# 2011 NE Treatment Free Beekeeping Conference



## deknow

...a review of last year's conference by Kirk Webster:
http://kirkwebster.com/index.php/best-beekeeping-meeting

deknow


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## crcaudle

I'm wondering how much of the focus of the conference is on treatment free beekeeping in the northeast environment vs. general treatment free practices. I'm in the southeast (Western North Carolina) and not using treatments, so I'm trying to assess if there will be enough value to travel there for a week for this conference. :scratch:

Can you provide some insights on this? Thanks!


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## deknow

First off, I'd suggest reading the review from Kirk Webster's site (posted above) if you haven't.

Secondly, if you look at the list of speakers, it includes treatment free beekeepers from Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida/New York, Colorado, Arizona, Texas/South Dakaota and Sweden....and many of these folks have kept bees in other areas of the country as well. We run this event in the northeast because that is where we live, I don't think there is much of a location bias...we certainly get attendees from all over the country (and world). We are building a forum on our website that will act as the "up to date information" conduit for the conference, and I will post the link when it is all set.

deknow


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## crcaudle

Ahhhh... so perhaps having Northeast in the conference name is what threw me... and perhaps others as well. 

So its really the 2011 Treatment Free Beekeeping Conference that happens to be held in the Northeast?


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## deknow

2011 Northeast Treatment Free Beekeeping Conference

July 19-24 465 Litchfield Street, Leominster, Massachusetts

2011 brings year 3 of our annual conference back to Leominster, Massachusetts with a few changes and some familiar faces.

The Doyle Center had been the ideal setting for the last two years, but we have graduated to a larger venue, better kitchen facilities, and a welcoming atmosphere with the Leominster chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and their 14 acre property with large meeting hall for our use and plenty of space for the bees.

Throughout the entire conference, we hire our friends and family (all with professional cooking experience) to cook the most delicious and nutritious food imaginable, 3 meals a day, on site. We trade with local farms and use fresh, locally grown produce (much of it Certified Organic), and although our attendees have diverse eating habits and dietary requirements, we haven’t had anyone who we could not accommodate. Please let us know if you have special requirements.

A review of last year’s conference can be found at www.KirkWebster.com (the review is titled “The Best Beekeeping Meeting I Ever Attended").

The Beginner Beekeeping Intensive was very popular last summer, and we will repeat it this year as an inexpensive crash course (or refresher) for those that want to get up to speed on the biology of the bee and basic beekeeping principles and practices in the least amount of time possible. Tag team instruction by Dean, Sam and Laurie (aka Ramona) for 2 days straight includes both lectures and demonstrations (hands on with the bees weather permitting). Tuesday and Wednesday, July 19 and 20.

Instead of moving directly from the beginners program to the main conference as we did last year, we are hosting a day in between for all attendees (Thursday, July 21)....a "Picnic Table Science Fair" with selected presentations in the "20x20" or PechaKucha format, where each presentation consists of 20 Powerpoint slides (or other visual aids), each one with a 20 second explanation....each presentation is just over 6.5 minutes. This allows for many of our attendees who have unique and interesting areas of knowledge (some beekeeping related, some not) to share with one another. There will also be a place for displays, projects, demonstrations, etc. Al Carl (Massachusetts State Apiarist) has promised to bring by microscopes and equipment to teach tracheal mite dissections and nosema spore counts. We are certain there will be mead making, queen rearing, building equipment, and more.

Thursday night is a special program by Matthew Halley, a bird researcher (doing the most extreme fieldwork imaginable) who is also a singer/songwriter and storyteller of the highest order.

The Main Conference takes place Friday through Sunday (July 22-24). As our theme this year is “Grow Your Own”, the speakers will give special attention to what they have learned through their own adventures that can apply to all of us. Confirmed speakers for 2011:

Dee Lusby: Dee and her late husband Ed are the pioneers of treatment-free beekeeping. Since Ed’s death in 2006, Dee has continued the management of their 700+ honey producing colonies in the Arizona desert where she raises her own queens, builds all her own equipment and produces her own small cell wax foundation. Dee owns the Organic Beekeepers list on Yahoo (which she maintains with a dial-up internet connection) where she shares a wealth of beekeeping information and history. Dee will also be demonstrating her methods for frame positioning and working the hive through the seasons at the Thursday “Picnic Table Science Fair” program.

