Greetings Bees Enthusiasts,
We hope this message finds you well and buzzing with excitement for the upcoming year of beekeeping adventures. Due to the holiday season, please note that the Buncombe County Beekeepers Club will be convening on January 15th instead of the initially scheduled date of January 1st. The meeting will still take place at 6:30 pm, at our usual location at Groce Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Rd, Asheville. The monthly meetings will then resume on the first Monday of the month.
We are thrilled to announce that our first bee club meeting of the year will feature esteemed presenters Dave Cowart and Jerry Wheeler. These experienced beekeepers will be guiding new apiarists on the essential equipment to order in preparation for the spring arrival of bees. Additionally, they will delve into crucial winter maintenance practices for our active beekeepers and will be available to address any questions that may arise in the chilly month of January.
Let’s get acquainted with our presenters:
Dave Cowart
With a beekeeping journey dating back to the 70s, Dave has been a vital part of the bee club and has been keeping bees since 1997. Managing hives in Sandy Mush, Leicester, and Old Fort, he oversees an impressive 14 hives. Dave is not only a wealth of information but also a generous mentor, opening up his apiaries to mentees seeking hands-on experience in the bee yard. Join us in welcoming Dave, a valued member and an invaluable resource for our community.
Jerry Wheeler
Having initiated his beekeeping journey in 1984 with four hives, Jerry Wheeler has been dedicated to bees ever since. Managing multiple bee yards across Haywood, Buncombe, and Madison County, Jerry resides in Weaverville, where he, along with his family, owns and operates Dry Ridge Bee Supply. Jerry’s passion for honeybees is contagious, and he actively educates the community through free beekeeping lunch and learns at his store every third Saturday. Don’t miss the chance to connect with Jerry and explore the fascinating world of honeybees.
In addition, Master Beekeeper Scott Davis will be available at 6:30 pm to assist new beekeepers with any questions they may have about the next steps in their beekeeping journey.
As we embark on the year ahead, we are pleased to announce that the BCBC 2024 theme is Sustainable Beekeeping. Get ready for an exciting year filled with captivating guest speakers, engaging social events, informative classes, and hands-on workshops.
Call to Action: Get Involved!
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1. Mentors: The mentorship committee is in the process of redefining the Mentorship program for new beekeepers hoping to gain hands-on experience with our seasoned and master beekeepers. Please let us know if you are an experienced beekeeper and would be open to learning more about becoming a mentor.
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2. Apiary Committee: As the great Ricky Manning transitions from being our Apiary manager at Root Cause Farm, we are looking for a few people who would like to be on the apiary committee and help manage our bee yard.
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3. Audit Committee: We need at least three members of the bee club to conduct an audit of our club finances next year. Ideally, these would be people with experience in finances, bookkeeping, and/or business management.
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4. Marketing Team: We are looking for volunteers to help us revamp our website and marketing for the new year. If you have experience with WordPress and social media marketing, we would love to connect.
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5. Education and workshops: Are you passionate about teaching about bees and have a class or workshop you would like to lead this year? All ideas are welcome as we want this year to be packed full of opportunities for our members to be actively engaged in sharing their gifts with our community.
If you are interested in getting involved with any of the call-to-action items, please reach out to BCBC President Mark Traub and BCBC Vice President Mary Liske. Email both Mark and Mary at itagrape@gmail.com and marynliske@gmail.com or call 828-458-2308
MEMBERSHIP REMINDER
Time to renew your membership for the calendar year January-December 2024!
We know you like the in person format of talking, asking and sharing with your fellow beekeepers and having the opportunity to participate in our teaching apiary at Root Cause Farm…so what are you waiting for? Go ahead and renew NOW! The annual membership is still only $10 Local
NCSBA $15 We encourage you to join the state online so our beekeeping voice can be heard.
Or, if you are old school, mail a $10 check to PO Box 785 Asheville, NC 28802
Questions about BCBC membership? Call Janet Peterson at 828-628-1758
We prefer that you renew online at www.wncbees.org so we can keep an accurate tally all in one place.
Here is how to renew your membership on our website.
1. Click on Members Login, and drop down to ‘renew your membership’
2. Click on the ‘LOGIN’ Your username is the first letter of your first name and your last name. Your default password is ‘foragers’. But we hope you’ve made your own.
3. Once you have logged into the site, proceed to update your info. If it asks for a NCSBA numbering you don’t have one yet, then put in all zeros.
4. Then choose the payment category. You will be redirected to PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account. There is a link on the PayPal screen to check out as ‘guest’. Look for a follow up email to complete your data, especially phone number and email.
Thank you all for being a part of our beekeeping community! We hope you all have a wonderful rest of the year and enjoy the holidays!
Best Regards,
BCBC Board of Directors