Kankakee River Valley Beekeepers Association

Saturday March 12, 2011 (9:00 AM )

Location U of I Extension, Kankakee Unit
1650 Commerce Drive
Bourbonnais, IL 60914 (Kankakee County)

The annual beekeeping workshop has information for new or more experienced beekeepers. Beekeeping education is vital to the success of bee survival because bee populations have been decreasing. Bee biology, colony care throughout the year, bee breeding, integrated pest management, and other topics are important for everyone. Fee is $20 which includes lunch and handouts.

For further information conact Extension Office :

James Theuri
jtheu50@illinois.edu
Phone: 815-933-8337
FAX: 815-933-8532

2011-01-24T11:02:00.005-06:00

Upcoming events

JAN 28 Queen of the Sun

JAN 29 Michiana Beekeepers Winter Workshop 9:00AM EST

FEB ? Northwest Indiana Beekeepers Class

FEB 3 Lake County (Illinois) Beekeepers meeting 7:00PM

FEB 6 Cook DuPage monthly mentoring get together 8:00AM

FEB 6 Pullman Area Beekeepers (4 week class) 1:00PM

FEB 13 Pullman Area Beekeepers (4 week class) 7:00PM

FEB 17 Kankakee River Valley Beekeepers regular meeting 6:00PM

FEB 18 Northern Illinois Beekeepers regular meeting 7:00PM

FEB 19 Cook DuPage Beekeepers monthly meeting 7:00PM

FEB 19 Northwest Indiana Beekeepers Monthly meeting 1:00PM

FEB 26 Indiana Beekeepers Assc Beekeeping School 8:00AM EST

MAR 3 Lake County (Illinois) Beekeepers meeting 7:00PM

MAR 6 Cook DuPage Beekeepers monthly mentoring get together 8:00AM

MAR 10 Central Eastern Illinois Beekeepers Basic Beekeeping Class (6 week course)

MAR 12 Kankakee River Valley Beekeepers Spring into Beekeeping 9:00AM

MAR 16 Michiana Beekeepers meeting 6:00PM EST

MAR 17 Waubonsee Community College (5 week course) 6:30PM

MAR 18 Northern Illinois Beekeepers regular meeting 7:00PM

MAR 19 Cook DuPage Beekeepers monthly meeting 7:00PM

MAR 19 Northwest Indiana Beekeepers Monthly meeting1:00PM

MAR 20 Central Eastern Illinois Beekeepers regular meeting

Resources

2010-04-19T11:45:00.001-05:00

PollinatorLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure is offering a series of FREE live interactive web casts, web seminars, and satellite field trips about pollinators, gardening, and conservation. For more information, go to http://pollinatorlive.pwnet.org. The web site also features resources that meet National Science Education Standards for the classroom. PollinatorLIVE is geared toward students in grades 4 – 8, but there are lesson plans and activities of interest to teachers and students in all grades

Information you should know

2010-02-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

OK, Illinois Beekeepers, it is time to step up and make a difference. The ISBA proposed legislation has been introduced in the state senate. Contacting your state senator and asking his or her support is extremely important.

Three years ago the Department of Public Health redefined the bottling of honey as "processing" of food and therefore subject to strict regulation that eliminated most small-scale honey producer's bottling facilities. They were expected to meet the same standards as Sara Lee and McDonalds. For an operation that produced a few hundred pounds of honey a year (and that is the majority of ISBA members) the cost was prohibitive.

The new legislation would define honey in the comb or extracted from the comb as a raw agricultural commodity (such as tomatoes and corn sold at farmers' markets). Under the proposed legislation the small-scale producer would be exempt from the oppressive IDPA requirements.

Beekeepers and their honey have a track record that earns them this consideration. The desirability and need for local produce demands this legislation.

The bill itself is posted on at ISBA.US. The ISBA resolution leading to this legislation and suggested "talking points for supporters" are in the most recent issue of the Bulletin and posted at ISBA.US.

Illinois beekeepers need your action. Contact your Illinois State Senator and Representatives.

Larry Krengel

P. S. Find your Senator's contact information at http://www.ilga.gov/senate/. Find your Representive's contact information at http://www.ilga.gov/house/.

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Here is the ISBA press release. Please distribute it to other beekeepers and to the press. Address questions to Mike.