Kerstin Ebbersten: Retired from her position as the top honeybee scientist with the Swedish government, Kerstin’s dissertation was on breeding honeybees for sustainability. We are looking forward to hearing her perspectives on breeding, and she is also excited to share information on epigenetics and honeybees.

Kirk Webster: Known for his writings in ABJ and Bee Culture over the years, Kirk is a one of a kind. Kirk’s perspective is that beekeeping and farming are inexorably linked, and one cannot be practiced without the other (and that both are incompatible with the pace modern technologies imposes upon us). Kirk runs a lean, self-sustaining operation in Vermont, where he produces honey, nucleus colonies and queens. Kirk pioneered the modern use of overwintering double nucs with summer queens in New England (as practiced by Kirk as well as Michael Palmer). You simply cannot argue with a beekeeper with low overhead and ae history of always running a profit, even in a poor year.

Chris Baldwin: Chris is the only treatment free beekeeper that we know who is migratory (he travels between South Dakota, Texas, and California to the almonds!). As a producer of bees and honey, Chris will talk about the unique challenges migratory beekeeping presents to treatment free beekeeping practices, and the nuts and bolts of what makes his operation work. Chris came to the conference last year as an attendee and his impromptu talks were so well received that we convinced him to come back this year as a full-fledged speaker!

Erik Osterlund: He’s not only a commercial honey producer and breeder, but also is the editor of the Swedish beekeeping journal. Erik brings a European perspective on treatment free beekeeping to Leominster, and is the only beekeeper we know who transitioned to small cell in anticipation of varroa mites. Erik developed and breeds his own line of Elgon bees and has traveled extensively around the world in the pursuit of better beekeeping and better bees.

Corwin Bell: A computer animator/filmmaker by trade, Corwin is a keen observer of honeybee behavior (in the wilds of Boulder, Colorado, and in top bar hives [TBH]), yet has remained refreshingly naïve in terms of what the “experts” “know” about honeybee behavior. His perspective offers a wealth of understanding, a view from a slightly different angle than is the norm. Corwin will share some footage of honeybee behavior and discuss what he sees in well adapted colonies. He also has organized an army of TBH beekeepers and swarm retrievers that is as well organized as any beehive, and he travels the world to witness beekeeping under every condition imaginable.

Sam Comfort: Wherever Sam appears immediately becomes “The Comfort Zone”. The best known (and largest) TBH beekeeper on the East Coast, Sam has an amazingly rich and diverse background in commercial beekeeping (both migratory and stationary) that is an unlikely match to his slight age, easygoing manner, and magnetic personality. His songs about bees, mites, bugs, and monkeys are entertaining for children to at least age 95.

Matthew Halley: We met Matthew in Philly, and were spellbound by his storytelling…bird research had never seemed so exciting. The exotic locations, trials and tribulations are spellbinding enough, but the subjects and results of the research were (surprisingly) as interesting as bee research! Before we parted company, Matthew gave us a CD he had made (mostly songs about birds and bird research)…when we got home and listened to it, we knew we had to have him present, and to open up our study of nature (if only for an evening) a bit wider than the world of bees.

Andrew Joslin: Our long-time friend Andrew is a recreational tree climber and all-around amazing guy, both in his appreciation of the intricacies of nature and his enthusiastic storytelling. Andrew will share some of his unique perspectives on the world we inhabit and share with other creatures, from the perspective of the highest treetops. Andrew is not a beekeeper, but has a foot in the hive already!

Laurie Herboldsheimer and Dean Stiglitz: Co-authors of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beekeeping”, beekeepers, conference organizers, and owners of Golden Rule Honey, Laurie and Dean will be reporting on their ongoing project of building a treatment-free operation in New England. This year, they’ll focus on what has been working for them and their vision for the future.

