August BCBC Meeting 8/13/2026
Good day Beekeepers,
The August meeting of the Bennington County Beekeepers Club will be held at The Canfield Library in Arlington.
We are excited to host Brooke Decker who will be updating us on the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets' Apiary Program. We will meet at 6:30 for a potluck and at 7:00 have a brief meeting before the presentation.
Tunbridge World’s Fair
September 17-20, 2026
The VBA Fair Committee is once again soliciting honey and other bee-related products to be sold at the Tunbridge Fair. This activity is the largest annual fund-raiser and promotional event for the VBA. Last year over 30,000 people were in attendance, and our booth is very popular with fair goers.
Please consider selling some of your honey or honey related products at the fair for an 80/20 percent split with VBA. We will be selling one pound jars for $15 retail. That means $12 for you and $3 for the VBA. It’s excellent exposure for your products and helps VBA cover Fair expenses, promote Vermont honey and make a slight profit. You can set your price for other honey related products you may wish to sell. Check our website for details and drop off locations. It’s a long article but please read through it. Please contact Mary Stoddard for any questions.
Many thanks,
Tunbridge Fair Committee
VBA workshops and events for the month of August
Join the Vermont Bee Lab to learn about UBeeO, a way to measure hygienic behavior in bees! In this workshop, we will demonstrate how to perform UBeeO assays and hopefully find some high-scoring colonies.
We will discuss guidelines for reliable testing in the Northeast and discuss our experience using UBeeO in various selection programs.
The VBA’s monthly Board Meeting is open to all. Zoom info is available on the VBA website.
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Join Vermont Honey & Help Showcase Vermont Beekeeping
Dear Vermont Beekeepers Association Members,
If you are producing honey in Vermont, we’d like to invite you to join VermontHoney.org, a platform developed by VBA to support Vermont beekeepers and strengthen public awareness and access to locally produced honey.
By creating a custom profile on the site, you will be able to:
Showcase your apiary or honey operation to the public
Add a pin to our interactive map, helping consumers find where they can purchase your honey products (if you sell honey)
Contribute to broader efforts to increase public awareness about honey production and the importance of beekeeping in Vermont
Whether you're a hobbyist, sideliner, or commercial beekeeper, your participation strengthens the visibility of Vermont's honey industry. If you sell honey or other hive products, your profile can help customers discover your business and connect with local producers.
Even if you do not sell honey, we strongly encourage you to create a profile on Vermont honey. It helps the public connect faces and stories to the important work beekeepers are doing across the state, while elevating the beekeeping industry in Vermont.
**Fill out our annual Vermont Honey questionnaire on our website VermontHoney.org
This questionnaire collects all information needed to create your new profile on VermontHoney.org and helps us share the story of Vermont beekeeping with consumers across the state. Your responses may be used to create a feature about you and your operation on Vermont Honey's social media. These posts highlight Vermont beekeepers and promote locally produced honey and hive products.
The survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. Please provide as much information as you're comfortable sharing.
Additionally, we are always looking for original written articles about Vermont honey to feature on our website. We welcome submissions on topics such as recipes, personal beekeeping stories, the importance of bees, the benefits of honey, and other insights from knowledgeable contributors like you. If you are interested in sharing your ideas or submitting an article, please send your proposals and/or completed pieces to markets@vermontbeekeepers.org.
Thank you for your participation. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Warm regards,
Vermont Beekeepers Association
BCBC Monthly Meeting Location Change for Thursday July 9th
Good day beekeeper,
Bennington County Beekeepers Meeting July 9, 2026
Hello Beekeepers!
The July meeting of the Bennington Beekeepers Club will be held Thursday July 9, 2026, starting at 6:30 pm, at the Rotary Room of the Bennington Free Library, 101 Silver Street, Bennington VT
6:30 Potluck
7:00 Meeting begins
* If you are able, please bring a dish to share with the group, as well as a plate, cup, and utensils, if possible.
* Please note the library closes at 7 pm. If you arrive late you may call me at 347-419-3910 to gain entry.
Warm regards,
Liz Baker
VBA workshops and events for the month of July
How to determine if you need to re-queen and how to do it successfully if you do. Hosted by Andrew Munkres.
Join the VBA Women in Beekeeping for a hive inspection workshop hosted by WillowBee Farm in North Chittenden. You’ll get a hands-on look into their colonies and will be able to ask questions about mid-summer hive maintenance.
Join Georgia Master Craftsman Beekeeper Julia Mahood for a field demonstration exploring Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs), the aerial locations where honey bee drones gather to mate with virgin queens. Using drone technology and the methods developed through her citizen science project, MapMyDCA.com, Julia will demonstrate how these elusive locations are identified and studied. Participants will learn about drone behavior, and how beekeepers can contribute to ongoing DCA research.
Our annual summer meeting with keynote speaker, Julia Mahood, VBA Business, Recognition Awards, various workshops and vendors.
All the details on the VBA calendar.
Learn about robbing, dearths, providing water, removing bees from supers, extracting tips, long term storage of honey supers, pollen sub, and more.
With time to ask all your questions.