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For Immediate Release

ISBA Applauds Senator Luechtefeld's Introduction of SB 2959

Contact: Mike Sabo (618) 458-7745

February 4, 2010, Springfield, IL – The Illinois State Beekeepers Association (ISBA) today announced its support for Senator Dave Luechtefeld's (R-Okawville) introduction of SB 2959 to recognize raw, unadulterated honey as an agricultural commodity. Further, SB 2959 will amend the Sanitary Food Preparation Act to ease regulation on hobby beekeepers who wish to sell their honey direct to consumers.

Last Fall, the Illinois State Beekeepers Association adopted a resolution calling upon the State of Illinois to acknowledge the unique properties of honey and to assist in eliminating burdensome regulations upon Illinois beekeepers. Honey, in its pure and unadulterated form, is a healthy farm product possessing documented anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

Hobbyist beekeepers in Illinois stand as a backstop in the fight against Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and other maladies that endanger honeybee populations. Illinois beekeepers are stewards of nature and, as honey purveyors, SB2959 will enable hobbyist beekeepers to continue practicing their craft, thus assuring those who perform the culinary arts access to a wholesome, fresh local product. SB 2959 will encourage Illinois economic networking between beekeepers and consumers at the local level. The bill will assure beekeepers the ability to maintain their bee colonies that serve an important role as pollinators to Illinois crops.

The Illinois State Beekeepers Association is very grateful to Senator Luechtefeld for championing this cause. Likewise, members of the Association express their gratitude to Steve Chard, Illinois Chief Apiary Inspector, for his support of the ISBA resolution.

The Illinois State Beekeepers Association requests the support of the citizens of Illinois and asks them to call upon their respective State Senators to support SB 2959.

http://cookdupagebeekeepers.com/news-and-events/illinois-considers-new-honey-sale-regluations/

Spring Beekeeping Seminar

2010-02-15T17:02:00.002-06:00

Spring Into Beekeeping 2010
At Kankakee Community College, 100 College Dr., Kankakee 60901

Saturday, March 6, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

8:30 a.m. Welcome, Announcements
8:45 a.m. Getting Started & Biology of Bees

9:30 a.m. BREAK

9:45 a.m. Chemical-free insect & disease management
10:45 a.m. Spring hive inspection
11:00 a.m. Late winter/early spring bee colony management
11:30 a.m. Beekeeping Resources/Illinois Queen Initiative

12:10 p.m. LUNCH

12:45 p.m. BREAKOUT Session
Session A Demonstration – Honey Extraction
Question & Answer Session
Session B Queen Rearing & Bee Breeding
2:15 p.m. Kankakee Bee Association Issues

More Questions & Answers
2:45 p.m. Evaluation ALL

2010 Elections

2009-12-11T12:00:00.001-06:00

Thank you everyone that attended our meeting last night.

Elections were held for 2010 Officers of the Kankakee River Valley Beekeepers Association.
John Bailey retains his title as President. Bert Vinke is stepping in as Vice President after Frank Gordon, who held the position in 2009. Donna Oppolo will be Secretary for another year and Peter Hansen remains Treasurer.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 6:00 pm. Please note we have a one time only location change due to the Extension Office being booked that evening. We will instead be meeting at Aurelio's, 1600 N. Convent Street, Bourbonnais, IL, 60914.

Meeting Reminder

2009-10-19T15:43:00.001-05:00

Our next meeting is Thursday, October 29. Hope to see you there.

Meeting

2009-07-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

Our next meeting will be held on August 6. 6:00-8:00 pm. See you there.

Beekeeping Part II Workshop

2009-07-23T10:43:00.000-05:00

Whether you are a new beekeeper or have had hives for a long time, questions are always coming up as to the best way to care and manage your bee colonies. Saturday, August 1st is the day to get those questions answered by an experienced panel of local beekeepers that have 110 years of beekeeping experience between them. There isn't much they haven't encountered in their hives or techniques they haven't tried. Bring your questions and definitely a notebook. This is a continuation of the workshops the Center for Sustainable Community (CSC) offered last winter and will be held at the Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast in Kempton, IL beginning at 1:30 P.M. Kempton, IL is 30 minutes southwest of Kankakee.

