Showing posts with label HBCA event. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HBCA event. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The Big E!

We're so excited for the Big E!  It starts Friday, September 12th! Our bees are already buzzing in and out of our booths in the MA Building and in Farmarama.

MA Building
 MA Building
Farmarama
 Farmarama
Come see us and the bees at the Big E!  

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Bee School Session 8...



Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School 2014

 Thursday, April 24th

Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
ChicopeeMA 01013


All Bee School sessions start at 7pm

Topics:  Beeswax Products & First Aid
Graduation & Raffle 

Speakers:  TBD

All members are welcome to attend.  We will have our usual break between the first and second hour of each bee school meeting and anyone who would like to bring food/snacks to share with the group is encouraged to do so.  See you at bee school!  

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Bee School Session 7...


Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School 2014

 Thursday, April 10th

Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
ChicopeeMA 01013


All Bee School sessions start at 7pm

Topics: Fall & Winter Management
Extracting Honey

Speakers: Jeff Rys & Bill Romito

All members are welcome to attend.  We will have our usual break between the first and second hour of each bee school meeting and anyone who would like to bring food/snacks to share with the group is encouraged to do so.  See you at bee school!  

Monday, March 17, 2014

Bee School Session 6...



Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School 2014

 Thursday, March 27th

Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
ChicopeeMA 01013


All Bee School sessions start at 7pm

Topic: Challenges of Beekeeping 
Speaker: Ken Warchol

All members are welcome to attend.  We will have our usual break between the first and second hour of each bee school meeting and anyone who would like to bring food/snacks to share with the group is encouraged to do so.  See you at bee school!  

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Bee School Session 5...


Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School 2014

 Thursday, March 13th

Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
ChicopeeMA 01013


All Bee School sessions start at 7pm

Topics: Spring & Summer Management
Bears & Other Invaders
Speaker: Jeff Rys

All members are welcome to attend.  We will have our usual break between the first and second hour of each bee school meeting and anyone who would like to bring food/snacks to share with the group is encouraged to do so.  See you at bee school!  

Monday, February 17, 2014

Bee School Session 4...


Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School 2014

 Thursday, February 27th

Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
ChicopeeMA 01013


All Bee School sessions start at 7pm

Topic: Dynamics of the Hive 
Queens & Swarms
Speaker: Eric Nitsch

All members are welcome to attend.  We will have our usual break between the first and second hour of each bee school meeting and anyone who would like to bring food/snacks to share with the group is encouraged to do so.  See you at bee school!  

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Bee School Session 3...

Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School 2014

 Thursday, February 13th 

Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
ChicopeeMA 01013


All Bee School sessions start at 7pm

Topics: Sources of Bees & Installing Bees
Speaker: Tom Flebotte

All members are welcome to attend.  We will have our usual break between the first and second hour of each bee school meeting and anyone who would like to bring food/snacks to share with the group is encouraged to do so.  See you at bee school!  

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Bee School 2014 Session 2...

Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School 2014

 Thursday, January 23rd

Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
Chicopee, MA 01013


All Bee School sessions start at 7pm

Topic: Protective Clothing & Hive Assembly
Speaker: Lee Duquette

All members are welcome to attend.  We will have our usual break between the first and second hour of each bee school meeting and anyone who would like to bring food/snacks to share with the group is encouraged to do so.  See you at bee school!  

Monday, December 16, 2013

Congratulations!!!

Club member Matt Slowik and his fiancee Kelly
Matt and Kelly were recently engaged so I'd like to take this opportunity to say CONGRATULATIONS to them both from all of us at the HCBA!!!  I think marriage is awesome and I wish you two the best of luck!

Matt and Kelly were also the proud winners of the Duck Dynasty board game in the Yankee Swap.  So, congratulations on that too... I guess.

A Very HCBA Christmas...

Our annual Christmas party was last Friday (the 13th) and it was a fun one!  The band was good, the food was good, the staff at the Villa Rose are great to us.  We had an amazing turn out this year, and I had a blast! I even remembered to take some pictures this year!

