Save the Dates:
| January Meeting: Thursday, Jan. 8th @ 6pm. (Stanly County Farm Bureau Livestock Arena) Our January SCBA meeting will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2026. A delicious meal will be served starting at 6 PM. The meal will be followed at 7 PM by a short business meeting and presentation by Tara Lynne Groth on “What Natural Beekeeping Means to You”. What’s “natural” exactly? “Natural” is one of the most misunderstood terms in food labels, and misconceptions carryover to beekeeping too. Hands-off beekeeping, chemical-free beekeeping, tree hives v. Langstroth hives, comb production–we all have different ideas about natural hive management. Learn about the many perceptions of natural beekeeping, the Certified Naturally Grown program, and how your interpretation can help your hives. Former president of the Chatham Beekeepers Association, Tara Lynne Groth speaks about natural beekeeping, agricultural marketing, and permaculture design. Before keeping bees she was a public relations director and a marketing manager. As an agro-journalist, she has written for VEGETABLE GROWERS NEWS, GRIT, PRODUCE BUSINESS NEWS, and dozens of other publications. She’s been keeping bees since 2017 and became a journeyman beekeeper in 2021. She manages two chemical-free apiaries, one in Pittsboro and another near Bryson City, North Carolina. Passionate about ecological living, Tara Lynne studied permaculture through Oregon State University. She received her permaculture design certificate from OSU in 2021. Applying sustainable principles to her landscapes has boosted biodiversity and created more resources for honeybees, native pollinators, and wildlife. Some of her projects include a no-dig pond garden and an apple orchard food forest. Her apiary is a Certified Wildlife Habitat and a designated spot on the North Carolina Butterfly Highway. Tara Lynne’s writing has been professionally recognized for more than 20 years. She’s published a handful of books, features her poetry on her honey jars, and has helped small businesses to global brands tell their stories. We look forward to seeing you all in the new year. Things to do in the new year from our Stanly County Beekeepers Association beekeeping calendar: January ~Add pollen supplements, if needed; check amount and location of honey stores, and feed (2:1 syrup, candy board or fondant) if <3/4 super of stored honey left.` ~Check/repair/replace stored equipment; order wax/woodenware. ~Consider single dose of oxalic acid vapor or drizzle early in Jan. to clean up residual varroa in hives. ~Order nucs/packages. ~Keep learning—beekeeping class, read books/journals, etc. ~Combine or insulate smaller (less than 4 frames of bees) hives. ~Combine hives where queen has failed, if they’re still alive and haven’t absconded. ~Move hives if they’ll need to be relocated this year. ~Bees may need help removing dead bodies and/or heavy snow from entrance area. |
Stanly County Beekeepers Association - SCBA 