Author: Lorilee Kunze
Major Program: Beekeeping
Many Bullitt County property owners are seeking alternative income opportunities. One of those opportunities is urban beekeeping. Interest in urban beekeeping in Bullitt County has increased over the last several years due to the economic impact of COVID and the flood of agricultural marketing on social media. Many homeowners have an interest in beekeeping and the Bullitt County Beekeepers' Association is an excellent resource for it.Once a month the Beekeepers' Associa
Author: Maggie Forsee
The problem-There were many community members wanting knowledge on how to begin and maintain a bee hive.- There were 12 community members present at this program.The educational program response-The participants learned what tools and equipment they needed to start a hive, the clothing that was suggested, how to care for a hive, the different ways to obtain bees, the process of getting honey, and how to deal with disease in your hive. -Participants networked with each other to be able to gi
Author: Nicole Rhein
In order to meet a growing demand for apiary education in western Kentucky, Nikki Rhein, ANR Agent at the Marshall County Extension Office and Ricky Boatright, an experienced local beekeeper, collaborated to start the Clark's River Beekeeper's Association (CRBA) in April of 2021. The CRBA members have met every month since. The association consists of both novice and experienced beekeepers. Most meetings consist of an educational speaker or video, followed by an open session where member
Author: Jay Hettmansperger
Beekeeping has blossomed in the past few years. Garrard County has seen a nice increase in interest in beekeeping. The ANR agent has started monthly educational meetings at the request of several local beekeepers. The meetings have been well attended by both seasoned veterans and new beekeepers. The meeting topics are usually chosen to coincide with what a beekeeper needs to be doing at the time of year. One such meeting, the topic was about harvesting the honey and bottl
Author: Regina Utz
The Trimble County Extension Service determined there was a need for a Beekeeping Basics program based on agricultural survey responses. The President of the Oldham County Beekeepers Association led the group of 34 individuals through a variety of uses for bees and bee products. Due to the wealth of knowledge the speaker possessed participants began to explore new opportunities they were unaware of in working with bees. The speaker brought in equipment that attendees were able to observe a
Author: Charles May
The 13th East Kentucky Winter Beekeeping School was held virtually again in January 2023. A virtual School, like this one, is challenging but the committee, made up of local Beekeepers, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture state Apiarist and Extension Agents from Perry, Harlan, and Letcher Counties, as well as other County volunteers, worked extremely hard to pull off another successful virtual event. Even with the virtual event, this was once again one of
Author: Jeremy Williams
East Kentucky Beekeeping School was held virtual in January 2023 and the Harlan County Extension Office held it in a hybrid format. The committee, made up of local Beekeepers, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture state Apiarist and Extension Agents from Perry, Harlan, Floyd and Letcher Counties.More than 150 people registered for the school with over 100 people online at any point during the day. Based on registration, those that attended represented several counties in Kentucky.&nb
Author: Steven Musen
Apiculture, the study and maintenance of honeybees, often begins as a hobby, with beekeepers later expanding their interest into small businesses. A beekeeping enterprise can provide marketable honey and serve as a source of pollinators for nearby cultivated crops. Market options for honey include farmers markets, health food stores, restaurants, roadside stands, agritourism sites, and Kentucky-crafted stores or booths.Interest in beekeeping has greatly increased over the past few years in Jessa
Author: Aaron Redmond
It is estimated that the honeybee’s annual contribution to the United States economy is at least $15 billion. Beyond the profitable products and byproducts harvested directly from honeybee colonies such as honey, wax, propolis, and royal jelly, about one-third of total crop production in the U.S. are dependent upon these prolific pollinators for their survival and prosperity. According to the most recent data from the U.S Department of Agriculture honeybees health took a major decline in 2
Author: Jason Vaughn
The Varroa mite is the most serious pest of beehives worldwide. In recent years, both hobby and commercial beekeepers have sustained significant hive losses in Powell County due to mite infestation. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service recommends an integrated pest management strategy for the control of the varroa mite. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of c
Author: Adam Barnes
A small farms diversification Since 2014 Bizzell Bluff Farms has utilized research-based information provided by Cooperative Extension to help make operational decisions for their farm. Mr. Rushing started his small farm operation with a you pick blueberry patch as a fun extra source of income. Livingston ANR helped with publications, variety selection that best suited the area and soil testing. Not only has Mr. Rushing’s hobby blueberry patch grown into a working commercial blu