Here are some of the highlights...
Deb D'Amico Band
 Surf-n-Turf
 President Jeff Rys presents former President Jim Stefanik, with an award for appreciation and the honor of life time membership in the club.
Thanks for 13 years of service, Jim! 
 YANKEE SWAP
I'll trade you this beautiful blanket for that tasty bottle.  
What did you guys get?   Booze?
And you?  Booze?
That doesn't look like booze, Cheryl! 
What is it, Tom?  Booze?  YES!
Let me see, Joyce... I think it's BOOZE!
I did not get booze.
Lucky for me, there was plenty to go around! 
 Like I said before, I had a great time at the party, and if you weren't able to make it this year, we hope to see you next year!  Don't worry, I'll send a save the date!  LOL.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each and every member of the HCBA.  I hope your holiday season is everything you hope it could be!  Stay warm and safe!  See you soon at bee school!
Moe and Mike Shea
 Joyce Munson & Andy Preissner

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Pam's Pie...

For those who were unable to attend the November meeting and honey recipe contest, here's a peek at a bit of what you missed.  This gorgeous pie was baked by our own first lady, Pam Rys!  This is Pam's ginger, honey and pumpkin pie and it took second place in our honey recipe contest.   
The first place winner was our treasurer, Cheryl Robare who made her Nutella and honey baklava.  Needless to say, it did not last long enough to snap a photo.  Third place was taken by club member Lora Sandhusen who made a honey spice cake.  All three ladies were awarded nice cash prizes and everyone who attended was able to sample these fine desserts as well as a few others.

Bee well!

Friday, November 8, 2013

Christmas Party!

Don't forget to sign up for this year's Christmas party!  It's always a good time and you can't beat the price! 

Friday, October 25, 2013

November Meeting & Recipe Contest...


        HCBA November Meeting
&
HONEY RECIPE CONTEST

When: Thursday November 14th
Starting at 7:00pm

Where:  Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
Chicopee, MA 01013

It’s time for our November meeting.  This time of year the activity in your hives is winding down.  The colder weather will start the bees to cluster.  It’s time for us to put entrance reducers on the hives and make sure our equipment is properly stored for winter.  And since the bees need less management now, we should all have some free time on our hands (right? or yeah, right!).

Our November meeting theme is going to be our HONEY RECIPE CONTEST!  The rules are simple…  Bring a dish of your choice, and the recipe MUST include honey.  There will be three categories: Appetizer, Entrée, and Dessert.  Each member can enter as many dishes as they wish.  Everyone who attends the meeting will have the opportunity to try all the made with honey goodies, and then we’ll vote for our favorites.  There will be a first place winner in EACH category and the winners will receive….
$50 CASH!!!

Please bring a label for your dish so we can see the name of your recipe and make voting easier.  Please consider making “sample” size servings of your recipe so everyone can get a taste.  If you’d like to share your recipe with the club, please bring copies.  Winning recipes will be posted on the blog. 
     
Bee well!
Jessica Martin
HCBA Secretary
(860) 978-5388

Friday, April 26, 2013

Graduation Day...



Congratulations to our Hampden County Beginners' Beekeeping School graduates!  I can't believe I got everyone looking at the camera and smiling in just one take!  What a group!  Thanks to the HCBA Class of 2013 (those pictured and not)  for becoming a part of our club.  We're glad to have you all and hope you'll have many years of successful beekeeping to look forward to!

Special thanks to new beekeepers Stefania Raschilla and Heather Bean for the adorable graduation cupcakes!  You ladies rock!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Bee School Session 8...




Hampden County Beekeepers Bee School April 2013

When: Thursday, April 25th at 7pm

Where:  Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
118 Mount Vernon Rd.
Chicopee, MA 01013

This will be our 8th and FINAL session of bee school for 2013!

