Honey Competition & September Meeting

Hello Everyone!!  Hope this finds you with the bees buzzing and the honey flowing.  Your officers met Aug 3rd to discuss the honey competition and events for the remainder of the year.  We have some exciting meetings in store & hope you'll attend, participate, & help out.

First things first. 

August 10th will be our meeting date and honey competition.  We'll be at the U of I extension in Effingham at 6:30 p.m.  Please feel free to bring friends & snacks to share. 

*****Honey Competition****


Categories for the honey competition will be:
           Light
           Medium Amber
           Dark Amber
           Comb Honey

Liquid honey must be in 1# queen line glass jars to be eligible for judging.

 Everyone will be invited to taste the honey after judging has taken place. 

****Honey Products Competition****

We would also like to invite you to participate in a honey products competition.

Bring your best baked goods made with honey as an ingredient.  

1 - copy of the recipe for the judges is required to be eligible for judging.

Everyone will be invited to taste the goodies after judging has taken place.  

If you plan to participate in either competition please plan to arrive a little early to sign competition entry forms. 

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place certificates will be awarded in each honey category & overall for baked goods.  Winners will be announced immediately following judging.  Certificates will be given at the September meeting.

While judging is taking place we will discuss honey labeling, presentation & adulteration & watch a short video about honey.

We had hoped to open this years event to the public.  However, getting the proper permits etc.... proved to be more difficult than we anticipated.  We have a good start on next years competition & still plan future expansion. 

Upcoming Events

September will be a "beesy" month.

September 12th We will be hosting a Family Field Day at Ballard Nature Center in Altamont.  We will need volunteers for the following:
     - to help with short (15-20 min) bee related presentations for children & their families.
     - to be attendants at a welcome station/booth with our clubs info

We will have a sign up sheet at the August meeting & I will post more detailed info. shortly. 

September 14th Will be our regular monthly meeting.  We will discuss winterizing, fall feeding, and mite treatment.  

We look forward to seeing you at these events!!  

Upcoming Meeting & Events

Hi Everyone,

Hope this finds your bees doing well & surviving the summer heat!!

Just a reminder that our next meeting is Aug 10th at 6:30 pm @ the U of I extension in Effingham.  It's free & open to the public.  We're still working out the details of the honey competition & will post details as soon as they're all ironed out.

Please feel free to bring a friend.

Hope to see you there!!

Michelle

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone.  Hope you enjoyed some fireworks, time with family and friends, & took some time to reflect on the significance of the day.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the ISBA summer meeting.  We appreciate your help & hope you enjoyed the day & learned a lot.  

Just a reminder that our next meeting is Monday July 13th at 6:30 p.m.  Dave will be presenting on European Foul Brood.  Please feel free to bring a friend & a snack to share.  The more the merrier.

If you have ideas or suggestions concerning the upcoming honey tasting & contest we'd love to hear them. 

Happy Beekeeping!!
Michelle

REMINDER:

