In depth Beekeeping workshop- Saturday 28 September 2019

Description

What:

The class will dive deep into the knowledge required for keeping a happy, healthy and productive beehive. After discussing the different beekeeping methods, you will learn what will suit you. Next you will learn where to put your hive, how to get bees and how to get them into your hives. Beehive stewardship centres around inspections, knowing what to look for and how-to problem solve what you find. You will learn about reading a hive, pests and diseases, resource and swarm management will enable you to begin your beekeeping journey. Honey is a wonderful sweet reward for your work and you will learn about honey extraction, storage, and how to best present it.

In the second half of the day we will suit up and open a beehive. You will learn how to use smoke and other methods to calm the bees. We will do a full hive inspection, looking for signs of pests, brood, swarm cells and honey stores. If we’re lucky we may even see a queen. You will have a hands-on experience, up close and inside a hive.

This class includes a morning tea and lunch and some take home notes. It will also include a tasting of honey including local and international flavours, and hopefully some direct from the hive. This class is for the person seriously considering getting a beehive or wanting to learn more about beekeeping. This class does benefit from participation in the 3 hour “A Taste of Beekeeping”, although it can be taken without this.

About the facilitators:

Andrea Rashbrook has been a beekeeper for 12 years. She began as a hobby beekeeper in Italy. Beekeeping is addictive though, and Andrea now manages over 20 hives from Helensburgh to the Green Connect Farm. She works alongside Claire as Austinmer Beekeeper. Having started in Europe, Andrea is familiar with a variety of methods and problems unknown here in the Illawarra. She finds Australia a delightfully simple place to manage bees by comparison.

Claire Brown trained as an Environmental Scientist and a Science Teacher at UOW before discovering a passion for bees. She has Langstroth, Flow and Warrel beehives and is interested in the way’s bees react to different styles of beekeeping. She has found learning about bees and seeing the amazing way they build and communicate to be a very interesting project amongst the day to day of bringing up two small children. Claire also keeps native bees and loves learning about the multitude of native pollinators in her permaculture garden. Claire has found beekeeping to be an activity which brings mindfulness, calm and focus to the day.

When: Saturday 28 September 2019 9am-4pm

What to bring:

• Enclosed shoes for every attendee
• Sun hat and sunscreen
• Water

Weather: Please note that if the weather has been particularly wet the farm might be muddy and wet so make sure to dress appropriately.

Notice:  We have a number of animals on our farm including pigs, sheep and chickens. We also have beehives (please notify us if you are allergic) and the occasional snake. This tour explores the Green Connect farm in depth, it does require walking through muddy ground, up hills and on uneven surfaces, if you have mobility or health issues please contact the team on 4243 1537 or enquiries@green-connect.com.au to see if this tour is right for you.