Beginner’s Intensive – $100.00 (includes 6 meals) 9 am July 19 – 9 pm July 20 (Breakfast at 8:30 am)

Picnic Table Science Fair – Free with registration for either Beginner’s Intensive or Main Conference (includes 3 meals) 9 am July 21 (Breakfast 8:30 am) – 9 pm

Main Conference – - $210 (includes 9 meals) 9 am July 22 – 7 pm July 24 (Breakfast 8:30 am)

Registration details (including limited camping option) can be found at BeeUntoOthers.com. You can register online with a credit/debit card or mail a check or money order to Golden Rule Honey, 168 Fourth Street, Leominster, MA 01453

Questions? Call 978-407-3934 or email [email protected]


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## sqkcrk

What wouyld it cost to attend the Picnic Table Science fair? I have another mtng which I am in charge of, or I would attend the whole weekend. I assume there are Motels nearby?


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## deknow

Tentative Itinerary (subject to change) for the main conference:

Friday July 22

Dean Stiglitz and Laurie Herboldsheimer: Conference Introduction/Progress Towards a Treatment Free Northern Apiary

Kirk Webster: Overwintering Honeybees in the North (and elsewhere)

Corwin Bell: Honeybee Behavioral Observations and Theories…a Fresh View from the Top Bar hive

Kerstin Ebbersten: Breeding Bees For Sustainability- The Legacy of the Queen

Moran Lab: Honeybee Gut Bacteria at Yale University - Learning About Bees and Works In Progress

Erik Osterlund: Critical Thought Through the Lens of the Honeybee



Saturday July 23

Dee Lusby: Treatment-Free Management Q&A’s –Everything You Wanted to Know (And Then Some!)

Kirk Webster: Developing My Northern Apiary – History and Perspective

Sam Comfort: Dr. Comfort’s “School of Top Bar Hive Management and Traveling Medicine Show”

Andrew Munkres: Grow Your Own…How I Grew 1 Treatment-Free Nuc into 70 in 3 Years

Kerstin Ebbersten: Epigenetics In Honeybees…Heritable Traits That Aren’t Genetic

Andrew Joslin: One Foot Over the Hive…A Tree’s Eye View





Sunday July 24

Erik Osterlund: Toward Treatment-Free Beekeeping - A European Perspective

Chris Baldwin: Treatment Free Migratory Beekeeping…A Unique Set of Challenges

Corwin Bell: Beekeeping In Mongolia…and Elsewhere

John Adams: Advances In Ancient Beekeeping

All The Speakers: Queen Rearing Panel Discussion and Q&A’s


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## deknow

2011 Beginner’s Intensive (July 19-20), Picnic Table Science Fair (July 21) and Northeast Treatment-Free Beekeeping Conference (July 22-24) - NEW!!! One-Day Passes Available Soon!!!

Reserve your space now for our 3rd Annual Northeast Treatment-Free Beekeeping Conference in Leominster, MA (July 22-24)! We have several speakers returning, as well as some new additions. The talks will be focused on treatment free beekeeping and this year’s theme of “Grow Your Own”. For those that have attended in the past, this will not simply rehash previous year’s talks. Also, you do not have to keep bees in the northeast to benefit from the conference! We have attendees from all over the country (and even a few from Europe). Leominster is easy to get to either by car or public transit, and there are a variety of affordable places to stay (see the Lodging and Transportation threads on the Forum).
In-depth talks from experienced, treatment-free beekeepers and researchers, daily field work with on-site hives, engaged and knowledgeable attendees, inspiring evening programs, three yummy, nutritious, home-cooked meals a day (NO HFCS!), evening campfires, non-stop talk about bees, even songs about bees and microbes (!) are some of the things you can expect from the conference. For an in depth review of last year’s conference see:
http://www.kirkwebster.com/index.php/best-beekeeping-meeting
Speaker profiles and a tentative schedule is posted below.

The three day conference is $210 and includes free registration for the Picnic Table Science Fair and 3 meals a day. One-day passes are $85 (Friday and Saturday) and $75 (Sunday) and include 3 meals per day.

Sam Comfort will join us in teaching the 2-day Beginner’s Intensive (July 19-20). The intensive is a perfect introduction to beekeeping and will give you a foundation to follow the conference talks, prepare you for your first hives (Langstroth or top bar) or help you to better understand what you have learned about bees so far. We fit a huge amount of information into a very short time so be sure to bring plenty of paper and pens or a spare battery for your laptop…and don’t forget your thinking cap!
The Beginner’s Intensive is $100 and includes free admission to the Picnic Table Science Fair and all meals (including Thursday).

