Still looking for a great gift for the holiday season? How about the gift of education and beekeeping experience? With all the opportunities the UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab has to offer, we decided to make it easy and break it down for you!
(Please note: these are our Spring 2020 workshops)
UF/IFAS Master Beekeeper Program
[Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Photos]
Cost
“Apprentice” level: $250
Date: Anytime- learn at your own pace
Location: Your own home!
The UF/IFAS Master Beekeeper Program-Apprentice Level online course is the entrance into the UF/IFAS Master Beekeeper Program (MBP). It will introduce you to the goals of the MBP, explore the early decisions that beekeepers have to make regarding equipment, stocks of bees, and apiary location, specifically relate honey bee biology to the management practices of beekeepers, discuss beekeeping basics like requeening and splitting, and introduce you to the yearly stressors that typically impact honey bee colonies. You are encouraged to begin this course before you ever start beekeeping and to participate in the course throughout your first year in beekeeping (although this is not necessary). All levels of beekeeping experience are welcome, but everyone who wants to join the MBP must start at the Apprentice level. This course should prepare you to obtain and begin to care for your first few hives of bees.
For more information: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/extension/events-and-activities/master-beekeeper-program/
UF/IFAS Bee College
[Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Photos]
Cost
Early Bird Two Day (Early Bird Ends January 13, 2020): $150
Early Bird One Day: $100
Date: March 6 & 7, 2020
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Bee College is our largest event! A two day conference style training event for beekeepers of all experience levels held in Gainesville, FL. Bee College participants get the opportunity to learn about honey bees and beekeeping from the state’s experts. Class topics include beginner beekeeping courses, in-hive skill practice, research updates, native bees, pollinator plants, craft making, and more! Classes vary from classroom to hands-on workshops.
For more information:http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/extension/events-and-activities/bee-college/
UF/IFAS Honey Judge Program
[Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Photos]
Cost
Introductory Training: $100
Advanced Honey Judge Training: $100
Both: $150
Date: March 6 & 7, 2020
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Do you sell your honey and/or honey products? Would you like to enhance the quality of your value-added products? The UF/IFAS Honey Judge Program is a training and certification program for honey show judges. Participants in the program learn the art and science of judging honey, candles, mead, and much more using the time-honored judging traditions initially developed in Wales.
There are three levels in the UF/IFAS Honey Judge Program:
Honey Judge Candidate
Certified Honey Judge
Senior Honey Judge
For more information:http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/extension/events-and-activities/ufifas-honey-judge-program/
Honey Sensory Analysis Training
[Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Photos]
Cost
Workshop 1: $65
Workshop 2: $65
Both workshops: $115
Date: March 7 & 8, 2020
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Presented by Raffaele Dall’Olio, Italian Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey. In the last century, sensory analysis has developed into a scientific discipline and the most important branch of this discipline is nowadays applied to food. Originating in France in the late ’70s, honey sensory analysis has evolved substantially. In Italy, the science of honey tasting has progressed rapidly with over 30 different single-origin honeys characterized with a specific sensory profile and honey sensory experts officially trained through a National Registry managed by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Thanks to sensory assessment, the quality of Italian honey has improved and increased in value on the market. Honey is no longer just known as the “noble sweetener” but as food or ingredient in a wide range of products. This workshop will allow participants through practical honey tasting exercises, to become familiar with the basic understanding of the honey tasting and honey characterization techniques used to distinguish some single origin European and North American honeys.
For more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/honey-sensory-analysis-workshop-tickets-82864075681
UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory Tour
[Photo Credit: Amy Vu, UF Honey Bee Lab]
Cost: FREE!
Date: Every first Wednesday of the month beginning February 2020
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Open facility tours for individuals or small groups are available on the first Wednesday of every month, starting at 3:45pm. Each tour is limited to 30 people. By signing up ahead of time, you will ensure yourself a spot on a tour. Walk-ins are also permitted, but tour space is not guaranteed. Sign up here.
For more information: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/about-us/facilities/
More information can be found at www.ufhoneybee.com
0