Reminder: The ISBA summer meeting is this weekend.  The deadline for preregistration has passed.  However, you can still come & participate.  Please see below for details.  If you would like to help w/ our clubs responsibilities for the day, beverage pick up, meal pick up, trash, & water jugs, we will be meeting at the park between 7 & 7:30 am to divide & conquer any & all help is welcome.  If you have a large water jug we can borrow please bring it.  Thank you. ISBA Summer Meeting:   ~Sign up for lunch and dinner! (Please Read the Blurb Below) ~Bake a batch of morning snacks for an extra chance to win door prizes, raffles, and enter your baked goods in the "Made with Honey" Baking Contest. (Please Read the Blurb Below)   Here is the link to info about the summer meeting, and the registration form:   http://www.ilsba.com/summary-of-events.html   June 27, 2015  -  ISBA Annual Summer Meeting                             Evergreen Hollow Park,  Brown Pavilion                             1110 Pelican Street,  Effingham, IL The registration form should be postmarked by June 15, 2015 if you are including a meal with the registration.    Walk in registrations for the Summer Meeting will be accepted, but a meal may not be available.  There will be live colonies onsite for various demonstrations, so please remember to bring your veil or any other protective equipment with you if you plan to take part in the apiary sessions. After the meeting concludes,  an Evening Dinner/Jamboree will commence.   The cost for the Evening Event is $6 and the meal is included (BBQ & Fried Chicken).   For those coming a long distance, one of the motels you can reserve at room at can be found at the below link: Lexington Inn and Suites - Effingham, IL   The Baker’s Challenge "The Baker's Challenge ~ Mid-Morning Snack Buffet" All attendees are invited to participate in “The Baker's Challenge.” It is a beekeepers' tradition in Southern Illinois to create a pot-luck refreshment table with as many homemade items as we can. We are extending an invitation to all who are attending to participate in the Baker's Challenge. An extra door prize ticket will be awarded to those who bring a dozen muffins, a dozen cookies, a cake or similar item. If you want to further increase your chances of winning a door prize, bake more! For every batch of a dozen muffins or cookies, you will get another door prize ticket. Items baked with honey are eligible for the 'Made With Honey' Bakers Competition, which will be judged and awarded at the mid-morning break."     Evening Picnic/Jamboree   The Evening Picnic and Jamboree will be held onsite following the Summer Meeting. Stay and enjoy live performances from beekeeper-musicians Rog n Bob, and Kent Williams. Enjoy another delicious buffet meal (Fried Chicken & BBQ Pork, sides and drinks included) for $6 per person   Thank you! Hope to see you at the ISBA Summer Meeting! -Eleanor The 2015 HAS convention is in Michigan July 9-11.  For details please visit. http://www.heartlandbees.org Crossroads Beekeepers: Our next meeting will be July 13th at the U of I extension in Effingham at 6:30 pm.  It is free & open to the public.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  Please bring a snack to share. Our honey tasting & competition is rapidly approaching.  We would like to open it to the public & invite other clubs to participate.  If you have ideas/connections regarding this event or its location, we'd like to hear from you.  We would like to have vendors but keep it specifically honey, bees, and hive products. We look forward to seeing you at the ISBA summer meeting & at the next CBA meeting. Happy Beekeeping!!

ISBA Summer Meeting

Hello Beekeepers!!!  I got the e-mail below from Eleanor and she asked me to share it with you.  We hope to see you at the summer meeting.

Happy Beekeeping!!

Michelle

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Eleanor Schumacher" <bubblebubb@gmail.com>
Date: Jun 15, 2015 2:50 PM
Subject: Illinois State Beekeepers Association Summer Meeting, June 27th - Register today!
To: "Eleanor Schumacher" <bubblebubb@gmail.com>
Cc:

Hello Beekeepers,

Just a note that today is the last day to sign up for meals at the ISBA Summer Meeting. If you are planning on coming, but don't have time to send in your registration today, you are still welcome to attend, but will not have a meal ticket. (If you miss this deadline, but still send your registration in this week, you can still sign up for meals, if you call Eleanor - I can try to arrange it).

~Sign up for lunch and dinner! (Please Read the Blurb Below)

~Bake a batch of morning snacks for an extra chance to win door prizes, raffles, and enter your baked goods in the "Made with Honey" Baking Contest. (Please Read the Blurb Below)

Here is the link to info about the summer meeting, and the registration form:

http://www.ilsba.com/summary-of-events.html

June 27, 2015  -  ISBA Annual Summer Meeting
                            Evergreen Hollow Park,  Brown Pavilion
                            1110 Pelican Street,  Effingham, IL

The registration form should be postmarked by June 15, 2015 if you are including a meal with the registration.    Walk in registrations for the Summer Meeting will be accepted, but a meal may not be available.  

There will be live colonies onsite for various demonstrations, so please remember to bring your veil or any other protective equipment with you if you plan to take part in the apiary sessions.

After the meeting concludes,  an Evening Dinner/Jamboree will commence.   The cost for the Evening Event is $6 and the meal is included (BBQ & Fried Chicken).  
For those coming a long distance, one of the motels you can reserve at room at can be found at the below link:

Lexington Inn and Suites - Effingham, IL

The Baker’s Challenge

"The Baker's Challenge ~ Mid-Morning Snack Buffet"

All attendees are invited to participate in “The Baker's Challenge.”

It is a beekeepers' tradition in Southern Illinois to create a pot-luck refreshment table with as many homemade items as we can.