New this year!!! Picnic Table Science Fair!!!
Sandwiched between the beginner’s intensive and the conference (on Thursday, July 21) is the all-new, all-day “Picnic Table Science Fair”. This event is an opportunity for our attendees to share their vast reservoirs of knowledge and expertise through short presentations and displays. Some of the topics to be presented (in the spirit of “Grow your Own”) will include queen rearing, mead making, soil microbes, how scientific research happens, foundation making, fermented vegetables, strange places bees live, long box hives, hive management, bees and microbes. Many of our speakers will have arrived and will be participating as well as being available for questions and conversations. Massachusetts State Apiarist Al Carl will demonstrate honeybee dissection and nosema and tracheal mite detection. Dee Lusby will be demonstrating and discussing her treatment-free management techniques with an emphasis on frame placement, manipulations and orientation through the seasons. We will also be joined by the honeybee microbe research team from the Moran Lab at Yale.
The Picnic Table Science Fair, including 3 meals, is a free event with either a Beginner’s Intensive or Conference registration. One-day passes for the Picnic Table Science Fair are $60 including 3 meals.

Tentative Itinerary (subject to change) for the main conference:

Friday July 22

Dean Stiglitz and Laurie Herboldsheimer: Conference Introduction/Progress Towards a Treatment Free Northern Apiary

Kirk Webster: Overwintering Honeybees in the North (and elsewhere)

Corwin Bell: Honeybee Behavioral Observations and Theories…a Fresh View from the Top Bar hive

Kerstin Ebbersten: Breeding Bees For Sustainability- The Legacy of the Queen

Moran Lab: Honeybee Gut Bacteria at Yale University - Learning About Bees and Works In Progress

Erik Osterlund: Critical Thought Through the Lens of the Honeybee



Saturday July 23

Dee Lusby: Treatment-Free Management Q&A’s –Everything You Wanted to Know (And Then Some!)

Kirk Webster: Developing My Northern Apiary – History and Perspective

Sam Comfort: Dr. Comfort’s “School of Top Bar Hive Management and Traveling Medicine Show”

Andrew Munkres: Grow Your Own…How I Grew 1 Treatment-Free Nuc into 70 in 3 Years

Kerstin Ebbersten: Epigenetics In Honeybees…Heritable Traits That Aren’t Genetic

Andrew Joslin: One Foot Over the Hive…A Tree’s Eye View





Sunday July 24

Erik Osterlund: Toward Treatment-Free Beekeeping - A European Perspective

Chris Baldwin: Treatment Free Migratory Beekeeping…A Unique Set of Challenges

Corwin Bell: Beekeeping In Mongolia…and Elsewhere

John Adams: Advances In Ancient Beekeeping

All The Speakers: Queen Rearing Panel Discussion and Q&A’s

More (and updated) information on all these events can be found on our website:
http://BeeUntoOthers.com/

A PDF poster/flier for the event is available for download here:
http://beeuntoothers.com/ConferencePoster.pdf


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## sqkcrk

Dean,
How did it go? How about a Conference Review?


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## bensambees

For all beeks into and considering treatment free beekeeping, the NorthEast Treatment Free Conference in Leominster, which was held this year 7/21-7/24, is a must in the future for all who can attend (even if you don't live in the North East!).This was the third year of the conference, and I hope it or something like it will be going on for many more years.

No book or even online forum can hold a candle to presentations by and conversations with treatment free beekeepers who have been doing it for years and are the people whose work the movement is built on.

Dee Lusby going off on a tangent for a little while contained so much useful information that it was worth the price of the conference (which included three yummy meals a day).

At least one Treatment Free "support Group" was begun there and the social and support aspects of the conference were just as worthwhile as all the info. Hanging out with 100 or so other beekeepers who also want to be treatment free really recharges a person's batteries.

Oracle, Arizona is the site of another TF conference, begun by Dee Lusby and held annually in March, although I've never been (so far).

Thank you to Dean and Ramona/Laurie for founding, hosting and organizing the conference. It was priceless.

Diane Reedy
Syracuse, NY


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