Would you like to take part in one of the most extensive beekeeping conferences in the United States?  EAS (Eastern Apiculture Society) is one of the largest noncommercial beekeeping organizations in the United States and one of the largest in the world.  Every summer EAS conducts its week long Annual Conference of lectures and workshops in one the 26 member states or Canadian provinces.  This year’s EAS conference will be held at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, from July 28 through August 1.  The conference theme is “Esprit de Bee”.  The conference usually brings in about 600 to 800 beekeepers from around the world to attend.

The conference is made up of the Short Course, running from Monday to Wednesday, and the conference proper, running from Wednesday to Friday, with Wednesday as the overlap day.  Normally about half of the attendees stay the whole week with the other half coming just for the conference.  The Short Course will contain classes for beekeepers of all levels and special events such as an open apiary with Langstroth, Warre’ and Top Bar Hives, a microscope workshop on bee anatomy, a Honey Show for you to enter your bee products, and classes on all aspects of beekeeping.  The conference proper will consist of a talk about beekeeping in Afghanistan by Lt. Colonel B. Richardson, social events, symposia and lectures by some of the biggest names in beekeeping like Dewey Caron, Mike Palmer, Dianna Sammataro, Jennifer Berry, Cindy Bee, Wyatt Magnum and Maryann Frazier.  Along with these speakers, there will be about 35 workshops on topics such as Queen Production Course, mead making, Nosema issues, Apitherapy, Varroa mite biology, Small Hive Beetles, a quilting class with a honey bee theme and many many more.  You can tour a local “Walter T. Kelley’s Co.” store, or a surface and underground coal mine on Saturday July 26, with an EAS group, if you so wish.

I first attended EAS several years ago in Boone, NC, and the experience was so great that I became a life time member.  I’ve not missed an EAS conference since.  Every year I go with a set of questions in mind that I then try to find the answers to from the best minds in Beekeeping.  Can’t get much better than that.   Maybe the best thing about the week-long EAS was that I got to talk “bees” all week long and no one said  that they had heard enough (normally my family asks me to shut-up after the first 2 minutes or so).  You can find out all about the specific topic covered and how to sign up at the EAS webpage here http://www.easternapiculture.org/.

I hope to see you there.  EAS 2015 is scheduled for Ontario, Canada at the University of Guelph.  Come and join the fun!