In being consistent with other institutions and based on our policy decision, the University of Illinois Extension is suspending face-to-face meetings until further notice. 

For the KRVBA meets at the University of Illinois extension there will be no face-to-face  meetings until this extension opens up again.  

The annual Kankakee River Valley beekeeper's workshop is on March 7, 2020.
For more info contact the extension of the Uof I in Bourbonnais.
815-933-8337

Kankakee River Valley Beekeeper meetings 2020

This year meetings will be on the 2nd Thursday of each month at the extension of the University of Illinois from 6 - 8 pm. 1650 Commerce Drive, Bourbonnais, IL 60914.

January 9, 2020  Pizza at Aurelio's in Bourbonnais
February 13, 2020
March 12, 2020
April 9, 2020
May 14, 2020
June 11, 2020
July 9, 2020
August 13, 2020
September 10, 2020
October 8, 2020
November 12, 2020
December 10, 2020

Workshop 2019

The KRVBA  workshop for beginning and advanced beekeepers  will be on March 2, 2019.

Club officers 2019

President Mark Hodak
hodak@comcast.net

Vice President Richard Sims
simscattle@aol.com

Secretary Gerlanda VanDeMaat
g.vandemaat@att.net

Treasurer Pete Hanson
peterbeekeep@gmail.com

Extension Office Contact
James Theuri
jtheu50@illinois.edu

KRVBA 2019 meeting schedule 6 -8 pm.

March 7, 2019
April 18, 2019
May 30, 2018
July 11, 2019
August 22, 2019
October 3, 2019
November 14, 2019

Beekeeper mentoring at Plum Creek Nature Center

A beekeepers mentoring program is beginning at Plum Creek Nature Center located in the Goodenow Grove Forest Preserve of Will County. (east of 394 between Beecher and Crete) on the first Sunday of the month at 12:30PM. There is no charge and no agenda. Simply a convenient place to gather and exchange ideas in an open forum. The first meetup is this Sunday click the link above for directions.

Scheduled 2017 dates:  Mar 5, Apr 2, May 7, Jun 4, Jul 2, Aug 6, Sep 3, Oct 1, Nov 5, Dec 3. 

2015 Beekeeping Classes

2015 Beekeeping Classes


Jan 4 Sunday  Will County Forest Preserve Goodenow Grove Crete

Jan 6-10 American Beekeeping Federation 5 days

Jan 10 Saturday Beginning Beekeeping Class -- Garfield Park Conservatory

Jan ? Beginner Beekeeping Course -- Will County Beekeepers Assoc.

Jan 24 Introduction to beekeeping -- Downers Grove Park District 

Jan 27 Tuesday (8 weeks) Beginning Beekeeping -- Fox Valley Beekeepers - Geneva Park District 

Jan 28 Wednesday (8weeks) Beekeeping for beginners -- Fox Valley Beekeepers - Wheaton Park District 

Northwest Indiana Beekeepers 5 classes 

Feb 5 (6 weeks) Beginner Beekeeping Course -- Downers Grove Park District

Feb 7 Saturday Beginning Beekeeping Class -- Garfield Park Conservatory 

Feb 14 Lake County Beekeepers Association  Introduction to Beekeeping

Feb ? Beekeeping Basics -- Cook-DuPage Beekeepers Assoc. / Cook County Farm Bureau

Feb 23 (7 classes) Beekeeping (Gardening - Bees) Joliet Junior College

Feb 28 Indiana Beekeeping School (Jenifer Berry)

March 7 Beekeeping Workshop Kankakee River Valley Beekeepers 

Jul 9-11 Heartland Apiculture Society Albion MI 3 days 

Aug 10-14 Eastern Apiculture Society Guelph Ontario Canada 5 days

2014 Beekeeping Classes

Jan 5 Beginning Beekeeping Class -- Garfield Park Conservatory

Jan 9 (6 weeks) Natural Beekeeping -- Carol Stream Park District (see adult activity guide)

Jan 21 (6 weeks) Beginner Beekeeping Course -- Will County Beekeepers Assoc.

Jan 21 (8 weeks) Beginning Beekeeping -- Fox Valley Beekeepers / Geneva Park District 

Jan 22 (8weeks) Beekeeping for beginers -- Wheaton Park District 

Jan 25 Beginning Beekeeping Class -- Garfield Park Conservatory 

Jan 30 (6 weeks) Beginer Beekeeping Course -- Downers Grove Park District

Feb 18 (5 weeks) Beekeeping Basics -- Cook-DuPage Beekeepers Assoc. / Cook County Farm Bureau

Feb 22 Introduction to Beekeeping -- Will County Forest Preserve District

Feb 24 (7 classes) Beekeeping (Gardening - Bees) Joliet Junior College

March 8 Beekeeping Workshop Kankakee River Valley Beekeepers

Mar 15 Build a Hive Workshop -- Downers Grove Park District

 

2013 Classes and Events

January 12 Will County Beekeepers Advanced Beekeeping Class

January 12 Garfield Park Conservatory Beginning Beekeeping

January 19 Will County Beekeepers Beginners Class

January 22 - March 3 Pullman Beekeepers US Bank Pullman

January 29 - March 19 Geneva Park District Beginning Beekeeping

January 30 - March 20 Wheaton Park District Beekeeping for Beginners

February 14 -March 7 Joliet Junior College Beekeeping LLC 4588

February 23 Long Lane Honey Farms Basic Beekeeping Course

March 2 Downers Grove Park District

March 9 Long Lane Honey Farms Basic Beekeeping Course

March 16 KRVBA Beekeeping Workshop

March 16 Garfield Park Conservatory Beginning Beekeeping

March 23 Long Lane Honey Farms Basic Beekeeping Course

Resources

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

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/.

------------------------------------

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

-------------------------------------

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

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

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

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

Meeting

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

Beekeeping Part II Workshop

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

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

Next meeting

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

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