The Chatham County Beekeepers’ Association encourages our members to invest some spare time in volunteering for events or other activities that can really help make a difference in our impact on the community, and on the stability of our organization.
OUR TRADITIONAL EVENTS:
CCBA is involved in any number of events and activities over the year. Help us contribute to the larger community’s understanding of bees, and their critical impact, by volunteering a bit of time to one of the events committees.
Chatham County Agricultural Celebration (Ag Fest)
This event, drawing from the rich community tradition of Chatham County Farm Bureau’s annual Ag Awareness Day, evolved from the NC Cooperative Extension’s very successful CCACC Grand Opening Celebration in 2017. Over 1,500 people so enjoyed the exhibits and events that the Extension decided to make it an annual event!
CCBA mans a table and actively engages with fairgoers on the subject of beekeeping. Typically we display an educational hive body, flyers, and other information. Phil Uptmor will head this event’s support this year.
First Sundays
First Sundays April – November in downtown Pittsboro, hours from 12 pm – 5 pm. Under the historical leadership of member Gerald Palmer, CCBA mans a canopied table. Volunteers will interact with fairgoers about beekeeping, sell member honey and generally distribute information flyers and field questions. Each monthly event needs 4 or so volunteers to man the table over two time periods.
Pollinator Day
Beginning in 2007 the Chatham County Beekeepers’ Association has teamed up with Chatham County Cooperative Extension, under the leadership of Debbie Roos, to conduct a local Pollinator Day Celebration in honor of National Pollinator Week. The event has historically been held on the lawn in front of Chatham Marketplace in Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, NC. Starting in 2011 the event has been held in mid-May.
Volunteers typically engage in planning and sometimes materials building, booth and show set up, coordinating, manning the various tables and takedown. This event is a fun way to engage with not only the public but support Debbie in her considerable efforts on behalf of bee health and public education. It is not clear whether this event will be held this year.
State Fair Exhibit Competition
Each year, CCBA enters a booth, in competition with other participating state beekeepers’ associations. A committee of interested members works for months in advance to come up with a theme, then design, create and build booth presentation materials, and pull together honey/bee products and plants for the booth. This can be an especially creative and fun experience for volunteers who like to think creatively, construct things and spend time with fellow beekeepers over time.
Old Fashioned Farmers’ Day
Labor Day weekend. The Old Fashioned Farmers Day event is held at the Farm Heritage Theme Park, in Siler City. It’s the longest-running event in Chatham County – this year is the 44th! We need a few volunteers to help set up, man and takedown our booth. Visit the past, marvel at how things were done, think of all the advances that have been made through the years! See many skills and technologies that have been almost forgotten over the years.
Shakori Hills
CCBA has had a presence at the fall Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival for several years under the supervision of Moya Hallstein. Volunteers who can commit to manning the booths are given day passes to the Festival. The festival takes place on 72 acres outside of Pittsboro that have been described as a “music lovers’ paradise.” The site accommodates four stages and an average of 50 acts per festival.
PROGRAMS
OUR 4C’s BEE YARD
Our 4C’s bee yard provides the foundation for our hands-on education to both members and the general community. For many newbies, their experiences at the bee yard helped form a long-lasting interest in beekeeping.
Over the years, our CCBA bee yard, located on the campus of the Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro, has been a critical source of hands-on learning for our new and established beekeepers. This absolutely essential resource is central to our ability to share all facets of beekeeping with our membership and the general community.
The bee yard is historically maintained by a committee of extremely dedicated members, led this year by Pat Weisbrodt and Lori Hawkins. For those of you interested in accelerating your beekeeping experience and learning from a group of gifted beekeepers and educators, all while making new beekeeping friends, we highly recommend joining the committee to volunteer to help on tasks associated with keeping the bees healthy and happy.
Email lorithawkins@gmail.com if you are interested in pitching in. There is no better way of obtaining expertise than by doing under the guidance and tutelage of extraordinary fellow beekeepers. Be part of a dynamic and supportive committee!
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Last year CCBA launched a formal mentoring program for first-year graduates of the 2019 annual beekeeping school. The program was designed to help and support the success of new beekeepers through their first-year beekeeping experience.
The First Year Cluster Program grouped new beekeepers by geographic location with each group led by one or more experienced beekeeper(s). The groups met periodically at the hives of a member, rotating locations from month to month. Each month’s focus was on an aspect of beekeeping that would be especially relevant to the month and life cycle of the hive. Members were encouraged to share issues, successes, suggestions, frustrations, etc. with other members, with the goal of establishing a supportive beekeeping community in each group’s area.
This year, we will be making a few adjustments to the program so that it will be a bit more effective and less demanding of volunteers participating in the program. Consider signing up as a Junior mentor to work alongside a more experienced Master mentor. You will find the time rewarding and deeply educational.
