Champlain to the Connecticut River, encompassing the districts of eight individual wardens. Wes lives on his family farm in Middlebury with his wife and two children where they keep bees, boil syrup, garden, and scheme ways to keep the farm working and relevant far into the

Register today! Free for VBA members. Non-members can buy a VBA membership at the door at the current rates for the kind of membership desired (student, 1-year, 3-year, family, etc.) or pay an entrance fee of $10 per person per meeting which will allow the attendee to join that meeting but will not entitle the attendee to any privileges such as voting, future benefits of membership, or attendance at any other membership meeting.

Login to the VBA site when registering and the registration fee will be automatically waived.