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About our Special Guests…

Jennifer Berry, Research Specialist at the University of Georgia and frequent contributor to the bee magazines will speak about recent research at the lab in Athens, and tell about her queen breeding and methods of “natural beekeeping”.

Jeff Ritchie is a NC based queen breeder who is developing his own stock of resistant bees. Jeff has been  keeping bees at ‘Winding Road Appiaries’ in Morganton for nine years. He’ll tell us how he starts and sells over-wintered nucleus colonies, along with the management and selection process he uses to develop his queens.

Edd Buchanan is a NC Master Beekeeper and founding father of the Buncombe County Beekeeping Chapter. He is a multi-generational inspiration and an award winning story teller. Any one who has heard Edd speak knows the treat in store for us, and we are especially grateful for his appearance at this School.

Dr. Fred Hossler of East Tennessee State University is a professor of anatomy and cell biology - with access to a scanning electron microscope. Fred delves into photography and also keeps bees. This combination of skills produced the AMAZING three-dimensional slide show that’ll knock your socks off!

Bob Binnie is  past president of the GA State Beekeepers and former GA Beekeeper of the Year. He’s a master of beekeeping with a colorful past that includes Alaskan Salmon fisherman and hunting guide. He was a commercial beekeeper and state bee inspector in Oregon before relocating to NE Georgia, and you can read about his honey business in the January 2010 issue of ‘Bee Culture’ magazine.

Our Local Experts:

Ed Vendely has been making Mead (and beer and wine) for 20 years. In 1994, he founded a small commercial Microbrewery in Knoxville, TN and remained involved with that for 7 years. When Ed met Lyne he moved to Asheville - encouraging her to get into beekeeping. In her words;  "Ed had an ulterior motive...  he was a mead maker and needed a source for  unadulterated honey… We laugh about it being the mead that convinced me to marry him..."  Lyne and Ed operate Sweet Betty Bee's Honey and Hive, LLC and plan a Commercial Meadery in Madison County.

Jon Christie is president of the Madison County Beekeepers Chapter and owner of Wild Mountain Apiaries and Bee Supply. He currently manages about 60 colonies for honey, pollen, and nucleus production and offers hands on educational opportunities for new beekeepers. His apiary has grown from a wide variety of sources in an effort to begin rebuilding more diverse genetic stocks and healthier honeybee populations

Ceara Foley, is a certified herbalist, beekeeper and director of the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism. Attuned to nature at an early age, Ceara’s passion has always been connecting to the cycles of life. She is president of the NC Natural Products Association board, a certified herbalist and beekeeper, steward of Soulflower Botanical Sanctuary, Co-founder of NC Plant Savers and NC American Herbalist’s Guild. She will explain the uses of honey, propolis, royal jelly and bee pollen as valuable medicines for family care, along with the scientific validation of their efficacy.

Dave Cowart contracts for apple pollination every Spring and sells honey under the ‘Dave’s Raw Honey’ label. He’s kept bees over 13 years and maintains more than fifty hives – when he’s not out camping and rehabilitating our youth as a state counselor.

Dr. Kefyn Catley comes to us from ‘across the pond’ (Wales to be exact) – but he’s been this side for nearly two decades and acquired his PhD at Cornell. He is a Biology professor at Western Carolina University with a specialty in the evolution of spiders. When playing classical cello doesn’t release the stress, Kefyn plays with swarms and meditates on the tune Varroa plays on his bees.

Mike Singleton is a Western North Carolina native whose interests are queen rearing, stock improvement and selection. Operating under the name “Cold Mountain Queens”, Mike utilizes 100+ three & five frame nucs.  His personal definition and view of “survivor” and ”viable or market age queens” diverge from the industry norm.

Carl Chesick keeps thirty five hives at Green Goddess Farm in West Asheville. He raises queens without grafting and doesn’t use chemicals or medications in his colonies. His wife Joan sells the farm honey and pollen (along with her vegetables, loofahs, and candles) at the West Asheville Tailgate Market. (WATM)

Debra Roberts is Western North Carolina’s newest Master Beekeeper (beekeeperess?) and Sunshine on a rainy day. She has turned her impressive promotional and networking skills  (owner of Heron Productions, LLC) to the cause of honeybee preservation and education of the public. Countless “newbees” have benefited from her “bee-mobile” mentoring during the past year.

Steve Langefeld is past vice-president of the BCBC and currently holds the office of Regional Representative with the NCSBA ( NC State Beekeepers Assoc). He does a great job furthering the interests of our WNC beekeepers and keeps us abreast of conferences and developments across the state. Steve is currently on track to become a NC Master Beekeeper in 2010.

Calvin Robinson is the current President of the Buncombe County Beekeepers and owner of  ‘Sourwood Knoll’ honey farm. Calvin keeps his bees without chemical or anti-biotic treatments and makes extensive use of foundationless frames and other natural management practices. He’s written well-received essays on the role of today’s beekeeper and spoken to numerous county clubs throughout the state.

Amanda Stone is a Member of the Board of the BCBC and tireless Agricultural Extension Agent for Buncombe County. Her long hours and organizational skills contributed greatly to this year’s School..
Lee Banks is the current Vice President of the BCBC with an interest in keeping bees without chemical treatments. He is also pursuing the NC Master Beekeeping accreditation.

Satchel Loftis is BCBC Treasurer - interested in the evolution of bees in modern agriculture – an off-beat approach that has led him to investigate top bar hives and statistical analysis.

Karen Hansen is a past Scholarship Hive Winner with an inquisitive nature and a keen eye for observation. She’s raised her own queens and tends a menagerie of bees and critters at her North Buncombe retreat.