Wednesday 6 January 2010

CATCH THE BUZZ - National Honey Board News

CATCH THE BUZZ

HONEY BOARD NEWS



National Honey Board Shifts Marketing Focus

Firestone, Colo. – A recent research study has sparked the National Honey Board to refocus its marketing efforts for 2010, adding new programs and reformatting existing ones.

According to the 2009 Honey Attitude and Usage Study, current users of honey below the age of 45 have dropped significantly since 2006. This 27 percent decrease poses an opportunity for the National Honey Board to delve into other marketing avenues, like social media, to reach new and younger audiences.

In reaching a younger demographic, the National Honey Board hopes to expand the awareness and use of honey into other markets, such as snacks and natural home and health remedies. The 2009 study has found younger users of honey more likely to use the product in these fields.

“Younger users of honey seem to be a little more creative in how they use it,” said Bruce Wolk, Director of Marketing for the National Honey Board. “Because of that, we need to communicate with them through new channels, like social networking, to continue positive trends in honey purchases and usage.”

But it’s not just reaching a younger demographic that the National Honey Board has in mind – the organization is directly targeting current users of honey as well, regardless of age. Further research has shown that 60 percent of respondents report purchasing honey within the last year, a drop of 18 percent from 2006. This could mean a decline in not only purchases, but also in honey consumption and demand altogether.

The National Honey Board conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets for honey and honey products. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey. The National Honey Board is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

National Honey Board Makes Education a Primary Goal

 

Firestone, Colo. – Research studies have shown that many people don’t know exactly what ingredients are in a bottle of honey, and the National Honey Board is making honey knowledge a key priority in 2010.

According to the 2009 Honey Attitude and Usage Study, 1 in 10 respondents thinks honey has added ingredients, such as corn syrup, sugar and preservatives. In addition, 1 in 7 respondents thinks that the color of the honey reflects its purity.

With its updated messaging strategy, the National Honey Board hopes that by informing consumers, food processors, chefs and the foodservice community that honey is pure and contains only one ingredient – honey – that there will be more consumption of and demand for this natural sweetener.

“There are so many misconceptions about honey,” said Bruce Wolk, Director of Marketing for the National Honey Board. “The 2010 focus on education gives us an opportunity to reach out to the consumers and the foodservice industry about the basics of honey and why it is such a versatile product.”

Honey blends, a combination of honey and artificial ingredients, are becoming commonplace in discount grocery stores and usually contain only a small percentage of honey. The 2009 research study shows that many consumers are aware of these honey blends, have previously purchased a honey blend and have demonstrated positive intent to purchase a honey blend in the future. This trend, if not further explored, may affect the future of honey.

In its educational component of the 2010 campaign, the National Honey Board will focus on basic honey messaging, educating consumers on pure honey, where it comes from and the natural process of how it is made.

The National Honey Board conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets for honey and honey products. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey. The National Honey Board is an equal opportunity provider and employer. In it’s educational component of the 2010 campaign, the National Honey Board will focus on basic honey messaging, educating consumers on pure honey, where it comes from and the natural process of how it is made.

The National Honey Board conducts research, advertising and promotion programs to help maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets for honey and honey products. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey. The National Honey Board is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

This message brought to you by Bee Culture, The Magazine Of American Beekeeping. Watch this space, our web page, Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, and thedailygreen.com for registration information on our upcoming webinar on Urban Beekeeping.

  Subscribe to Malcolm Sanford’s Apis Newsletter right here For a comprehensive listing of beekeeping events around the country and around the globe, check out Bee Culture’s Global Beekeeping Calendar

Learn More.

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Central Beekeepers Alliance : Central Beekeepers Potluck Supper 9 June 2009

Central Beekeepers Alliance : Central Beekeepers Potluck Supper 9 June 2009


Central Beekeepers Potluck Supper 9 June 2009

Posted: 15 May 2009 12:54 PM PDT

The next meeting will be our spring potluck supper, so bring along your favourite supper dish and a good appetite!

Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Central Beekeepers Alliance Spring Potluck Supper
Keswick Ridge Community Hall,
Route 616, Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick
6:30 p.m.

Visitors and new beekeepers are always welcome!


View Larger Map

Central Beekeepers Potluck Supper 9 June 2009 comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

  • Central Beekeepers Meet 12 January 2010
  • Central Beekeepers Christmas Dinner 2009
  • Bee Talk: New Forum Coming Soon

Invitation to Apimondia 2009

Posted: 08 May 2009 12:37 PM PDT

Apimondia 2009 - international beekeepers congress - France Apimondia 2009, the 41st annual congress of International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, will be held in the south of France, 15 – 20 September 2009.