We are extending an invitation to all who are attending to participate in the Baker's Challenge. An extra door prize ticket will be awarded to those who bring a dozen muffins, a dozen cookies, a cake or similar item. If you want to further increase your chances of winning a door prize, bake more!

For every batch of a dozen muffins or cookies, you will get another door prize ticket. Items baked with honey are eligible for the 'Made With Honey' Bakers Competition, which will be judged and awarded at the mid-morning break."

Evening Picnic/Jamboree

The Evening Picnic and Jamboree will be held onsite following the Summer Meeting. Stay and enjoy live performances from beekeeper-musicians Rog n Bob, and Kent Williams. Enjoy another delicious buffet meal (Fried Chicken & BBQ Pork, sides and drinks included) for $6 per person

Thank you! Hope to see you at the ISBA Summer Meeting!

-Eleanor

June Meeting & Upcoming Events

Hello Beekeepers!!  I hope this finds your summer and your beekeeping going well. 

Just a reminder that our meeting will be tomorrow, Monday June 8th, at the U of I extension in Effingham at 6:30 pm.  Please feel free to bring a guest and or a snack to share. 

Eleanor Schumacher, State of IL hive inspector, will be speaking on the topic of her choice.  She has experience with Africanized Bees & has recently presented on prairie restoration, European Foul Brood, and Queen bees.  She is a wealth of knowledge.

Dave will also have the jars available if you are planning to participate in the honey judging contest.  We would like to have all entries submitted in uniform jars. 

REMINDER:

The 2015 ISBA Annual Summer Meeting will be on June 27, 2015 in Effingham, Illinois.    The registration form and agenda for the 2015 Summer meeting are posted on the ISBA website at the below link and will also be included as inserts in the ISBA Bulletin being mailed to you

http://www.ilsba.com/summary-of-events.html

Scroll down to the June 27, 2015 date under the Downstate listings.

Registrations which include a meal reservation must be postmarked by June 15, 2015.   Walk in registrations will be accepted on the day of the event, but a ticket for the meal will not be available.

The 2015 Summer Meeting is being hosted by several Southern Region ISBA affiliated beekeeping associations.   The meeting this year will be an outdoor venue.  The shelter/pavilion can accommodate up to 150 attendees.

If you signed up to help w/ this event, we'll need to touch base with you concerning this.  Thank you. 

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow night!!

May Meeting Reminder & Upcoming Events

Happy Mothers Day everyone!!  We hope you enjoyed the day & were able to enjoy time and celebrate the special women in your life.

Reminder that the monthly meeting for May is tomorrow, Monday the 11th at 6:30 pm at the U of I extension.

Dave will be bringing the new extraction equipment.  He will talk about what it is and how to use it.  If you are a dues paid member, use of the equipment is included in your membership.  There will be an instruction sheet & contract to sign for those who check out and use the equipment.  We ask that you treat it gently & with respect & return it in a timely fashion, clean & in good working condition.

There will also be a summary about swarm controls.  Tis the season.

The ISBA Board met in Springfield, and have invited the Southern Illinois beekeepers clubs to participate in creating and hosting the Summer Meeting. 

Here are the details:

When: Saturday, June 27th, 2015

Where: The Brown Pavilion at Effingham Community Park, East Temple Avenue, Effingham, IL 62401 - this pavilion holds 100 -150 people.

Link to park website:   http://www.effinghamparkdistrict.org/facilities/pavilions.aspx  

The park on Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Community+Park/@39.12501,-88.532965,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x8873976b5c6cafdd:0xd785d4ef88b9e48 

Who will speak?: Mark Antunes, prior president of Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association, who will present on "The Irradiation of Bee Hives for Sterilization". 

Catering: Niemerg's Steak House – pick up. Please look at their delicious menu: http://niemergssteakhouse.com/wordpress/?page_id=1990 >

Crossroads Beekeepers will be taking care of hospitality for the attendees.
We will be in charge of refreshments and drinking water, picking up the catering and placement and disposal of garbage bags, etc.

We hope if you joined us for bee school that we'll continue to see you at the monthly meetings.  If you've recently joined or been a member for a while thank you for your continued support.

Happy Beekeeping!!