July Potluck Picnic
Sunday, July 14th from Noon to 3 PM
Mt. Vernon's Hillcrest Park
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Please join us at the the SVBA annual potluck and family picnic at Mt. Vernon's Hillcrest Park in the picnic area at the Gazebo. We will set up at noon and be enjoy the picnic until 3 PM. The SVBA will provide the grilled burgers and hot dogs with the fixin's, but everything else will be potluck contributions. The picnic is a summer break for us from our monthly meeting schedule, so we can relax while the bees are working hard.
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Bring...
- A favorite summer picnic dish along with a big appetite
- Your beekeeping questions, quandaries, and quagmires to an informal Q&A chat with Dawn Beck
Get...
- Official glass bottles that you will need for your open honey class entries for next month's Skagit County Fair from Susan DeLawter
- Another chance to sign up with Rob Johnson to help staff the SVBA booth at the Fair
- A great time talking with fellow Skagit Valley beekeepers, from newbees to oldbees
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For his many years of contributions to the SVBA, Rob Johnson gained well-deserved recognition with a special award at last month's meeting. SVBA President Brett DeLawter expressed the gratitude of all of those who have benefitted from his support for the beekeeping community and from his unique capacity to teach, inform, and inspire.
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Rob Johnson is presented with an engraved glass award by Brett DeLawter for his exceptional service to the SVBA and the region's beekeeping community.
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Rob has been our been the center of our participation in the Skagit County Fair as the Superintendent of our exhibit - lassoing volunteers, coordinating with the Fair organization, and being an inspiring bee explainer to thousands of visitors to our booth during long stints.
He became an SVBA Board Member in 2015, and subsequently served as our Treasurer for many years. He has helped organize and taught the annual beginner beekeepers course, and has freely provided advice and insights that have helped many a new beekeeper to get untracked.
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Rob in a valued role: revealing the amazing world of the honey bee to visitors at the Fair.
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SVBA and the Skagit County Fair
August Events and Opportunities
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The Skagit County Fair runs for four days this year, Thursday August 8 to Sunday August 11. We have a popular booth with awesome displays that we staff with members. Set aside the dates - it is a fantastic old-fashioned county fair - where we display all the entries and the ribbons they earned.
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- Sign up and help staff the SVBA Booth. It is a really fun and rewarding experience. Rob Johnson will be at the annual picnic on Sunday and continue to recruit volunteers and hand out tickets to enter the Fair without needing to pay. If you choose to park inside the fair parking lots there is a charge, but you can also park away from the fair on streets with no charge. You can also call Rob at 360-770-6170.
- Help Heather set up the booth - Board member Heather Oates is the maestro of the booth preparation, which was awarded as the best exhibit at last year's Fair. This year's booth theme will be the "Waggle Dance". There will be a set up session beginning at noon on Sunday, August the 4th in Barn D, and she can use lots of help. You can sign up with Heather at the July potluck picnic, or contact your editor here.
- Pre-Fair SVBA Meeting and Set-up Day, noon on Sunday, August 4th at Barn D - We will have a very brief meeting at fair before rolling up our sleeves and completing the exhibit. Join us if you can! There is no charge on the set-up day.
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- Enter the Open Honey Class Judging Event - The honey judging event was a great success last year, and we hope that you will participate this year. The rules and categories are all described on the Skagit County Fair website and you can access them by clicking here: Honey Judging Rules and Information. Susan DeLawter has provided excellent coaching for those new to participating, and a few of her tips are included in our description of her June talk on the topic under "Recappings", below in this issue.
- Drop off your entries for the Honey Judging Event - If it is convenient for you, you can drop off your entries on Sunday, August 4th at noon at our booth. Otherwise, the official entry period is on August 6th, from 4-7 for open honey classes. Remember, you have to drop off the entry in person, and you can pay the entry fee and get your entry number assigned when you arrive.
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Happenings at the SVBA Apiary
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There are lots of activities focusing on the colonies at the SVBA Apiary which is in a field behind the Terramar Brewery in Bow. The website has a complete list of the activities at https://skagitvalleybeekeepers.org
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Hive-side days at the Apiary
Every Wednesday in July, 10 AM to Noon
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Regular hive maintenance and an educational opportunity coincide every Wednesday in the late morning at the apiary. Join us as we manage them through the mid-summer season. It's interesting to keep up with the progression of our five colonies.
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Apiary Field Day
Sunday, August 18 from 10 AM to Noon
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This is the day when we will begin winter prep for our colonies - a hands-on session that you won’t want to miss.
