Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Honey bee losses are caused by a range of stressors often described as the five "P's" and includes: pesticides, pests, pathogens, poor nutrition, and poor management of bees and bee pests. Within the Great Plains region high losses were reported mostly among beginning and small scale beekeeping farmers (48% mortality) and side liner (42% mortality) operations. These high losses reflect a critical need for training among beginning beekeeping farmers in this region. To become successful, beginning beekeeping farmers require hands-on regional training and a community support group that sustains and encourages beginners to stay in the business despite colony failures and economic setbacks. The main goal of a regional beekeeping training programis to provide science-based training opportunities to beekeeping farmersthat will improve the health and productivity of honey bees and thus sustain and promote new beekeeping farmer businesses in the Midwest. Changes/Problems:The only challenges we came across were related to Covid-19 restrictions and course cancellations due to illness. Many of the lectures and resources have been made availble online for those restrictingin-person contact. As we try to return to normal in-person class and workshops, we have delicately worked with partners toensure they are comfortable with in-person engagment and have contingency plans for when instructors become ill and need to isolate. Therefore, many of he workshops were delivered as a hybrid online/in-person courses but there has been some challenges with training beekeepers to use the zoom platform and newtechnology. In the future, we will continue to phase out hybrid courses and return toin-person training but we will also maintain, develop,and update online resources on the GPMB website. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development is a focus of our program and those volunteering their time to contribute to GPMB benefit from learning and engaging with the diverse network of beekeeping farmers we have recruited into GPMB. Through the governing committee (which consists of 12+ representatives from each partnering association/club), communication and information sharingoccursacross the Midwest regionwhich has never been accomplished at this scale before.This allows folks to leverage expertise and resources more efficiently. The GPMB governing committee is now developing several sub-committee positions to address identify gaps and needs. Beekeeping farmer volunteers contributing tosubcommitteesalso have professional development opportunities and engage with colleagues at varying experience levels and backgrounds. Other opportunities includes working closely with external partners, institutions, and other training programs. These partnerships include: Heros-to-hives: Heroes to Hives is a unique program offered through Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Food and Farming Systems and our partner Universities that seeks to address financial and personal wellness of veterans through free professional training and community development centered around beekeeping. Veterans exit the Heros-to-hives program with a broad depth of basic beekeeping knowledge and GPMB will facilitate further advanced experiential learning/field training as well as personal and professional relationships that open up new opportunities and ensure long-term peer support Link. Mid-West IPM4Bees Working Group: The IPM4Bees Working Group consists of about 30 professionals and seeks to foster learning, collaboration, and information/resource sharing among researchers, extension professionals, and other stakeholders that work in honey bees, native bees, and bee-related IPM. The primary areas of focus are pollinator friendly agricultural IPM practices and IPM for honey bee pests. Resources and training sessions offered through IPM4Bees is distributed and offered to GPMB members Link. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information about the project is disseminated to partnering organizations through their GPMB governing committee representatives as well as through the GPMB website and quarterly newsletters. The GPMB website (https://gpmb.unl.edu/) houses all the educational aids, videos, publications, and courses offered as well as opportunities to get involved in citizen science projects and other community engagement events, such as county and state fairs. All decisions on the GPMB certification processes and requirements (learning objectives, field training, and volunteer service) were reviewed and approved by the Governing Committee. The Governing committee currently consists of 16 members and each are a representative from a partnering association, bee club, or is a project partner. Current partners include: The Center for Rural Affairs (coPI), Colorado Beekeepers Association, Iowa State University Extension, Kansas Honey Producers, Northeast Kansas Beekeepers Association, Jim n'l Farms, Missouri State Beekeepers Association, Nebraska Beekeepers Association, Omaha Bee Club, Wyoming Bee College, Rolla Bee Club, Central Iowa Beekeepers Association and a few other parties are still in the process of formalizing their non-profit status so they can be official partners in the future. