beekeepers, please read: article from Bee Informed Partnership

Are you ready to survey?

The Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) is a USDA/NIFA (U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture) funded project with the stated goal of reducing colony losses. The program is a collaboration of research institutions, Universities and beekeepers in the US. It is now time for your active participation!
BIP and the nation’s beekeepers, cooperatively seek solutions to reduce colony losses. While some beekeepers are experiencing near normal loss levels, others are experiencing devastating losses. BIP seeks a collective approach to gather and share information on what works and what doesn’t work. We need your participation on two annual electronic surveys, covering both annual colony losses and management strategies. The information, after coming directly from beekeepers, is then analyzed and displayed graphically in a way that is easy to understand.
Beekeepers can find out which management techniques correlate to lower colony loss when beekeepers anonymously share data. More data is always more accurate than less data. Last year’s survey included over 5,000 participating beekeepers sharing information.

As the third year of these surveys approaches, the goal of the partnership is to increase participation and report it so it is more significant and meaningful to beekeepers. This third year of data will enable us to conduct multi-factorial analysis and report results on a more regional basis; especially in states with large participation. Commercial beekeeper data will be separated to highlight this group’s special needs and concerns.
The cost for participating is free. It will take less than 20 minutes to take both surveys. In return, you will have access to the compiled data from all aspects of bee management. The information you enter into the survey is completely anonymous deigned to improve everyone’s beekeeping success.

Go to Beeinformed.org to see what we have gathered so far and sign up for this year’s survey. More Beekeeper participation means more information and more answers. We want you to BEE INFORMED. The surveys will be available beginning March 29th and will stay open until April 15th. For more information, to sign up to participate or to fill out a survey on March 29th, visit beeinformed.org or email Karen Rennich, BIP Project Manager at usbeesurvey@gmail.com

friendly reminder: FSA reminds Montana honey producers of Dec. 3rd NAP deadline for 2013 honey crop

Here’s the press release:

Media Contact:

Jennifer Cole

USDA Montana Farm Service Agency

(406) 587-6786

jennifer.cole@mt.usda.gov

Montana FSA: FSA reminds Montana honey producers of Dec. 3rd NAP deadline for 2013 honey crop; All 2013 acreage reporting deadlines

(Bozeman, Mont., – Nov. 15, 2012) -Bruce Nelson, state executive director for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Montana,urges Montana honey producers who want to purchase 2013 coverage through the Noninsurable Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to do so before the sales closing date of Dec. 3, 2012.

NAP provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields/grazing loss, loss of inventory or prevented planting occur due to normal disasters.

Honey is the only 2013 Montana NAP crop with a Dec. 3, 2012 sales closing date.

All other NAP crops (except honey and value loss crops) have a NAP application sales closing date of March 15, 2013.

“Purchasing a crop insurance policy is an easy way for producers to practice risk management,” Nelson said. “The 2012 crop year has proved that natural disasters can directly affect the profitability and recovery of agricultural operations.”

In order to meet eligibility requirements for NAP, crops must be noninsurable, commercially-produced agricultural commodity crops for which the catastrophic risk protection level of crop insurance is not available. If the CAT level of insurance is available for a particular crop, type, and intended use in the county, then in all cases NAP cannot be offered within that county for any practice of that crop (irrigated, non-irrigated, summer fallow, and continuous crop). For a complete list of eligible NAP crops by county, contact your FSA county office. In the event of a natural disaster, NAP covers the amount of loss greater than 50 percent of the expected production based on the approved yield and reported acreage.

Eligible producers can apply for coverage using form CCC-471, “Application for Coverage”. Producers must file the application and service fee by the Dec. 3rd deadline (for Honey). The service fee is the lesser of $250 per crop or $750 per producer per administrative county, not to exceed a total of $1,875 for a producer with farming interests in multiple counties.

For more information on sales closing dates and NAP, contact your FSA county office.

2013 Acreage Reporting Deadlines for Honey and Other Crops

Montana honey producers are also reminded of an upcoming acreage reporting date for the 2013 honey crop which is part of the four new acreage reporting dates of a national initiative to align acreage reporting dates between FSA and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

Producers must file acreage reports to their FSA office on or before the following deadlines to be considered timely-filed:

• TODAY, Nov. 15, 2012: Apiculture, Perennial Forage, Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF), Native and Tame Pasture, Fall Wheat (HRW) and all other Fall-Seeded Small Grains
• Jan. 2, 2013: (or 30 days after placement of colonies) Honey covered under NAP
• Jan. 15, 2013: Cherries, Established Stand Alfalfa Seed, Fall Alfalfa Seed
• July 15, 2013: Spring Alfalfa Seed, Barley, Canola, Corn, Dry Beans, Dry Peas, Flax, Forage Seeding, Mustard, Spring Oats, Potatoes, Safflower, Sugar Beets, Sunflowers, Spring Wheat, CRP, and allother crops

These are also the same dates for these crops to be reported to crop insurance agents when carrying federal crop insurance.

For more information, visit the state FSA Website at:www.fsa.usda.gov/mt. To sign up for Montana FSA state and county newsletters, updates and press releases through the GovDelivery electronic news service, visithttp://www.fsa.usda.gov/subscribe or contact your local county FSA office for subscription assistance.

 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).

 

please join us for our annual meeting in Bozeman, October 18 – 20 — forms available here!

