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Come join us in discovering the amazing world of honeybees.
These workshops were designed support new beekeepers through the first season and meant to b e taken as a series. Participants have an opportunity to learn this fascinating skill with the support the instructor and a community of other new beekeepers.
Class materials and methods will focus on the Top Bar Hive, a natural means of raising bees. Top Bar Hives are an appropri¬ate technology hive; they have proven to be a great system for backyard and small scale hobbyist. All hive methods can be taught and addressed.
Instructor Julie Finley Ridinger has been working with Growing Gardens for 10 years as a grower and beekeeper with the Cultiva! Beekeeping Program; she has been raising her own bees for 13 years.
All proceeds from the class, hives and bee package sales support the Beekeeping Project with ¡Cultiva! Youth Project of Growing Gardens.
Location: Classes are held at the Growing Gardens Greenhouse 1630 Hawthorn Ave Boulder, CO 80304
Time: 9 to 12
Cost: $400 per person this includes a $40 instructional materials fee and supplies. Beekeepers with some experienced are welcome to register and drop-in any class for a fee of $60.00
To register go to www.growinggardens.org or to ask questions about registering email
or a call Julie at 303 443 9952 ext 3.
Now is the time to come to the aid of honey bees perhaps at no other time have honeybees needed the support of new allies and backyard beekeepers.
| Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvelous error!—that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures. -- Antonio Machado |
Online registration instructions.
Class Structure: 
- 8 classes, one Saturday per month March - October.
- 3 hour sessions include discussions of current activity in the hive followed by practice and observation in the bee yard.
- Classes will be held at the Growing Gardens Greenhouse, 1630 Hawthorn Boulder, Co.
- Note: The July- August sessions are practical labs. These labs are “off-site” in Louisville.
- Informational material will be provided at each session.
- Experienced beekeepers are welcome to drop-in any class for fee of $60.00.
Cost:
- $400 per person. This includes a $40 instructional materials fee.
Directions for online registration; or for more information,
please give Julie a call at 303-443-9952 x.2
Class Schedule and Content Brief
Class I – Intro to Top Bar Beekeeping
Date: Saturday, March 5, 2011; Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
This class will cover expectations, introduction to keeping bees in your back yard. We will have an opportunity to meet our fellow beekeepers. There will be a demonstration hive available for inspection and plans for building your own top bar hive. Hives and package bees are also available for order/purchase.
Class II – Bee Basic
Date: Saturday, April 2, 2011; Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
In this class we will focus on basic honeybee biology, the caste and rolls of bees that live in a colony and cover the ecology of honeybees. In the lab we will learn about hive preparation, location, how to install packaged bees or swarms, and what to look for in your new expanding colony. Hives and package bees are also available for order/purchase.
Class III - Honeybee Colony Care I
Date: Sunday, May 7, 2011; Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
In this class we will share how our colonies are settling in. You will learn how to handle combs, trouble-shoot problems, manage build-up, and maintain the overall health. The lab will apply the knowledge gained from the class through hands-on beekeeping.
Class IV - Honeybee Colony Care II
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2011; Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
We will review how to maintain healthy colonies and discuss nectar sources and methods of understanding nectar flows. In the lab we will review proper handling of the combs, assessing queen vitality and brood development and we will learn how to observe brood patterns and colony strength through the seasons.
Class V – Practical Lab I
Date: Saturday, July 9, 2011; Time: 9:00am-1:00pm *off-site*
In this lab you will have the opportunity to gain confidence and familiarity with honeybees and learn how to work a top-bar hive successfully. You will gain knowledge in how to manage hives for optimum honey production and colony health. We may begin to harvest ¡Cultiva! honeycomb for Farmer’s Market sales.
Class VI – Practical Lab II
Date: Saturday, August 6, 2011; Time: 9:00am-1:00pm *off-site*
This lab will give you a chance to improve your skills and gain more experience handling combs and bees. We may be able to harvest honey. We will discuss and practice sustainable techniques for monitoring and preventing diseases and parasites.
Class VII – Fall and Winter Care Lab
Date: Saturday, September 10, 2011; Time: 9:00am-1:00pm
In this class we will review methods and preparations for maintaining a healthy hive. We will also learn alternative honey processing techniques. We will also learn the steps needed to prepare the hives for winter and demonstrate a variety of winterization techniques unique to top bar hive management.
Class VIII – Honeybees Give Us More Than Honey
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2011; Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Here we will learn how to process wax and how to make mold candles, salves and lip balms. This practical lab will be devoted to making samples of these various products and enjoying the fruits of your labor.
You can download and print this page as a flyer:
Thank you, for your interest in honeybees, Growing Gardens, and our relationship to community,
Julie Finley Ridinger 303-443-9952, ext.2