Published on 06/10/15

Beginners' beekeeping workshop offered at Rock Eagle 4-H Center June 20

By Jessica Kallay

Spread it on fresh, fluffy biscuits, stir it into a steamy cup of tea or use it to soothe a sore throat. Honey has been used for a variety of culinary and medicinal applications for centuries, and it’s still in high demand today.

Beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular in cities, suburbs and across rural landscapes throughout the country. Using both traditional and modern tools, today’s beekeepers are providing friends and neighbors with honey while supporting strong pollinator populations.

Rock Eagle 4-H Center, in Eatonton, Georgia, is working with beekeeping expert and Putnam County University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agent Keith Fielder to introduce would-be beekeepers to the tools and skills they need to raise bees.

This workshop, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, is part of the Saturday at the Rock Education Series. Fielder, a lifelong beekeeper and former president of the Georgia Beekeepers Association, will discuss beekeeping basics and offer advice on how to start and maintain a personal colony.

Appropriate for all ages, the cost for the workshop is $5 per person and includes an opportunity to visit the Rock Eagle 4-H Center Natural History Museum, following the activity. Advanced registration is required.

For more information or to register, please contact Rock Eagle Program Specialist Jessica Torhan at (706) 484-4838 or by email at jtorhan1@uga.edu. Different programs take place on the third Saturday of each month as part of the Saturday at the Rock Education Series, excluding December. A complete list of Saturday at the Rock sessions may be found online at: rockeagle4h.org/ee/community/SaturdayattheRock.html.

Rock Eagle 4-H Center

Authors:

Jessica Kallay

Experts/Sources:

Keith Fielder

While bee populations have been declining for the past several decades, urban beekeeping and public awareness of pollinators are on the rise.

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