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Buncombe County Beekeepers Chapter Information
2008-2009 Officers
 Calvin Robinson, President 
Calvin has been around honeybees since his earliest memories. He became a certified NC beekeeper in 2003 and became a Journeyman level beekeeper in 2006. He is presently working on his Master beekeeper certification. During the day he works for Social Security and after work he builds children's playhouses at his farm, "Sourwood Knoll". He markets his "Bee Blessed" honey at a local tailgate market as well as on the internet. Calvin has teamed up with Mike Singleton and Carl Chesick to try and breed queens that are resistant to mites and thrive in Western NC without chemical treatments. He has served as Vice-President of BCBC from December 2005 through November 2007. He has a keen interest in research and improvement of our bees as well as educating the public about the importance of honeybees. Calvin manages his bees without the use of chemical treatments. In his spare time, Calvin is currently working on becoming a hot air balloon pilot.
 Janet Peterson, Past President
Janet started with the club in 1995. As a hobbyist, she needs the honeybees to help pollinate her 5 acre tract of U-Pick blueberries at her Cloud 9 Farm. As a retired school teacher, she loves the educational activities to share and to be around this nature-loving crowd.
 Lee Banks, Vice-President
Lee began his beekeeping hobby in 2006 after attending a BCBC sponsored school. He earned his Journeyman level certificate in 2008 and has his mind set on becoming a Master Beekeeper. He enjoys collecting swarms, as well as, established colonies who have set up housekeeping in buildings and structures where they aren't particularly welcome. His interest is in producing his own locally reared queens and is determined to manage his bees without using hard chemicals.
 Satchel Loftis, Treasurer
Satchel has been keeping bees for a couple of seasons with his son, Miles. Besides harvesting honey and working with top bar hives, he's interested in less common aspects of bees, such as honey bee evolution and their place in modern agriculture.
 Amanda Stone, Secretary
Buncombe County extension agent
Amanda is our second year Buncombe County extension agent. She is a first year beekeeper and is serving as secretary in her first year.
 Carl Chesick, Director
I measure success in beekeeping by hives that survive winter – without treatment with medications, chemicals or “organic” substances (including acids, menthol, thymol, or powdered sugar). Genetic diversity is paramount in my beekeeping philosophy – the opposite of in-line breeding programs. I add a few queens from selected “survivor stock” to my apiary each year, and hope a widely disparate range of genetic material will endow bees a better chance to cope with future global maladies. I experiment with foundationless frames, small cell, top bar hives, double-queen colonies, and various non-grafting techniques in raising locally adopted queens. I keep bees for what they teach me, and attempt to recognize and amend the disadvantages imposed by mankind. I have a sign carving business and also install wireless loop systems for hearing impaired. Joan and I work a 13 acre organic farm in West Asheville.
 Brenda Lewis, Director
Brenda Lewis stumbled into beekeeping when she found our WNC bee school course advertised on the internet. Two years after graduating the beginner's course, she has caught a swarm, combined hives, filled dozens of mason jars with honey and stimulated countless clouds of annoyed bees in the backyard of her home. She is now studying top bar hives and continuing to read every beekeeping book she can find.
 Ginger Clough, Director/Newsletter
Ginger Clough is a Certified Beekeeper working towards her Journeywoman level. She and her daughter have a small backyard apiary on the banks of Bee Tree Creek in Swannanoa, NC.
 Darrell Steenwyk, Director/Membership
Darrell is a first year beekeeper who started with a package of bees and a new hive and for his second hive, captured a colony by cutting it out from a wall of a house. He lives in Arden with his wife and two children.
 Steve Langefeld, NCSBA Regional Director
Steve was certified as a Journeyman Beekeeper in 2009 and is planning to become a Master Beekeeper in 2010. He was elected regional representative of NCSBA for the Western Region of NC and will serve until 2012. He remains committed to educating the public about the honey bee and beekeeping while providing ongoing learning opportunities for local clubs. He is employed as a Physicians Assistant with a local surgical group.
 DeForrest Hipps, Website Editor
DeForrest is a software development manager living in the mountains near Asheville, NC with his wife and 4 children. He is an avid beekeeper, gardener, and mineral collector. DeForrest also flies high-powered rockets and manages the WNCBees.org website for the Buncombe County Beekeepers Chapter.
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