Monthly Meeting Notes - November 19, 2019
Apple Grove Beekeepers Association
Meeting Minutes
11-19-2019
Opening
Slade called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Present: There were approximately 25 members present including the new members who joined tonight!
Treasurer’s report was presented by John Beers:
Bank Statement balance 10/31/2019: $2,567.59
Deposits not credited thru 10/31/2019: $18.00
Checkbook balance: $2,585.59
Cash: $310.51
Paypal Balance: $0.00
There are 15 copies of the Beekeeping Basics and 13 copies of the Field Guide to Honey Bees.
Old/New Business
The Christmas party will be held on December 17th. The club provides the meat and the side dishes are pot luck. An email will be sent out to find out who will be attending and what dish they would like to bring.
John Beers talked to everyone about the opportunity to order Purdue Ankle Biter / Red Line Mite Mauler Queens from an Ohio Queen Breeder, Howard Baldwin. John will send out an email to find out who is interested and how many to order and is willing to do the work to gather the interest. John will also reach out to area clubs to see if there is interest. John talked briefly about this being a good opportunity to get better genetics in our area in an effort to help reduce the varroa mites. We talked about shipping vs. a possible road trip for pick up. The cost will be approximately $35.00 per queen.
Slade mentioned that the bees at Jouett Elementary School are doing okay. Slade said that the hive is smaller than he would like to see going into the winter. But, the teachers and children are learning and continue to be enthused.
The Dogwood Church event went well and Elise Conrad commented that the Lake Anna event went well too. There were mostly adults at this event and folks enjoyed the pollen chart on display, tastings and live music. She said it was a lot of fun.
Beginner Beekeeping Class - we are planning to hold a 3 day class (3 Mondays) and then 1 field day during the latter part of January into February.
We talked briefly about the need for getting our inventory down on paper and finding one location to store everything.
Presentation
GUEST SPEAKER: Rashelly Benitez, Food Safety Specialist with
Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (VDACS)
Rashelly spoke about Virginia food laws, food labeling requirements, when state inspections are not needed vs. when they are, wholesaling, and what requirements are needed to have a state approved kitchen. After her presentation, Rashelly was open to a question/answer session.
Another very helpful and informative presentation!
The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 p.m.
Minutes Submitted By:
Linda Carpenter, Secretary
