Fall is here, the bounty is in, and the Beekeepers have honey to share.
Thank you to all the volunteers who staffed the booth at the Farmers’ Museum Harvest Festival.

We have an exciting line-up this month.

First, learn about “Honeybee Wax Processing” with our own Steve Davis. Learn what to do with the wax we are left with after we’ve extracted the honey from the hive to make it useable for arts, crafts, and food wraps.

“Wax Reusable Food Wraps” is presented by Jeannine Kazacos.
Like our honeybees we all contribute to the health of the planet in all our small actions. Jeanine will teach us how to make reusable food wraps which can be used in place of plastic wraps (just avoid the microwave). They are reusable, compostable, and make great gifts.

Following the presentations Richard Lercari’s will discuss his trip to the Greek Island of Ikaria and host a tasting of the examples of the islands honeys he has returned with (tasting spoons provided). Dip in and savor the terroir of this tiny Aegean island.

Ikaria, pronounced ( ekk- R- e-ah ), is one of 5 ‘Bluezones’ on the planet where the population overall tends to live many years longer with healthier, more productive lives than anywhere else. Up to 1 in 3 of the islanders live to their 90s.

The presentations will be held after the business portion of the meeting.

The September meeting of the Leatherstocking Beekeepers’ Association will be held September 26 at
7 p.m. at The Farmers’ Museum, 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown.

Come visit with fellow beekeepers, get your honeybee questions answered, and much more.

We’ll Bee seeing you there!

Surprise! Due to scheduling conflict the Beekeepers’ Association will be meeting a week early! We’ll be in the back classroom at The Farmers’ Museum learning all about our favorite honey bearing insects.

While the music plays in the main room, we will hear from William Roche about the Cullman Child Development Center Summer Series “The Buzz about Honey Bees.” He will also be discussing his visit to one of the homes of Reverend Lorenzo Langstroth in Greenfield, MA. Known as the “Father of American Beekeeping” he is the discoverer of ‘bee space’ and the popular Langstroth hive is named after him.

After Mr. Roche’s presentation, Steve Davis will be presenting on the foraging behaviour of our favorite girls. How do they go grocery shopping, communicate with the waggle dance and what happens during a dearth, when the stores aren’t open (it’s not pretty).

Finally, Liz Burroughs will close out the night by discussing what the bees need as we move through time depending on the season and the environment.

Ahead of the presentations will be the business meeting open to all members where we will discuss and vote on club business from a new logo to the details on the annual picnic. We are a member run organization and so participation in this section of the meeting is highly encouraged.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on July 18 in the classroom (NOT in the Louis C. Jones Center) at the Farmers’ Museum, 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown.

We’ll Bee seeing you there!

The summer solstice has passed, the days are shortening (not that we’ll notice for a few months), and the bees are hard at work. So are we beekeepers.

Come down to Cooperstown for the June meeting of the Leatherstocking Beekeepers’ Association to share your stories from the apiary, listen to the experience of other local beekeepers, and learn from our presenters.

This month the meeting will start out with a preview of the business meeting which will include discussion of the upcoming apiary visit, the annual picnic, seeking volunteers to man our booth at the Farmers’ Museum Harvest Festival, and discussion of the Most Appealing Hive Contest.

This will be followed by the educational presentations:

“Honey Harvesting” with Richard Lercari.
Mot of us beekeepers are eager to pull some of the sweet stuff out of the hive and share in our bees bounty. Richard will discuss the various aspects of the honey harvest, including the equipment needed.

“Summer Blossoms” with Liz Burroughs.
Our honey bees are a critical part of a much bigger ecological environment. To understand bee
activity you need to know how they interact with the ever changing seasonal foliage.

“The Value of Member Participation” with Stephanie Wardwell.
We have had a wonderful influx of new members. They are always encouraged to participate in
planning activities for the Association. Stephanie will discuss some of the benefits of being an
active member of YOUR Association.

Each presentation is followed by a question and answer session.

All members are invited to stick around for the business meeting after the educational portion. This is where you can make your voices heard while we discuss all the club business.

The meeting will be held June 27, 2024, at 7 p.m. at The Farmers’ Museum, 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown.

We’ll Bee seeing you there!