How do other VBA members feel

Brennan, perhaps my wording was not correct. See Fred's reply, new rules not necessarily a new entity. Peter

Quoted from Peter Hadeka on Thursday, 16 December 2021

it seems that a new entity was running the Farm Show and they were not receptive to giving the VBA a free meeting room. .

Peter Hadeka Can you elaborate on "new entity"?

I really have to say...Half of our entry fee to the Farm Show will be used for a dairy scholarship? Nothing for beekeepers? Maybe the rest of the remaining funds should be given to the Maple industry. Doesn't that sound familiar. I'd love to see what funding the various agricultural sections of our Vermont economy have received over the last 10 years. Look at dairy and maple. They get big grants from the state to help their farm operations. The beekeeping industry in Vermont gets...Oh yeah. We now have an apiary inspection program that seems more about beekeeper regulation than colony inspection. Last year the maple industry received something like $50,000 for, I think, maple promotion. The dairy industry has received millions. Heck, the beekeeping industry didn't even make Anson Tebbets' paper highlighting the various agricultural industries operating in Vermont. They help the mushroom growers and the cannabis growers. They BS us about how important honey bees are to our food production, but then brush us off like the flea on a dog. Sorry for my rant guys but I'm tired of being a second class agriculturist.

Hi Paul,

Adding to Peter's rationale for finding our own venue for our Winter meeting... Half of the entrance fees now being charged to attend the VT Farm Show and by extension, the VBA Winter meeting, will be used to fund a scholarship - for a dairy person. Had the scholarship been for a person in any Vermont agricultural endeavor, we might have been more supportive but the singular focus on dairy rubbed a few of us the wrong way.

Also, all meeting arrangements like coffee and donuts, AV equipment, etc., would now have to be arranged through a third-party vendor being selected by the Farm Show. The more we thought about the details and costs, the more we realized that there was a lot of room for things to fall between the cracks and new costs to be incurred.

The COVID uptick has made in-person Winter meeting arrangements moot now so we will have to meet virtually again this winter. However, there are a number of good venues that would allow us to meet on Saturdays in the future and not have to charge dues-paying members to attend. Meeting during the week in conjunction with the Farm Show excludes those who are still working. Being able to meet on a Saturday will be more inclusive as well.

Paul, if there are things you'd like to see discussed and decided by the membership at a winter or summer VBA meeting, give a shout. The elected Board does stay within what's allowed by the VBA Bylaws and Constitution and we specifically defer certain decisions like the budget, larger grants, and similar things to be made by members at a general membership meeting.

We do appreciate the interest shown by you, Peter, and many others. That's what keeps many of us going on behalf of Vermont beekeeping and beekeepers.

Fred

Hey Paul, are you and I the only knuckleheads that read the "forum" ??? Merry Christmas..Peter

Hello Paul, if you are referring to the change of venue for the Winter Meeting, it seems that a new entity was running the Farm Show and they were not receptive to giving the VBA a free meeting room. There is also a desire to have the Winter Meeting on a Saturday instead of a Tuesday. I totally agree with the Board of Directors. As with any club the membership has voting privileges to replace or retain the Board when the time comes. It would be very difficult to ask the membership to weigh in on every situation. The Board is trusted to make these decisions.
Being on the Board is a time consuming and thankless position. I feel the VBA Board has operated with the best intentions for the membership. I thank them very much for their efforts. Peter.