October, 2014 – The Buzz

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The BUZZ is Getting Closer:
Palm Beach Beekeepers Association to Host 94th Annual 

Florida State Beekeepers Association Conference
October 2-4 in West Palm Beach
(West Palm Beach, FL – September 10, 2014) The Palm Beach Beekeepers Association(PBBA) today announced that it would be hosting the 94th annual Conference of the Florida State Beekeepers Association (FSBA), October 2-4, 2014 at Embassy Suites Hotel in West Palm Beach.  In fact, this is the first time that this statewide Conference has been held in West Palm Beach, and beekeepers from across the country will be attending.
bees
This year’s Conference is dedicated to the honeybee and the beekeepers tending the hives. It is designed for beekeepers of all levels – wanna-bee, hobbyist, sideliner and commercial – with presentations by nationally recognized industry experts, authors, scientists and educators.
In addition, there will be honey judging, live bee demonstrations at the apiary atop the hotel, panel discussions and breakout sessions covering topics for both the beginner and the advanced beekeeper. The vendor and exhibitor area will display the latest beekeeping equipment and accessories, and attendees will be “a-buzz” over the free gifts and spectacular items in the silent and live auctions.
For more information about the FSBA 94th Annual Conference, please visitwww.beekeepingconference.com.
Key Florida Honeybee Facts:
To quantify the enormous impact of the beekeeping industry, please note that in 2012 Florida ranked:
+ First in the U.S. in the value of production of oranges and grapefruit.
+ First in value of production of fresh market snap beans, cucumbers for fresh market, cucumbers for pickles, squash, sweet corn, fresh market tomatoes, sugarcane for sugar & seed and watermelon.
+ Second in value of production of bell peppers, strawberries and tangerines.
+ Third in value of production of honey.
(Source: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ publication 2013: Florida Agriculture by the Numbers)
About the Florida State Beekeepers Association:
Founded in 1920, FSBA is organized to aid in the development and promotion of practical beekeeping methods in the State of Florida; to act in the interest of beekeepers in carrying on statewide beekeeping affairs; to aid in the exchange of mutual beekeeping methods; and to act as the representative of Florida beekeepers in state and national beekeeping affairs, as well as educational and scientific purposes.  FSBA works with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food, Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), Florida Farm Bureau, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry’s Apiary Inspection Program, through which all honeybee colonies in Florida are inspected as required by law.
About the Palm Beach Beekeepers Association:
A local affiliate of the Florida State Beekeeping Association, PBBA was founded as a non-profit organization in 1974 with the primary purpose to promote the common interests and general welfare of beekeeping and to act as an educational resource to the public in the methods and best practices in apiary management.  Educational meetings and hands-on apiary sessions are the first Friday of each month, held at Pine Jog Environmental Education Center. For more information, please visit www.palmbeachbeekeepers.com.