BCHPA Certified Producer Program – New Administration

Thank you to Mike and Judy Campbell of Campbell’s Gold Honey Farm and Meadery, who have volunteered to manage the BCHPA’s Certified Producer Program. They have taken over from Duaine Hardie who has managed the program for many years. A big Thank You to Duaine!

The Certified Producer Program is designed to assist BCHPA members to sell their products by providing special labelling that customers will come to recognize as representing high quality honey produced exclusively in BC by local beekeepers.

Download the Certified Producer agreement from this website. Please contact Judy Campbell at jwcampbell@campbellsgold.com for labels. Judy would prefer an email but if that is not possible please leave a message at 604-856-2125

 

 

Nutritional Labels available

Please contact Judy Campbell at jwcampbell@campbellsgold.com for labels. Judy would prefer an email but if that is not possible please leave a message at 604-856-2125

Rolls of 2000 cost 1.5 cents each. They are in both official languages.

Day of the Honey Bee May 29

The Day of the Honey Bee is becoming a national day of celebration of the value of honey bees to pollination and food production. Many beekeepers, clubs, farmers markets and retail honey outlets are hosting special events, putting up displays and presenting information and activities that help to educate the public about bee-haviour and bee-friendly gardening and agricultural practices.

5500 brochures have been distributed across the province as beekeepers get ready to promote Day of the Honey Bee.

Salmon Arm Club President Paul Clark, organizer for Day of the Honey Bee,  wants to hear from you. What events are you planning to host, where will they take place.

Please send your information and photos to media@bcbeekeepers.com and we will get them onto our website.

Please ask your local club to get involved with events on the weekend preceding Day of the Honey Bee, get your local municipality or regional district to proclaim Day of the Honey Bee (draft suggested proclamation is below), or include information with your retail sales.

Name of Day:  Day of the Honey Bee    Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Example of Proclamation Wording:

WHEREAS the honey bee has, through its role as a pollinator, been an important part of our agricultural heritage since ancient times and

WHEREAS the honey bee plays an essential role in the success of agricultural enterprise in British Columbia and

WHEREAS the honey bee has been under serious threat due to disease and environmental conditions that ultimately threaten the future of agriculture in our province

and

WHEREAS it is in the interest of furthering the goal of improved agricultural production to raise the awareness of the role of the honey bee and the plight it faces

NOW KNOW YE THAT We do proclaim and declare May 29, 2012 as

“The Day of the Honey Bee”

Note on the spelling of honey bee: The common name, honey bee, is correctly written as two words although it frequently appears as a single word. By convention of the Entomological Society of America, a common name is two words if the insect is classified in a taxonomic grouping to which the name applies. Thus honey bee, bumble bee and house fly are two words but dragonfly (not a true fly) and ladybug (not a bug- it is a beetle) are one-word common names.

Kamloops will host AGM Nov 8-10, 2012

Watch for details of the AGM of BC Beekeepers in the next issue of BeesCene and on this website. The Kamloops Club will be hosting the conference.

Early Bee Registration at the Coast Kamloops Hotel (before September 30) eligible for draw to win a Super Nuc (value $130) donated by Greg Keesey.

Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre

Accommodation rates vary at this 4 star hotel according to your preference of room and prices.  We have a conference rate of $92.00 plus tax on 45 Comfort Standard North rooms on a first come first serve basis, and upgrades are available at various price points.

To make a reservation call 1-800-663-1144 and quote “group name BC Honey Producers’ Association” or “group code CKH-GFC 527” to get the conference rate.

You may also book on-line at http:// www.coastpromos.com/j44.   This room rate is available until October 25, 2012, or until the rooms are filled.

Friday Food Safety Course Kamloops – ADDRESS CHANGE

 

Please be advised that we have changed the Food Safety Workshop location on Friday March 16, 2012

to the  Hal Rogers Centre 2025 Summit Drive, Kamloops, BC.

The Food Safety Workshop begins at 8:30 and ends at 4:00 pm.  Lunch and coffee service is provided.  Please bring cash or cheque only if you are paying at the door for the event.

Thank you for registering for the A BC HACCP Food Safety Workshop.

March 17, Saturday Night in Kamloops

On Saturday March 17 the BCHPA is holding the 2012 semiannual meeting in Kamloops, at the Holiday Inn and Suites on Tranquille Road.