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Preparing Your Fair Entries
The pathway to prizes
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As our June speaker, Susan DeLawter shared many insights and instructions for the upcoming honey judging event using great images and examples. The core message? Participate!
There are a number of categories, and there should be at least one that fits your style. Categories are available for adults (18 or older), youth (ages 6-11), and youth (ages 12-17).
Classes for entries include:
- Extracted honey in official glass jars, sorted by color: light, light amber, amber, and dark
- Frame honey categorized according to the size and type of frame. This also includes a special category, "heaviest frame" that is judged on weight only
- Cut comb in clear, plastic containers
- Novelty jars, where curious and interesting containers count for points.
There is also the annual Sexton Award open to students up to 18 years of age that submit a poster or presentation to display what they have learned about bees.
Susan and Rob Johnson emphasized that the rules and details about preparing your entries are posted online at the Fair's website under "Exhibits", and can be found using this link: Honey Judging Rules and Information
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Susan sharing tips and advice for honey judging entries
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Here are just a few of her tips:
- Fill your jars a few days in advance and let them sit - That gives time for small bubbles to rise and clear the honey.
- Fill the jars to the right level - The honey jars should be filled to a level that is even with the bottom of lid when viewed from the site - near the top, but leaving a small gap so that the honey does not contact the lid. And be careful when you bring them so that they stay flat and the honey doesn't splash up onto the cap.
- Make a clean wrap - For your comb honey, a very simple stand can be assembled, and then wrapped in clear plastic cellophane. Try to make it a clean wrap without lots of layers or folds, so that it shows off you capped comb.
- Find interesting containers - Past entries have included antique honey jars and interesting shapes that also show off the honey in unique ways.
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Tools of the trade: containers and the honey color scale used for judging
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SVBA Website
Under new managment
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Our Treasurer is now Treasurer/Website Manager. Domie Bourgeois has absorbed this new responsibility, following in the footsteps of Les Scott. Many thanks to Les, who managed an important transition and enhancements to the website to keep it up to date. Check out the latest updates at https://skagitvalleybeekeepers.org
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What is the technical term for an American honey bee?
It's a USB.
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The blackberry blossoms were abundant as we turned into July, and the honeyflow will be peaking this month in many of our bee yards. Here are some tips inspired by Brad Raspet's seasonal advice:
- Early harvesting - You can harvest blackberry honey now if it is plentiful, or wait until later.
- Checking varroa mite counts - If colony counts are excessive, you should treat them. Make sure to use methods that are approved to be consistent used simultaneously with honey flows, if you plan to harvest any of the honey in the hive.
- Drones - If you use drone frames or remove drone cells as a mite control method, this month remains an important time to remove those cells where they are at least 50 percent capped.
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Bottles for Honey Judging - We will be selling bottles for the honey judging event at the July SVBA picnic at a low price that just covers our costs (see the related articles in this newsletter). Susan DeLawter may also be able to make other arrangements if that doesn't work for you; contact her at susandelawter@sbcglobal.net
Les's Bees always has a range of beekeeping supplies in his Bellingham supply house, and owner Les Scott might even arrange to drop off on-line purchases for SVBA members at our meetings if you get in touch in advance . Go to leszbees.com. Or you can contact Les Scott directly by e-mail, call, or text: 360-303-0396.
If you have supplies and equipment that you may be interested in swapping, selling, or just plain giving to other interested members of the SVBA, send a brief description, price, and contact information to your editor, cecilbees121@gmail.com.
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Membership in the SVBA
Join or Renew
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Annual membership dues are for a calendar year and there is still plenty of time to renew, join or rejoin your SVBA membership. Annual dues are only $12 (or $13 using our online payment system). It's a high value investment and supports the wide range of programs and events that we offer. The membership form and payment instructions are found on our website or by clicking HERE.
The online payment option can be accessed by clicking HERE.
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Skagit Valley Beekeepers Association
Brett DeLawter President brettdelawter@gmail.com
Dawn Beck Vice President dawnrunner@live.com
Domie Bourgeois Treasurer/Website Manager domie.bourgeois@gmail.com
Brenda Crossley Secretary brendacrossley49@gmail.com
Steve Cecil Newsletter cecilbees121@gmail.com
Don Johnson. Board homebrewtwo@gmail.com
Jim Kohl Board
Heather Oates Board hoates@gmail.com
Seth Smith. Board seth_smith@live.com
Chris Zimmerman Board gocougs87@gmail.com
Matt and Nikki Jones SVBA Equipment Managers lamesican@gmail.com
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