The cost is $40 and follows CSC’s free morning open house.

A panel of local, experienced beekeepers, some from the Kankakee River Valley Beekeepers Association, will be available to give advice on what works for them in our mid-west climate. Panelists include John Bailey, who has been keeping bees for 35 years, Frank Gordon who is in his 54th year of beekeeping and doesn't use any insecticides, chemicals or antibiotics, and Mark Hoffman who has been keeping bees since getting his first two hives from Frank Gordon over 20 years ago.

Following the discussion will be hands-on honey extracting instruction given by Mark Hoffman. Everyone will have an opportunity to gain experience with the uncapping knife and 4-frame honey extractor.

By this time in the beekeeping season many questions begin to pop-up for new and seasoned apiarists alike. They may include:

How do I know if I'm leaving the bees enough honey for the winter?
How do I combine weak hives for the winter?
Is it hard to raise my own queen?
What is a nuc and should I keep one around?
Anything else you may have been wondering about.

For more information call Julie at 708-828-4325 or register online at www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org/calendar.html.

The Center for Sustainable Community (CSC) is an educational, nonprofit organization offering seminars and workshops in holistic health, renewable energy, green building, and sustainable agriculture.

Meeting

2009-06-16T23:35:00.001-05:00

Our next meeting is June 25. Please plan to attend, we will be discussing honey extraction.

Next meeting

2009-05-11T19:23:00.002-05:00

Our next meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, same time and place. Hope everyone can make it.

At our last meeting we meet some new members and James did a re-cap of our successful workshop. John Bailey gave a lesson in hive assembly and we ended with an open discussion.

Meeting Schedule

2009-02-23T16:16:00.002-06:00

Meetings are held from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm.

April 2, 2009

May 14, 2009

June 25, 2009

August 6, 2009

September 17, 2009

October 29, 2009

December 12, 2009

Buzz Into Beekeeping Workshop

2009-02-20T22:28:00.003-06:00

March 7
8:30 am to 3:00 pm

University of Illinois Extension
Kankakee County
1650 Commerce Drive
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Topics to be covered:
• Equipment needed and where to find it
• Location of your hives
• Acquiring bees
• Beekeeping challenges
• Special needs for healthy bees and a good honey crop
• Cost
• Bee biology
• Castes in a colony and colony organization
• Pest and disease management
• Making and using nucleus colonies
• Bee breeding
• Hygienic bees

Cost is $20.00 per person.
Handouts and lunch will be provided.

For more information or to register
call 815-933-8337.

Meeting Reminder

2009-02-15T23:58:00.002-06:00

Please be sure to attend our February 19 meeting.
We will be discussing the workshop planned for March 7.

Beekeeping Workshops

2009-02-12T22:21:00.003-06:00

One workshop coming up is the queen production event sponsored by the Central East Illinois Beekeeping Assn. It will be on April 24 at CEIBA pres. David Burns' place east of Champaign. It will be a day-long program taught by Joe Latshaw of Ohio Queen breeders and the cost is $75.
The workshop is for serious beekeepers who plan to produce queens for sale.

Meeting Reminder

2009-01-26T23:53:00.002-06:00

Our next meeting is Thursday, February 19. 6:00-8:00 pm.
Please bring ideas for our workshop on March 7.

Where have all the bees gone?

2009-01-08T19:31:00.003-06:00

This TED talk is very interesting. Enjoy.

New email address for KRVBA

2009-01-08T18:45:00.001-06:00

kankakeebees@gmail.com

Using an electric uncapping knife.

2009-01-08T18:01:00.004-06:00

Member, Frank Gordon demonstrates his technique
on a capped frame of honey.

Using an uncapping plane.

2009-01-08T17:52:00.005-06:00

Mike Rusnak assists John Bailey with uncapping a frame
of honey using an electric uncapping plane.

Preparing to uncap a frame of honey.

2009-01-08T16:45:00.005-06:00

KRVBA member Mike Rusnak.

2009-01-08T16:32:00.004-06:00

Edith McDonald chooses an uncapping knife
at the honey extraction demonstration.

In the news.

2009-01-08T16:28:00.002-06:00

KRVBA Meeting

2009-01-08T14:40:00.000-06:00

The first meeting of 2009 was held on January 7.