Spring Meeting April 4th
Kiameschi Vocational Technical Center, McAlester OK
The public is invited to attend the Spring Conference of the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association which will be held Saturday, April 4, 2009 at the
KIAMICHI TECHNOLOGY CENTER
301 KIAMICHI DRIVE, MCALESTER, OK 74501
There is no charge to the public to attend.
The meeting will be Saturday from 8 - 4:30 (registration begins at 8:00 and the speakers will begin their presentations at 9:00)
Nancy Gentry, Vice-president of the Northeast Florida Honey Bee Association, will be our main speaker. She will give an update on the Florida Standard of Identification for Honey and explain the importance of states adopting a uniform standard for defining "honey." (have you ever looked at the labels on the jars labeled as "honey" in the grocery store? Many products called "honey" contain substances that did not originate in a bee hive) Florida was the first state to adopt honey standards in the US.
Nancy Gentry has been a beekeeper for six years and is the owner of Cross Creek Honey Company in Interlachen, Florida. In 2007, Mrs. Gentry was the recipient of the 2007 Woman of the Year Award, presented by the Florida State Beekeepers Association. She sits on the State of Florida Honey Bee Technical Council and the Apiary Advisory Committee in the Florida Farm Bureau. She runs around sixty hives for honey production and does small-scale pollination.
This year, Mrs. Gentry successfully lobbied for the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services to adopt the first standard of identity for honey in the nation. The announcement will come once the publication requirements have been met.
A reporter once asked me, "How did you find your way into beekeeping." I answered the question without even thinking; "Sir, I didn't find the bees, the bees found me." It's a nice story, so be sure and grab me at the convention, and we will swap bee stories. I look forward to meeting you in Oklahoma April 4th!
Africanized bees will be discussed, along with ways to increase the size of your bee hives.
With the increasing problems facing our honeybees as pollinators, the public is invited to come and learn more about honey bees and talk to experienced beekeepers who can answer their questions about getting started in beekeeping.
If you have wanted to order beekeeping supplies but were turned off by the high cost of shipping, this is an opportunity to have your bee supplies delivered to the conference without shipping charges.
Dadant Bees will have a display as a vendor at the meeting and will deliver orders to the meeting, without shipping charge if they are timely placed with Ray Latner at 877-632-3268.
MannLake will deliver orders to the meeting without shipping charge, if they are placed with George Richtmeyer by March 25. To place your MannLake order contact George at 405-872-8385.
Donuts and coffee will be available from 8 -9 during registration. There will be a a potluck luncheon on Saturday. The State Association will provide the fried chicken and everyone is encouraged to bring a side dish of some sort.
For additional information, contact Maribeth Snapp, Treasurer of the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association email maribeth@okbees.org
For directions to the Kiameschi Vocational Technical Center located at 301 Kiamichi Dr McAlester, OK 74501, click
here.