Both education and training are vitally important to beekeepers throughout the entirety of their career. New beekeepers must undergo training to learn the best practices of keeping bees, and they must continue to learn as practices are continually adapting. No beekeeper is ever done learning, and it is import for them to engage in various courses available, hands-on workshops, and to read credible, regionally appropriate, literature. Both training and education are important to advance a beekeeping operation as well, where this knowledge will help beekeepers branch into other avenues of revenue and increase the size of their operation. In this week’s blog the various education and training opportunities available to Atlantic Canadian beekeepers will be discussed.
Importance of Beekeeper Education and Training
Any new
beekeeper needs to start learning about the industry, and generally what
beekeeping entails, prior to purchasing bees. Having a good understanding of
what types of activities beekeeping involves, knowledge of the industry,
awareness of the rules and regulations, an understanding of the associated
costs of starting beekeeping, and a general overview of a beekeeper's annual
responsibilities, allows aspiring beekeepers to make informed decisions about
taking the next step in their beekeeping journey. This spring the Atlantic Tech
Transfer Team for Apiculture (ATTTA), with support of the Nova Scotia
Department of Agriculture (NSDA), will be offering an introductory session for
new beekeepers, which will cover the very basics of what new beekeepers should
know (industry overview, rules and regulations, required training and next
steps). Those who register as a new beekeeper in 2025 will receive details on
this session.
Once a new
beekeeper is committed to their decision on purchasing their first bees, there
is a need for regionally specific beekeeping education and training. Here in
Atlantic Canada, ATTTA, in partnership with Dalhousie Extended Learning, offers
the Fundamentals of Beekeeping each year, which provides production skills and
beekeeping knowledge timed specifically to the annual beekeeping cycle for both
new and experienced beekeepers alike. The program provides the skills and
knowledge to expand an operation and to become a successful commercial beekeeper.
The program is offered virtually, with 4 in-person training sessions that occur
across Atlantic Canada. There are 4 courses within the program, each one week
long, with the first one starting on March 17th, 2025. Registration
is now open: https://registeratcontinuingeducation.dal.ca/public/category/courseCategoryCertificateProfile.do?method=load&certificateId=2329209.
Industry involvement is another important component to
committing to beekeeper education and training. Joining the provincial
beekeeping association, and attending annual general meetings, is another great
opportunity to learn about the industry, including new practices and research.
Each of the four Atlantic provinces have annual general meetings happening in
2025:
Newfoundland and Labrador Beekeeping Association – January 28th
and 29th
Nova Scotia Beekeepers’ Association – February 22nd
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfeSa-GSfUxOqkagICUz8rAwUakl3CjakC9n4sws77OxwWc0g/viewform
Prince Edward Island Beekeepers’ Association – March 1st
New Brunswick Beekeepers’ Association – March 28th
and 29th
Visit the
various provincial associations websites to learn more about these upcoming
events.
Beekeepers
and wild blueberry growers work closely together, and there is a benefit for
these two commodities to attend each other’s annual general meetings. In fact
there are many farmers that are both blueberry growers and beekeepers. In the
past few months ATTTA attended both the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association information
days. To learn more about these events, and to gain a better understanding of
the various industry updates and research that is presented during these
meetings, see ATTTA’s past blogs: “Report on Meetings with PEI Beekeepers and
PEI Wild Blueberry Growers’ Association Information Day – January 23, 2025” and
“Review of WBPANS AGM 2024 – November 28, 2024”. There will be a joint wild
blueberry meeting between NS, NB and PE, happening this April.
There is also an upcoming national beekeeping convention, in partnership between the Canadian Honey Council and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists. The convention will take place in Ottawa on February 7th and 8th. Registration is now open: https://honeycouncil.ca/convention-2025/registration/.
Another
event that may be of interest to Nova Scotia beekeepers is the Minister’s
Conference: Innovations in Agriculture, which will be held on February 6th
at the Halifax Convention Centre, hosted in collaboration with the Nova Scotia
Department of Agriculture and Perennia. Registration is now open: https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/ministers-conference-innovations-in-agriculture-2025/.
Other events
happening in Nova Scotia may be of interest to the entire Atlantic industry,
such as the succession planning forum, which is supported by the Nova Scotia
Federation of Agriculture, the NSDA, and the Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board. It is
vitally important that the beekeeping industry is frequently discussing farm
succession, and that individual beekeepers are planning for the future of their
farms. The event will
take place on February 25th (Truro, NS), February 26th (Kentville,
NS) and March 3rd (Port Hawkesbury, NS).
The ATTTA
team offers a variety of workshops throughout the year that teach on a range of
topics. When planning for workshops, the team discusses with industry
representatives, beekeepers and growers, to determine what topics the industry
feels are needed to provide education on. Each winter the team organizes and
runs three workshops on topics the industry has selected. These workshops are
offered virtually, and are free to members of the Atlantic provincial beekeeper
and wild blueberry producer associations, as well as the Confederacy of
Mainland Mi'kmaq beekeepers. For 2024/2025, topics include winter preparation,
pollination for new commercial beekeepers, and pest and disease management.
These workshops are well attended and not only do they provide the opportunity
for ATTTA to share new research, but also allows beekeepers to highlight their
own experience and knowledge.
Last Saturday,
the ATTTA team held a business workshop for beekeepers, in partnership with
Dalhousie Extended Learning, which provided one-day in-depth training for new
or aspiring beekeeping entrepreneurs. The workshop was comprised of three
sessions, each led by experts in their respective areas of beekeeping,
business, and the industry. Depending on the industry needs, there will be an
opportunity for this workshop to run again in the future.
On February 11th, ATTTA is offering a Protecting Pollinator session in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture Extension Services and Nova Scotia Resilient Agricultural Landscapes Program. This session will educate growers and beekeepers on the importance of protecting pollinators from environmental stressors and providing suitable habitat to support pollinators. The session will include two guest speakers - Dr. Nancy Maclean and Dr. Nigel Raine. Registration for the session is now open: https://forms.office.com/r/yTCrDKtevJ. This session is also supported by the best management practice guide developed by ATTTA, which can be accessed at: https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/P2C_WildBlueberry_Guide_ENG-FINAL.pdf.
The ATTTA
team is currently planning for several other important workshops this upcoming
season. We have a workshop planned in Prince Edward Island this coming spring,
and details will be provided at a later date. As mentioned, ATTTA works with
the industry to address training needs. For the upcoming season this is likely
to include training on splitting colonies and queen rearing. ATTTA will
communicate with the industry when details are finalized.
Beekeeping
is a commitment to life-long learning. Beekeepers are encouraged to participate
in as many courses, events and workshops as possible in order to be educated
and trained on current best practices, and to advance as a beekeepers. Please
reach out to the ATTTA team with any questions regarding upcoming education and
training events.
Connecting with ATTTA Specialists
If you’d like to connect with ATTTA specialists or learn more about our program, you can:
visit our website at https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
Email attta@perennia.ca