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Through feedback surveys and discussions, there were overwhelming agreement regarding the value of demonstrations and practical training. Members enjoy watching field demonstrations via zoom and videos but would benefit with local in-person training particularly in rural areas that make travel and in-person training logistically costly and difficult for the UNL Bee Lab to do at the scale needed to reach GPMB members.?Feedback surveys from course evaluations, conferences, and virtual events over the past few years indicate there are many people willing to become mentors and offer more training and who have the knowledge to do so but do not for three main reasons: 1) they don't have a location suitable for the general public; 2) they do not enough hives for teaching purposes; and 3) they don't have formal educational training and may not feel confident or know what they would teach.As a result, we submitted another grant through the USDA-NIFA Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Program and received additional funding ($496,890* received June 2021) to address the training gaps and encourage experiential learning using guided training kits and open apiaries. Training kits will accomplish two goals: 1) aid in standardizing learning materials and management techniques for more consistent training across the region; and 2) provide resources that allow beekeeping farmers to try new field methods as well as aids to increase the quality of engagement between mentors, mentees, volunteers, and educators alike. This community style experiential learning often occurs in informal and smaller settings, such as "Open Apiary Sessions," which promotes greater learning retention and more impactful field training outcomes for hive health success. The increased quality of engagement will promote professional and economic growth for participating beekeeping farmers as well as strengthen the relationship between local associations and the beekeepers. The 2021 pilot trials on Open Apiaries were very successful and well-received. They have alsoallowed us to begin developing guidance on establishing teaching apiaries and conducting hands-on training for other instructors and mentors. The following five collaborating beekeeping associations will now receive funding support to establish open apiaries and offer in-field training for their association members, which consists of ~1,800 Midwest beekeepers: Omaha Bee Club (membership is 106), Nebraska Beekeepers Association (membership is 175), the Northeast Kansas Beekeepers Association (membership is 600), Kansas Honey Producers Association (formerly The Kansas State Beekeepers Association) (membership is 290); and the Missouri State Beekeepers Association (membership is 625). And the Center for Rural Affairs will help provide targeted educational materials and exploratory beekeeping courses for Latinx and Tribal communities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Prior to the GPMB program there were very few training programs available for beekeeping farmers in the Great Plains Region. The main goal of the regional beekeeping training program was to provide science-based training opportunities to beekeeping farmers that will improve the health and productivity of honey bees and thus sustain and promote new beekeeping farmer businesses. The program accomplished this goal through 3 objectives: 1) Provide training for beginning beekeeping farmers with 0-10 years of experience. In 2021, UNL Bee Lab focused on building content and support for the regional Great Plains Master Beekeeping (GPMB) Training Program. And as of October 2021, there are 996 registered members representing 3 countries (US, India, Belgium) and 20 states. More noteworthy is the demographic representation we have within our program which is unique among other agriculture focused programs. (Male: 484; Female: 500; *Hispanic/Latino: 19, *Black: 16, *Asian: 7, *Spanish: 3, *Other: 25, *Hawaiian: 3, *Native American: 7, *Caucasian: 915; Military: 214). Annual Goals: 100 participants will enrolled in GPMB. We received 353 new members in 2021 which is a 54.9% increase from 2020 (643 members)(goal accomplished). 40 exploratory (level 0) participants who will enroll in another beekeeping course. Many of the exploratory courses in 2020-2021 were cancelled due to covid-19 restrictions but the Center for Rural Affairs has scheduled make-up sessions for 2022. Despite the cancellations, there has been 78 members that have enrolled into another course (annual goal not accomplished but making good overall progress). 30 participants will advance to next level.In 2021, 50 Apprentice level membersadvanced to Journeymen level and 10 Journeymen advanced to provisional Masters status (goal accomplished). 20 participants will expand their business because of the advanced training opportunities.Based on feedback surveys and course evaluations, only 8 members have reported business expansion plans. However, during the pandemic many have had economic setbacks which could explain the lower numbers reported in 2021 (40% accomplished). However from 2019-2021 there has been a total of 68 members who report they will expand their business due to GPMB training. 100 participants will actively monitor for and manage pests/diseases as a result of the program. In 2021, 63 new members reported they will actively monitor for pests (63% accomplished) which brings the program total to 175 members. 2) Develop educational modules and materials to make training opportunities more accessible. