Almost all farms, gardens to hayfields, are dependent upon pollination in some way. Learning how to manage a healthy beehive can help ensure the success of any crop dependent upon pollinators for survival. During this workshop you'll learn what is needed to get started as a beekeeper and provide reliable pollination for your crops. Topics covered include equipment, "livestock", managing the honey flow, harvest, and how to deal with the challenges facing modern-day beekeepers including colony collapse disorder.

About the teachers:

Jeff Littlefield is a researcher at Montana State University.  He first became interested in honeybees when he was attending Idaho State University in Moscow, Idaho.  At that time, the university had colonies, and the students were able to learn about bees in a hands-on setting.  Later, when attending the University of Wyoming, Dr. Littlefield was able to learn even more about honeybees.  His interest has continued, and expanded as a result of interactions with apiary professionals in Montana.

Ian Foley is the State Entomologist at the Montana Department of Agriculture.  In this capacity, Ian is responsible for a major portion of the regulation of the honeybee industry in Montana, to assist beekeepers in maintaining the health of their bees.  Ian is relatively new to the business of bees, but has explored many aspects of entomology, both from a practical and regulatory view.  His explorations of insects have taken him to islands in the Caribbean, to Europe, Malaysia, and other places, as well as to many places in the U. S. 

Patty Denke is the former State Entomologist, and is currently the Supervisor of the Pest Management Section and the Montana Department of Agriculture.  Patty also attended the University of Wyoming, where she was able to work with bees, and take classes from researchers at the Honeybee Disease Research Laboratory, and U.S.D.A. facility located there at the time.  She grew up on a ranch with honeybees around, and still enjoys bees, although she is now very allergic to them!

Dick Molenda is the proprietor of Western Bee, a bee supply company in Polson, Montana.  His operation supplies a large portion of the wooden ware for beekeepers throughout the western U.S.  In addition, Dick and his family offer their expertise through a question - answer page on their website, and assist people, especially hobbyists, and new beekeepers in obtaining their bees.

When: Saturday, March 7 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: Broadwater County fairgrounds, 4-H Community Building (2 miles east of Townsend)
Cost: $25 for adults, $10 for children 14 and under
Register: Pre-registration encouraged for lunch count, call 406-266-9242 or download information at www.msuextension.org and mail your check by March 2.
For more information on the workshop, contact Virginia Knerr, acxvk@montana.edu, 406-266-9242.