  • 200 scientists
  • 200 exhibitors
  • 10 000 delegates
  • More than 100 countries represented

The theme this is year is The bee, the sentinel of the environment:

Because the health of honey bee populations is of concern to all, Apimondia 2009 plans include a special welcome for all interested members of the general public — as well as beekeepers and bee breeders, scientists and researchers, policy makers, advocates for the environment, and representatives of agriculture, industry, and governments — with its Apimondia for Everyone venue and program of events.

Meanwhile, the call for papers has gone out to potential presenters at the conference. Scientists and researchers are invited to submit their papers to the Apimondia committee through the website at www.apimondia2009.com. (English, French, German, and Spanish versions of the website are available by clicking on the appropriate flag in the upper right corner of each page.) Program details are also being added to the website regularly, as the details are finalized, so do check back there often for updated information.

For more information:
http://www.apimondia.org/
http://www.beekeeping.com/apimondia/index_us.htm

Invitation to Apimondia 2009 comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

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Field Day Beekeeping Photographs: Spring Inspection

Posted: 07 May 2009 09:42 AM PDT

Central Beekeepers Alliance held a beekeeping field day for new beekeepers on Sunday, 3 May 2009. We unwrapped the hives and opened them up for inspection, for the first time since they were put away last fall.

Fortunately (?) there were a couple of deadouts too — a useful learning opportunity as we carried out a “post mortem” to figure out if disease was present, or if the bees had died for some other likely reason. As soon as the rain stops again, the next step will be applying formic acid pads (for Varroa mite control) to those hives that were successfully over-wintered.

Here’s a selection of photographs for those who missed this afternoon of spring hive inspection, socializing, and cinnamon buns.

Click on any picture for a larger image and more information about what it shows:

Wintered bee hives with a protected hive entrance. Starved bees: Note that all bees in this small cluster are dead. Removing mould from frame of bees that starved in the winter. Signs of starved bees: Bees with abdomens sticking out of cells. Dead Varroa mites and wax crumbs on bottom board after winter. This very weak over-wintered bee colony was moved into a nuc box. Spare frames of foundation waiting on Bee-Mate field stand. Live bees with capped brood. Nice healthy bees with capped brood! Preventative treatment for American foulbrood – just applied. The product "Foul Brood Mix" Find the queen bee!

Field Day Beekeeping Photographs: Spring Inspection comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

  • Central Beekeepers Meet 12 January 2010
  • Central Beekeepers Christmas Dinner 2009
  • Bee Talk: New Forum Coming Soon

Bee Registration Time in New Brunswick

Posted: 06 May 2009 03:06 AM PDT

Reminder, it’s time to register your bees! All New Brunswick beekeepers are required to complete an Application to keep bees form and send it in to the Provincial Apiarist by May 31st, 2009.

This applies to everyone who owns honey bees, or who has honey bees in their possession.

The Provincial Apiarist will assign a registration number for each apiary, and send the beekeeper a certificate of registration that is valid until May 31st, 2010.

There is no fee, but annual registration is required by law.

You can download the registration form as a PDF file here, pick up a copy at the next Central Beekeepers Alliance meeting, or contact Chris Maund at the Crop Development Branch, New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture.

Bee Registration Time in New Brunswick comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

  • Beekeepers in NB Business Journal
  • Central Beekeepers Meet 12 January 2010
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Beekeepers Field Day at Keswick Ridge

Posted: 02 May 2009 07:10 AM PDT

beekeeper field dayNew beekeepers and friends are invited to suit up and join us for a beekeeping field day at Rick and Rebecca’s place on Keswick Ridge, on Sunday, 3 May 2009, at 2:00 p.m.

We’ll be cracking open a couple of over-wintered colonies and doing a bit of spring management — and carrying out a post mortem on a couple of deadout hives, too.

If you put your name down at a previous CBA meeting as being interested in attending the field day, you should have received an email about this by now.

If not, and you’d like to attend, please email (cba@stonehavenlife.com) for directions — or meet Dan Richards at the lookout above the Mactaquac Dam about 1:30 p.m and he’ll lead you over.

Beekeepers Field Day at Keswick Ridge comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

  • Central Beekeepers Meet 12 January 2010
  • Central Beekeepers Christmas Dinner 2009
  • Bee Talk: New Forum Coming Soon

Central Beekeepers meet 12 May 2009

Posted: 14 Apr 2009 08:23 PM PDT

Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Central Beekeepers Alliance Meeting
Agricultural Research Centre, Fredericton, NB
7:30 p.m.

