1. Building a Youth Beekeeping Program Jennica Skoug Goodman Youth Farm Manager jennica@communitygroundworks.org www.communitygroundworks.org

2. Goodman Youth Farm Benefits of bees Safety at the hive Involving students Entrepreneurship with bees Hive management Equipment & cost Questions Webinar Outline

3. Goodman Youth Farm: Background

4. Half acre of vegetables Outdoor kitchen area Community gardens Small orchard Small restored prairie Beehives Land: 3 acres

5. Madison school district Goodman Community Center Goodman Foundation: funding Partners

6. Single visit field trips Schools After school programs Community groups Recurring programs Garden Fit: middle school Seed to Table: high school Grow Academy: juvenile corrections April to October, 2014: 3,300 duplicated visits Programs

7. Location Next to prairie In sight of gardens and orchard One (or two) hives Depends on success of prior year Hive names Bev and Bevita Beehives

8. Benefits of bees for students

9. Insect life cycles Insect behavior Insect anatomy Winter survival Pollination Environmental issues Hands-on biology

10. “I don’t usually like bees, but I like them on the farm!” “I was scared of the bees, but I went over to them anyway. I’m proud of myself.” “Now that I know the bees, I never want to leave them. This is the calmest I’ve ever been in my life. I have to tell my mom!” Confronting fear Creating calm

11. Safety at the hive

12. Large group (10+) Observe hive from a distance Line with flags or string (30-40 ft) Discuss role of bees in garden What to do if you see a bee! Small group (1-10) May visit hive up close Requires gear and instructions 5 students ideal for hands-on Group Size

13. Helmets Gloves Pants tucked into socks Close toed shoes Bee suit, or… Large collared dress shirt Baggy “scrub” pants Rubber bands for wrists Check student gear before approaching the hive. Protective gear

16. Allergies Major: Epi-Pen Minor: Anti-itch cream, sting-relief Anticipate student behavior Discuss the experience in advance Place students strategically Allow students an “out” Know your students

17. Stay calm Bees will respond to your emotions Move slowly How do you react when surprised? Mentally prepare for stings Bees don’t “want” to sting They sting only if threatened How the smoker will help Describe what it feels like Describe what to do: walk away. Behavior instruction

18. Students choose their distance and level of involvement. Zone 1: Ten foot arc Have all students start here. Zone 2: Next to hive Watch, but don’t touch. Zone 3: Assist with tasks Invite students to help you, or do a task on their own. Start small! Remind students: you can always walk away. Comfort zones

19. Involving Students

20. All groups: Observation & questions Discuss importance of bees Discuss threats to bees Larger groups: Demonstration by beekeeper Try on beekeeper outfit (K-3) Honey extraction (Late summer) Smaller groups: Hands-on at the hive – activities depend on behavior and comfort level of group One-time visits

21. Small groups are best Progressive hive tasks: Stand next to hive Use smoker Look for eggs Hold a frame Help lift a box Use hive tool Honey harvest (brush bees) Teach others Away from the hive: Planning for bees, recordkeeping Bee products Bee-related cooking Discuss pollinator threats, etc. Recurring visits

22. Observing the hiveUsing the smokerHolding a frame Lifting a box (use partners)Using the hive toolGetting comfortable with bees!

23. January Order package bees April Install package bees May-August Weekly inspections swarm prevention split hive as necessary August Honey harvest (if applicable) September Mite treatment October-November Winterization Note: may differ by climate! The beekeeping year

24. Entrepreneurship with bees

25. Student involvement Uncapping Extracting Bottling & filtering Label making Selling …and tasting! Cost and profit Input cost: <$1/bottle Sale price: $7-$10/bottle Honey

26. Uncapping

27. Cost and profit Inputs: Bottles, labels Net profit: $7-$9/bottle Student involvement Extraction Bottling Label making Selling Extracting

28. Filtering

29. Cost and profit Inputs: Bottles, labels Net profit: $7-$9/bottle Student involvement Extraction Bottling Label making Selling Honey Bottling

30. Cost and profit Inputs: Bottles, labels Net profit: $7-$9/bottle Student involvement Extraction Bottling Label making Selling Honey Label Making

31. Student involvement Collecting wax – 2 ways Rendering wax Chopping and melting wax Filling containers Making labels Selling Cost and profit Input cost: $1 per tin Sale price: $3-$5 per tin Lip Balm

32. Discussion Topics How and why bees make wax Other beeswax products Health benefits of beeswax Input costs, sale price, and net profit Lip Balm Ingredients Chopped beeswax Olive oil Honey Vitamin E capsules Essential oils (optional)

33. Hive Management

34. Lead beekeeper Assistant or intern Bee advisor Or, partner with a local beekeeper to manage the hive on your property. Your Bee Team

35. Classes Books Local beekeeping association Apprentice with beekeeper Learning from scratch

36. http://www.littlehouseonthebighill. com/beekeeping/images/inspection sheets/hiveinspection20130827.pdf Record Keeping Fill out one hive record sheet after each visit to the hive. Make notes about what to do next week. Before each hive inspection, look at your last record so you know what to do.

37. http://www.littlehouseonthebighill. com/beekeeping/images/inspection sheets/hiveinspection20130827.pdf Record Keeping Make a visual map of the hive: what you observed and what you did.

38. Equipment and Costs

39. Boxes (7-10 for full hive)Frames (10 per box)Inner Cover Outer CoverBottom BoardQueen excluder Hive set up

40. Hive set-up Brood chamber: 1-3 deep boxes or 2-4 medium boxes Honey supers: 0-4 medium boxes

41. Smoker (and fuel)Brushes Spacer (optional)Feeder bucketCinder blocks Hive tools (2-3) Beekeeping tools

42. Package bees (3lb)

43. Insulated coverEntrance reducer Mouse protectionTar paper Winterization Mite treatment (early fall)

44. ItemsApproximate Cost Hive set up (one hive, assembled)$400 Beekeeping tools$80 Protective gear (5 sets, low cost)$200 Extraction equipmentBorrow (free) Winterization$55 Package Bees$100 TOTAL COST$835 Initial costs Grants Equipment donation Partnership with beekeeper Covering costs

45. Student interview on community radio station, after a summer with the bees: http://www.wortfm.org/goodm an-youth-farm/ Confidence Leadership Video: Middle school students show visiting kindergarteners the bees. One student wants to tell the president.

46. Questions Jennica Skoug Goodman Youth Farm Manager jennica@communitygroundworks.org www.communitygroundworks.org