General Discussions

Last Wednesday, I hosted the HCBA ConEd class at my apiary/home. As a relatively new (second year) beekeeper and club member, I was hesitant to do so, out of fear my apiary wasn't up to par. When I reached out to David Schultz about the possibility he put me at ease and offered reassurance.

I have to say this was an incredible experience and one that everyone should consider. Having ten HCBA members learning and discussing experiences was so enlightening and David and Phillip did an awesome job leading the discussions and making us think deeper about our role as beekeepers.

After the "class" discussion, we went out to the apiary and my nervousness began to ratchet up a bit. What have I done wrong? What if my queen is dead? What if they revoke my membership? All kidding aside, the group was very engaged and the collaborative discussion continued. The cool thing about this segment of the ConEd class was the focus it placed on my bees. It was an individual consultation from fellow beekeepers with so much more experience. It provided invaluable feedback that was focused on MY apiary. It provided some much needed affirmation to me as a new beekeeper. It also provided insight into the realization that one colony had developed a new queen. I learned how to mark her and we even watched her lay a couple eggs in comb. Amazing!

So if you have been hesitant to attend or host a ConEd class, DON'T. It was an amazing and invaluable experience. Thanks David, Phillip and the rest of the class.