How many hundreds of times has someone asked you, as a beekeeper, “But don’t the bees sting?”
Next time — instead of going into a long explanation of the gentle nature of honeybees (when they’re not “riled up” by honey thieves or stormy weather) — just tell the curious questioner that we Canadian beekeepers are a tough and fearless crew!
And if someone wants proof?
Direct them to Bobby’s beekeeping photograph album on the New Brunswick Beekeepers Association website.
The Agri-Food Trade Service of the Government of Canada has released a report on opportunities for Canadian producers of mead to market their products in other countries.
With global demand for wine rising and increasing consumer preference for unique and premium wine varieties, the potential for Canadian mead in the global marketplace may expand beyond its current status as a very small niche product.
Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage produced from at least 51% honey, water and yeast. Fruit and berries may be added during or after fermentation, to create a wide variety of meads. Like wine, mead may be sparkling, dry, or sweet.
Commercial mead production is primarily limited to North America and Europe, at present, so Canadian products are well-positioned to compete in the international non-grape wine marketplace.
See:
See also:
The CBC has just put out a brief news item on the up-coming Maritime Bee Tour:
A dwindling bee population will be at the top of the agenda at this weekend’s conference of Maritime beekeepers and bee researchers in northern New Brunswick.
Researchers from as far away as Pennsylvania will present their theories on what caused the decline in the bee population last spring.
The story goes on to quote Paul Vautour as being cautiously optimistic that New Brunswick beekeepers can rebuild our colonies after last winter’s severe losses — and CBA members in the St. John River Valley have noted an excellent honey flow this past month, which is certain to help — “We’re making a comeback, it’s looking good.”
Mike Melanson, who looks after Apiculture at the NB Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture (NBDAFA) explains that he’ll be attending the conference to get a sense of how beekeepers are doing.
See:
Maritime Honey Industry Gathers in Charlo,
CBC News — Friday, July 20, 2007
Central beekeepers will get together at the McKinneys’ place in Maugerville, NB, at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, 18 August 2007, for our regular summer potluck supper and corn boil. Bring your favourite potluck dish and a good appetite!
Also —
Central Beekeepers is looking for photographs of beekeeping or pollination activities that could be enlarged to use in our display booth at the upcoming Fredericton Exhibition, If you’ve got any good beekeeping pictures, please bring them along with you.
20-22 July 2007
Maritime Bee Tour
Charlo, NB
Originally posted April 2007: Planning for the annual Maritime Bee Tour is underway, and the event is set for Charlo, New Brunswick, on the 20 July weekend. Guest speakers will be Dr. Maryann Frazier of Penn State University and Jean Pierre Chapleau. The subject will be Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and practical beekeeping to guard against colony mortality. Ann Vautour and Jacques Levesque are tasked with making arrangements for the Bee Tour, and they will give more details when plans are completed.
Update: The MARITIME APICULTURE SYMPOSIUM AND TOUR agenda for 2007 has now been posted on the News page of the NBBA website, for those planning to go on the Bee Tour.