At 7:00 PM, all who wish to have dinner together are meeting at the Lotis Inn on Tranquille Road for an informal Chinese dinner.

Informal means no need to reserve, just show up at around 7:00PM.

There will be local beekeepers as well as beekeepers from around BC.

All are welcome.  Order from the buffet or the menu.

These dinners are always popular and fun.

Bee Photos Wanted

Have you got a great photo of your bees in action? Please send a copy to media@bcbeekeepers.com  and we will add it to our images with your photo credit.

REGISTER NOW Kamloops Semi-Annual March 16, 17, 18, 2012

BCHPA Semi-Annual Meeting

March 16, 17, 18, 2012

Holiday Inn and Suites, 675 Tranquille Road, Kamloops

MARCH 16, FRIDAY

FOOD SAFETY PLANNING WORKSHOP – $20, includes lunch & coffee breaks

REGISTER: For Food Safety workshops, call the Outreach Coordinator toll free at 1-866-619-7372 or Register on-line at www.ssfpa.net/foodsafety

These workshops may be of interest to individuals and companies, including farms, you may know who are considering or already active in food processing (wholesale). Information about the workshops and on-line registration is available at www.ssfpa.net/foodsafety

The Workshop will be held at Community Futures: #101 286 St. Paul Street, Kamloops, BC Changed to Hal Rogers Centre 2025 Summit Drive, Kamloops, BC.

MARCH 17, SATURDAY – Business Meeting, Holiday Inn and Suites, 8:30 – 4:30

Lunch will be available

MARCH 18, SUNDAY

EDUCATION DAY  - $25 INCLUDES LUNCH, 8:30 – 4:30

RESERVE AT: media@bcbeekeepers.com  Pay when you get there but be on my list!

BOOK YOUR ROOM

Location:  Holiday Inn and Suites Kamloops

The Holiday Inn and Suites in Kamloops offers a room rate of $ 99.00/night for the semiannual.  This is not the Holiday Inn Express.

Book using the code  BEE.   If the code is not used then the rate will be higher.

You can book via the Holiday Inn web site, the central reservations at 1.877.517.6508 or the hotel direct  250.376.8288.

Check out the Holiday Inn and Suites at  www.holidayinn.com/kamloopsbc    It is a new hotel and it has all the amenities.

Speakers Line Up:

Geoff Wilson, Provincial Apiculturist, Saskatchewan - Self-sufficiency in Saskatchewan Beekeeping

Bill Stagg, Bee Inspector - Winter and spring hive management

Stan Reist, Flying Dutchman Honey - Product labelling and marketing.

Mohini Singh, Agristability - Involvement in the Agristability programme.

Paul van Westendorp, BCAGRI - Pesticide contamination in hive products

Geoff Wilson, Provincial Apiculturist, Saskatchewan - Testing alternative miticides.

Dr. Leonard Foster, Apis Project UBC - Next generation IPM products.

Gerry McKee, CHC - CBISQT Programme, progress update.

Day of the Honey Bee May 29

The Day of the Honey Bee is becoming a national day of celebration of the value of honey bees to pollination and food production. Many beekeepers, clubs, farmers markets and retail honey outlets are hosting special events, putting up displays and presenting information and activities that help to educate the public about bee-haviour and bee-friendly gardening and agricultural practices.

The BCHPA has produced a brochure that can be handed out at your event. It is available by contacting Pauline at treasurer@bcbeekeepers.com
(free brochure but there is a shipping and handling charge).

Please ask your local club to get involved with events on the weekend preceding Day of the Honey Bee, get your local municipality or regional district to proclaim Day of the Honey Bee (draft suggested proclamation is included under Day of the Honey Bee in Upcoming Events), or include information with your retail sales.

Thanks to Pacific Agriculture Show Volunteers

A big thank you to the beekeeper volunteers who helped with the BCHPA trade booth at the January Pacific Agriculture Show. BCHPA pollinators were invited to leave their business cards and brochures on the importance of pollination were available.
Mike Honsberger 
Steve Hasiuk
Richard Wakely 
Ron Biebrich
Ian Fisher
And a special thanks to Stan Reist, BCHPA President and Janice Bobic, BCHPA Secretary, for all their work with setup and organizing throughout the weekend.