2008 Officers
June
Wartenbe President
Marvin Hook Vice President
Jim Buxton Treasurer
Scott Moser Secretary
Association Membership
The Jefferson County Beekeepers Association was founded in 1970, and just recently, celebrated it's 30th Anniversary. Most of the original members are out of beekeeping, or no longer attend. Currently, our yearly dues are $10.00 a person, plus an additional $10.00 if you wish to join the Missouri State Beekeepers Association as well. During the early 1980's membership dropped to an all-time low of approximately 5 members per year. This lull continued until the mid '80's, and began to steadily increase each year. In recent years, membership has increased to about 30-35 members per year with about 25 of those members in attendance at each meeting.
Our members range from hobbyists with 2-3 hives to those having 60-70 hives in production. Unfortunately, we currently have no one who manages 100 hives or more. In terms of experience, our association has a combined experience of over 200 years in beekeeping. Many of our beekeepers have kept bees most of their lives. Such members are an invaluable part of any association. At least 3 of our members have attended the Master Beekeeper Course at the University of Nebraska and are certified Master Beekeepers. Our association has no shortage of people willing to help you out in time of need.
Community Involvement
One of the goals of our association is to inform and educate the public as to the importance of the honeybee to our foods and crops. As most beekeepers are aware, much of our produce that we rely on is pollinated by a few insects, the honeybee being one of them. If not for the work of the honeybee, crops such as apples, watermelon, and almonds would not be as plentiful as they are today. It has been estimated that up to 75% of our produce relies on the work of the honeybee, and without this important pollinator, fruits and vegetables would not be as plentiful as they are. This kind of information is what the public needs to know about bees and beekeeping. Most of the public is aware only of the so-called "Killer Bees", and are quick to condemn all honeybees as killers.
The Jefferson County Beekeepers Association gets involved in several community programs including the Jefferson County Fair, The Annual Soils and Crops Conference, and the DeMaree Fair. This allows us an opportunity to meet and greet people, and tell them about the role honeybees play in our life, and gives them the opportunity to ask questions about bees. One thing that we always try to dispel is the myth of the so called "Killer Bee", and to explain the difference between other bees and wasps.
Finally, the Jefferson County Beekeepers Association, in conjunction with Jefferson College Adult Education Department, sponsors a 5 week beginning beekeeping class. The class is a basic beginning class designed to give the beekeeper or prospective beekeeper some insight into how to maintain a beehive. The class covers the basics of beekeeping so that the participants feel comfortable enough to begin beekeeping, and gives them contact with actual beekeepers in their area. The class is held in both the spring and fall, and usually attracts between 6-10 people.
The JCBA works hard to get information out to the people of the community so that they can be better informed and more aware of the important role honeybees play in our life. Often times these encounters with the public lead to people wanting to take up beekeeping, or of offers to place hives on their property. Above all, they leave with a better understanding and appreciation for the honeybee.
Jefferson County Soils and Crops Conference