The Montana State Beekeepers Association will meet in Bozeman, Montana, at the Best Western Plus GranTree Inn.

Here is the convention schedule, and below you’ll find the forms necessary for attendance:

Thursday Oct 18th:

11:00am- 1:00pm: Registration

1:00pm: Alyssa Fine, American Honey Queen

1:30pm: Kevin Frey, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

2:00pm: Jeff Steeger, Montana Department of Transportation

3:00pm: Break

3:30pm: Ron de Yong, Ian Foley, Cam Lay, Dept. of Ag

4:00pm Carolyn Breece, Oregon State University

Friday Oct 19th:

8:00am: Jerry Bromenshank, Bee Alert/ UM

9:00am: Paul Rempel, Bayer Crop Science

10:00am: Break

10:15am Michelle Flenniken, MSU

11:00am Ellen Topitzhofer, Oregon State University

12:00 pm Ladies luncheon (meeting and gift exchange)

Beekeepers luncheon

1:30pm Annual Business Meeting

5:30pm No Host Happy Hour

6:30pm Dinner and Auction (Bring you Auction items)

Saturday Oct 20th:

8:00am Sioux Honey Members Breakfast and Meeting

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Here is the Registration & Dues Form – please email courtney@glaciercountyhoney.com if you’d like this emailed to you as a Word document:

Convention Registration and Dues Form

Oct. 18th –19th, 2011

Best Western Plus GranTree Inn

Registration starts 11:00am

Yes, attending______ No, will not be attending convention_________

- Conference attendees please bring an item to be auctioned

- At the door late registration fee of $25

- Sorry no late refunds

Ladies Auxiliary Luncheon _____@ $15.00 Total__________

(Please bring a $15 exchange gift)

Beekeeper’s Luncheon _____@ $15.00 Total__________

Friday night Banquet

Top Sirloin ______@ $30.00 Total__________

Chicken Cordon Bleu______@ $30.00 Total__________

Kid’s plate chicken tenders _____ @ $15.00 Total__________

Membership Dues (from first page) Total__________

Check #__________ Total Enclosed__________

Please make checks payable to: Montana State Beekeepers Association

Would you like your name included in the Montana State Beekeepers Directory and Website? Yes No

Rooms blocked under Montana State Beekeepers Association

$93.00 room rate

Best Western Plus GranTree Inn

1325 N 7th Ave

Bozeman, MT

(406) 587-5261

1-800-6245865

**********************************************************************************************************************

Montana State Beekeepers Association est. 1915

6953 Hwy 25, Wolf Point, MT 59201

Membership Registration Form

2012 Dues

 

Name________________________________________________

Company Name________________________________________

Mailing Address________________________________________

City__________________State______Zip___________________

Phone number__________________________________________

E-mail________________________________________________

Suggested Annual Dues:

Up to 300 colonies                              $25.00             __________

301 to 500 colonies                             $45.00             __________

501 colonies and over                         $75.00             __________

Dealers, Handlers, Packers, ect.          $50.00             __________

Sustaining Member                             $100.00           __________

Additional Members(each)                 $10.00             __________(list below)

(included under Company’s membership)

Ladies Auxiliary                                 $5.00               __________

Total Dues for 2012                                                  $_________

Additional Membership Cards

 

Name_______________________________________________

Mailing Address______________________________________

City_________________State______Zip__________________

Name_______________________________________________

Mailing Address______________________________________

City_________________State______Zip__________________

Name_______________________________________________

Mailing Address______________________________________

City_________________State______Zip__________________

Again, please e-mail Courtney Fullerton (courtney@glaciercountyhoney.com) if you’d like these forms emailed to you in Word.  Hope to see you in Bozeman!

2012.  Montana State Beekeepers Association.  All Rights Reserved.

help celebrate National Honey Month – with help from the National Honey Board

2012.  Montana State Beekeepers Association.  All Rights Reserved.

SAVE THE DATE! Yearly Convention Dates Announced

The Montana State Beekeepers Association will convene for its annual meeting October 18 and 19th in Bozeman at the Best Western Plus GranTree Hotel.  Call 406/587-5261 to make your reservations!

freebies from the National Honey Board!

If you’re in need of literature to educate your customers about the overall fabulous-ness of honey, or in need of decals to advertise the same, please contact the National Honey Board for sample freebies.  Information is below.

2012.  Montana State Beekeepers Assoc.  All Rights Reserved.

Montana State Beekeepers Association … Now Online!

Welcome to the Official Montana State Beekeepers Association webpage!

We hope that this page will become a resource for Montana beekeepers and friends.

If you are a member and would like to be added to the Directory, please send your information to courtney (at) glaciercountyhoney (dot) com.  Information may include name, business name, phone number(s), fax number, address, e-mail address, and website address.

If you are a member and would like to submit photographs for this site, please e-mail them to courtney (at) glaciercountyhoney (dot) com.

If you are a member and have suggestions on what content should be included on this site (for example – links to the American Honey Producers Association, the American Beekeeping Federation, the American Honey Queen Program, Western Bee Supplies? beekeeping photo bloopers page? post minutes from the annual meeting?, etc), please e-mail them to courtney (at) glaciercountyhoney (dot) com.

Please check back as we add information, announcements, and more!  You can receive updated blog posts by e-mail by clicking the box at the top right of this page, too.

2011.  Photo credit to Glacier County Honey Co.  All Rights Reserved.