All members are welcome to attend. 

HCBA Vice President, Jeff Rys will be back with his lovely wife Pam to cover Beeswax Products and First Aid.  This lesson will be followed by presentation of bee school certificates, and the raffle for the new hive set-up.          

At our first post-school meeting on May 8th, we’ll be holding elections for a new board of directors.  If you have any nomination ideas for President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, or our 3 Trustee positions, or want to get involved yourself, please let me know.    

I will have Mann Lake catalogs available again, as well as some information from local suppliers, Lagrants. 

I will also have sign up sheets for the Sturbridge Village Trip for anyone interested, just find me and ask!

Bee well!
Jessica Martin
HCBA Secretary
(860) 978-5388

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Big E...

The Big E is in full swing, and we've been having a great time at both of our fair locations.  For those of you who haven't visited the fair yet, here are some photos of our booths...

The MA Building
The star of the show.
Our brand new mural...
And our satellite location in Farm-A-Rama
Thanks to all of the volunteers manning the booths during the fair! 


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

October Meeting...


Hampden County Beekeepers Meeting October 2012

               When: Thursday, October 18th at 7pm

           Where:  Willimanset Heights Improvement League (WHIL)
                       118 Mount Vernon Rd.
                       Chicopee, MA 01013

Let’s get together and go over how we’re managing our hives this fall and winter. 


*MEETING UPDATE*
-There will be a “Big E Review” meeting starting at 6pm on the night of the regularly scheduled meeting.  If you were a seller or a volunteer, please attend and come early, we need your input.  The regular meeting will still start at 7pm. 

-HCBA member Lee Duquette will have his Lee’s Bees feeding stimulant available for sale.  Lee’s feeding stimulant is similar to Honey-B-Healthy at a fraction of the cost, just $12.00 per bottle.  Lee will also have some single serve doses of Fumagilin-B available for purchase, for anyone who still needs to medicate their bees. Cash only, so bring your money!

Here's a LINK to an old blog I posted about Lee's Bees feeding stimulant.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Christmas Already?

 
        Hampden County Beekeepers Association
  Christmas Party

SAVE THE DATE!

 When: Friday, December 7th 2012

Where:  The Villa Rose
                1428 Center St.
         Ludlow, MA

Last year's party was extremely fun.  Food, drinks, live music and a wild yankee swap.  Those social calendars fill up quickly as the holidays approach, you don't want to miss your beekeeping Christmas party, so...
SAVE THE DATE!

More details and an official invite to follow.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Culture & Cocktails...



The Springfield Science Museum hosts a themed evening on the first Thursday of every month. This month, THINK GREEN!

Culture & Cocktails, Think Green
Thursday April 5th
5:30pm-8:30pm
Springfield Science Museum
21 Edwards St.
Springfield, MA 01103

Mix up your weekday with a toast to culture, community and conversation.

*Tour the special exhibit Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly
* Live Bluegrass music by The Boys of the Landfill
*Green fair featuring environmentally friendly businesses and and vendors, including Hampden County Beekeeping Association, Keep Springfield Beautiful, Green Monster eCycling, and Cato Corner Farm
*Featured drink: GREEN Apple Martini

$5.00 at the door includes food and entertainment
Cash bar

Monday, August 1, 2011

July's HCBA BeeBQ...

A big thank you to Carrie and Arthur Naatz for having us all over to eat and socialize! The food was great and there was plenty of it!

Anthony Trani attended the picnic and showed off some of his great beehive woodenware. He is a local craftsman and if you did not attend the picnic but would like to check out his work please click this link Anthony had a lot of nice stuff at very fair prices!
Some of us ventured down to the Naatz's beeyard. I love Carrie's choices of colors!
That's a good looking bunch of beekeepers! From left to right, Mike, Sean, Jessica, Annette, Carrie, Scott and Arthur.
Thanks again to Arthur and Carrie! See everyone in August!