Want to learn more about Beekeeping?

Central Beekeepers meet on the second Tuesday of the month. Visitors and new beekeepers are always welcome! Most meetings include an educational session, group discussion, or hands-on demonstration for the benefit of beginning beekeepers in central New Brunswick.

The Agricultural Research Centre ("Experimental Farm") is located at 850 Lincoln Road, Fredericton, New Brunswick. Entry is from the parking lot at the back of the building, at door "B". For a map to the Agricultural Research Centre, see our Next Meeting page.

Central Beekeepers meet 12 May 2009 comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

  • Central Beekeepers Meet 12 January 2010
  • Central Beekeepers Christmas Dinner 2009
  • Bee Talk: New Forum Coming Soon

The White House and Bees?

Posted: 04 Apr 2009 06:55 AM PDT

white-house-garden-900Recently, Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture magazine, reported that Michelle Obama will welcome two honeybees hives into her organic vegetable garden. 

To read more about the latest buzz on the White House lawn you can find the article by clicking on this link:

thedailygreen

The White House and Bees? comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

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Maritime Bee Tour 2009 Set For PEI

Posted: 03 Apr 2009 06:53 PM PDT

The Maritime Bee Tour will be held July 17-18, 2009, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and hosted this year by the Prince Edward Island Beekeepers’ Association and the PEI Department of Agriculture.

Updated 31 May 2009 to add:


Guest Speakers:

  • Dennis Van Engelsdorp, Penn State University
  • Rheal Lafreniere, CHC & Manitoba Agriculture
  • Alison Van Alten, Ontario Tech Tranfer Team
  • and Local Beekeepers

Tour:

Accommodations:

  • Glen Denning Hall, Holland College
  • $99.00 / night + taxes (1 or 2 bedroom same price) with private separate bathrooms
  • To book your room by phone, call toll-free 1-866-740-7702 or local (902) 367-7702 and indicate that you are with the Maritime Bee Tour “Code 233″

Maritime Bee Tour 2009 Set For PEI comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

  • Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association AGM 2009
  • Map: Forage Plants for Honey Bees
  • Photo: Maritime Beekeepers at Canadian Honey Council

Video: Honey Bees Fighting Varroa Mites and Bee Louse

Posted: 02 Apr 2009 05:20 PM PDT

This video, Bees fighting varroa and braula coeca, was made by Ivan Brndušic, an electronics technician (from a long line of beekeepers on his mother’s side) who lives, works, and watches honey bees in the town of Bor, Serbia. When you see the bees’ attempts to remove the pests, it makes it very clear why hygienic grooming behaviour is a desireable trait for breeding in honey bees!

There’s a great explanation — with annotated photographs — of exactly what we’re seeing in this video as the bees try to fight off both Varroa mites and the very similar-looking but relatively benign-to-bees braula coeca (bee louse) on Brndušic’s website at brnda.com.

Video: Honey Bees Fighting Varroa Mites and Bee Louse comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

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Beekeeping Magazines Go Online

Posted: 18 Mar 2009 01:40 PM PDT

BeeKeepers QuarterlyThe BeeKeepers Quarterly edited by John Phipps, has just announced that it’s taking its show online. The UK beekeeping magazine can now be seen on the Web at www.bkq.org.uk. The March 2009 and May 2009 issues will be “free samples” for beekeepers to try it out, and there will be a small subscription charge for future issues. The print edition will continue for those who prefer to receive the magazine in that format.

This news comes from Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture – The Magazine of American Beekeeping, who is a regular contributor to the BeeKeepers Quarterly). Flottum notes that Bee Culture, too, will be releasing a digital edition later this year.

Other digital beekeeping magazines include Bee Craft (UK) and MidWest Beekeeper (US). So far, the American Bee Journal is not available on the Internet, but you can subscribe to the Journal through its website, or view the Table of Contents, Covers, and an index of articles in past issues.

Beekeeping Magazines Go Online comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

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Different Types of Hives

Posted: 15 Mar 2009 07:24 AM PDT

The hive that is most common in our area seems to be the 10 frame Langstroth hive or commercial hive that uses brood boxes and honey supers.

Langstroth Hive, brood box

Langstroth brood box

Which is the type of hive I will use to raise bees. As a beginner, I will use the standard equipment and practices available in my area, which allow me to expand my beekeeping education beyond books and the internet to include local beekeepers and supply stores. In the event that something breaks or is lost, I can easily replace it locally too. But I am sure I will start to experiment as many beekeepers do, with equipment and styles as my experience level grows.

photo: www.caddon-hives.co.uk Different types of hives include traditional skeps, top–bar hives, William Braughton Carr (WBC) hives and the National hive used in the UK. 

