Good day members,
It is another stormy day here in our province. Lately, this is the only type of day it seems I can get these types of tasks done. With Christmas fast approaching, it is natural for our thoughts to turn toward family, friends, and get togethers and I would like to take a moment to mention that. Forgiveness and second chances go a lot further during the holidays so let me encourage you, from one beekeeper to another, to maybe give that family member or that friend another try. T’is the season after all.
Now, let’s get down to business. I have to admit that board meetings during harvest and winter prep time are a tricky endeavour. However, your board members are “soldiering on” on many fronts including AGM prep, research and education investments, and ATTTA continuation to name a few. Let’s take a closer look at those three:
- The upcoming AGM is particularly exciting as it is the first in-person meeting our association has been able to have in 3 years. The board is busy lining up speakers, renting a wonderful venue (to be announced) and making sure the needs of our membership will be addressed. With all the changes that are happening (involving veterinarians in your practice, miticide resistance, and updates from all parts of our industry), this is an AGM you won’t want to miss!
- We have found another place to invest our research and education monies in the form of understanding shrews - the damage they do and how to better (and more affordably) reduce their impact on our honeybees. Thanks to connections from PhD Andrew Byers at ATTTA we have teamed up with Dr. Don Stewart, Professor at the Department of Biology at Acadia University to help us get to the bottom of this rodent problem. We look forward to sharing the findings with you in the year to come!
- Our dear friends at ATTTA are coming to the end of their 5-year funding cycle and are seeking another 5 years of funding from our Provincial and Federal governments. The NSBA has agreed to do our part to help them meet their industry funding requirements of 15%. We are joined by other similar groups around the east coast in a rallying effort to show the government just how important it is to keep this extremely beneficial resource here in Atlantic Canada. This will ensure that the unique needs of beekeeping in our area and climate are properly researched and handled. This just highlights one more example of how Nova Scotia, and indeed Atlantic Canada, has teamed up to show that we are better together.
A big thank you to our private sponsors and to Compass Distilleries who continues to donate $1 from every bottle sold of their flag ship beverage, Royal Gin. These donations make a big difference in our research and education fund every year. Also, the association could not continue the way it does without the assistance of our sponsors:
• Golden Green (Silver),
• Farm Credit Canada (Silver),
• Dancing Bee (Bronze),
• Dalhousie University Extended Learning (Bronze), and
• Perennia (Bronze)
If you or someone you know would like to donate to the NSBA Research and Education fund, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any member of your board at any time.
As your president, let me assure you that you can be proud of your board members and impressed with the time they are volunteering for the benefit of all beekeepers here in Nova Scotia and, more specifically, you our member. If there’s a way that you can express your thanks to them, let me encourage you to do so. A word of encouragement given in appreciation is no small thing.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us here on the board to you. May your holiday be filled with love.