The WBC shown in the thumbnail at left is similar to a pagoda style of architecture. Although, the exterior of this hive structure is different, the inside resembles the standard frame and foundations found in National hives.

An interesting style of bee hive can be found at the following link: http://warrebeehive.com

The Warre Hive resembles a WBC hive but uses a top–bar frame internal structure to encourage a natural formation of wax cells from the top–bar down. As the bees construct the comb, it grows in a downward direction. Boxes are added to the bottom with new top–bars in each. The bees will stop the comb just above the next set of bars. This style of natural beekeeping is further explained by following the link. It also includes plans for building your own hive.

Thank you Dan Richards for the link and information about Warre Hives!

Different Types of Hives comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

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Irish Honey Lore for St. Patrick’s Day

Posted: 12 Mar 2009 04:31 PM PDT

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Irish Culture and Customs remind us that honey holds an important place in the history and traditions of the Emerald Isle:

Ireland has been described by many poets and story-tellers as the land of milk and honey, and there is little doubt that there was milk and honey in abundance in earliest times…

Honey was so important in early Ireland that a whole section of the Brehon Laws was devoted to bees and beekeeping. Tributes were paid in honey and no banquet table was complete without honey and mead, the legendary drink made from it. Honey was used not just for cooking, but also for basting, and as a condiment in which to dip meat, fowl and fish at the table.

The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and FolkloreThe Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore by Hilda M. Ransome (first published in 1937) explains that there’s a whole section about honey in the Brehon Laws, which date back to somewhere around 600 AD and probably much earlier — the “Bee-judgments” as the laws about beekeeping were called.

For example, under those old laws, anyone who kept bees was obligated by law to share the honey harvest with land-owners of the four adjacent farms, as that’s where the bees gathered nectar.

And if a man found a swarm in the faithche (the green surrounding and belonging to a house), three-quarters of that colony’s honey harvest at the end of the year was owed to the owner of the house. It certainly speaks to the value placed on honey!

We can guage what abundance of honey there was by the size of the vessels in which it was measured. The Brehon Laws mention four sized of vessels used when measuring honey in large quantities. A milch-cow measure was one which, when full, an ordinary person could lift as far as his knee; a heifer, one he could life to his waist; a small heifer to his shoulder; and a dairt or still smaller heifer vessel which he could raise over his head. It was a quaint way of measuring!

You can read more about the Brehon Laws on a fascinating website called Library Ireland, dedicated to sharing Irish culture and folklore.

For those who’d like to enjoy their honey in Irish culture with a bit of a “kick” to it, David Lee of the Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations explains how to make your own mead.

The potent honey-based beverage might go nicely with this gourmet menu from the Institute of Northern Ireland Beekeepers, drawn from the old legends of County Tipperary:

Appetiser:
Wild Irish Rabbit Terrine, accompanied with hedgegrown brambles, Mead Chutney, garnished with Armagh Apple Crisps, accompanied with Guinness wheaten bread.

Main Course:
Crystallized pan fried Wolf fish, served with Colcannon potatoes served with a white butter sauce, infused with Field Nettle emulsion, garnished with Irish streaky bacon and deep fried leeks.

Dessert:
White Chocolate Beehive, filled with a Hazelnut & Irish Mist parfait, served with a rich raspberry & thyme compote, and a splash of fresh cream, garnished with Ling honey comb.

If that’s a bit much, just take a page from A Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland, by PW Joyce (first published in 1906), which says:

A mixture of milk and honey was sometimes drunk; a mixture of lard and honey was usual as a condiment. Honey was sometimes brought to table pure, and sometimes in the comb. Often at meals each person had placed before him on the table a little dish, sometimes of silver, filled with honey; and each morsel whether of meat, fish, or bread was dipped into it before being conveyed to the mouth.

Or what about a broiled salmon steak, basted with honey, like the meal that was served by Ailill and Maive, king and queen of Connaught, to the young chief, Fraech, according to the old Irish tales. That sounds like a St. Patrick’s Day meal that would go down just fine here in New Brunswick!

Irish Honey Lore for St. Patrick’s Day comes from the Central Beekeepers Alliance of New Brunswick, Canada. For more information on Honey Bees and Beekeeping, please: * Visit http://cba.stonehavenlife.com * Subscribe to our RSS feed * Get free updates by e-mail

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