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and concerns over in-person classes, 5 online "learning series" lectures were developed and delivered through GPMB (attended by a total of 592 members). Additionally, the GPMB team arranged a full online training or "Fun Day" event on Feb 13th, 2021. Over 526 people registered and we had no less than 185 members in attendance at any given time throughout the day. The speaker topics ranged from how to get honey approved in commercial kitchens for sales, to how to prepare for building nucleus colonies for honey production. This virtual event was also free to attend, with a suggested donation of $10 per attendee. Overall the 2021 event raised $2,269 (after 4% fee) for further expansion of GPMB Virtual Bee Fun Days in the future (See 2021 Program Schedule). There were 20 invited speakers from research & academic institutions (n=7), as well as extension professionals (n=4), non-profit organizations (n=1), graduate students (n=3), and local professional beekeepers (n=8). Virtual programs are designed to deliver information broadly to meet the knowledge and skill gaps of our diverse audience. Beekeeping farmers with little to no advanced knowledge attend these events, so we want to provide critical information with varying focuses and demonstration types. In 2021, we added an informal discussion session "ASK the expert" and recruited panelists from the GPMB governing committee and beekeeping association leaders to discuss the top 6 topics and obtain feedback on concerns and needs. The six "ASK THE EXPERT" sessions were led by GPMB partners and the UNL Bee team and topics included: 1) Making Value-Added Products: Q&A about making products, packing/labling, and marketing. Led byJoli Winer (NE Kansas Beekeepers Association) and Becky Tipton (KS Honey Producers Association) 24 participants 2) Plants and planting for bees: Q&A about establishment and selection of pollinator-friendly plants in small and large plots. Led by Charlotte Wiggins (Missouri State Beekeepers Association) and Sheldon Brummel (UNL), 27 participants 3) Business, bottling, selling honey: Q&A for newer beekeepers to troubleshoot honey harvesting issues. Led by Shannon Coleman (Iowa State University Extension) and Kirstin Bailey (Center for Rural Affairs), 15 participants 4) Local Queen Rearing Interest: Aimto begin developing a new network of local queen breeders to support locally adapted stock. Led by Cory Stevens (Missouri Beekeepers State Association) and Jim Kellie (KS Honey Producers Association), 40 participants 5) Varroa IPM/Troubleshooting hive issues: Q & A regarding pest and disease management. Led by Randall Cass (Iowa State University) and Judy Wu-Smart (UNL), 28 participants 6) Beekeeping 101 Q&A: General Q&A for begining beekeeping farmers. Led by Kristi Sanderson (NE Kansas Beekeepers Association) and Megan Vetter (NE Beekeepers Association), 21 participants 3) Provide targeted training opportunities to underserved populations. As of October of 2021: GPMB has 996 members total representing 3 countries (US, India, Belgium) and 20 US states.?Our demographic profiles shows GPMB is reaching women beekeeping farmers (Female: 500; Male: 484; - Other/Prefer to not respond: 11)?and a growing audience of Veterans and or active Military members (*Hispanic/Latino: 19, *Black: 16, *Asian: 7, *Spanish: 3, *Other: 25, *Hawaiian: 3, *Native American: 7, *Caucasian: 915; Military: 214). In 2021, we piloted "Open Apiaries" or teaching apiaries for the public and conducted 7 sessions (1-3 hrs) at the UNL apiary. Open apiary class sizes ranged 2-20 per session with 5-7 "regulars" who attended multiple sessions over the season. Sessions focused on hands-on training in the apiary and addressed seasonal management needs (i.e. spring swarm control, summer honey production, late summer mite monitoring/control, and fall overwinter prep). In addition to piloting open apiaries at UNL, GPMB partnersofferedTargeted Veteran Open Apiary: 6 sessions in Sewell, NE; 18 participants, 2 regulars, 2- 5 veterans per session. As a result of positive feedback, we are developing 2022 plans to continue with heroes-to-hives program.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The Great Plains Master Beekeeper Program (GPMB) and website officially began in April 2019 and as of November 2022,has 1835 participants from 16 states across middle America but with a primary focus on Midwest states (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri) which comprises over 60% of the membership in the GPMB program (NE(427), MO(320), IA(249), KS(131) or 1137/1835). GPMB participants include beekeeping farmers ranging in skills from novice with no experience to advanced beekeepers wanting challenging classes and updated course offerings to improve colony health and economic independence. The GPMB program provides support and training to educators partnering with the program, including numerous local beekeeping groups and the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA), so they may independently provide training on practices that are science-based and time-tested to their associates and club members, thus growing the GPMB learning support network. The Exploratory Beekeeping courses offered through this program by partners, like CFRA, targeted underserved communities in Crete, Grand Island, Lincoln, the Maci Reservation, Milford, Nebraska City, Schuyler, Scottsbluff, Winnebago. The in-person training opportunities complement online lectures and have increased the skillset and knowledge of beginning beekeepers in Latino, Native American, and Veteran communities.The demographics of the GPMB community includes a high proportion of underserved groups, including women beekeepers (48% female (638 male/590 female/839 no response); 1% Native American (10); 1.6% Hispanic (20), 1.6% African American (21); 0.6% Asian (8); 4.4% reported multiple ethnicities (54); 4.4% reported other (55); 86% Caucasians (1058); 68% no response (841).More notably, because of our collaboration with the "Heroes-to-Hives" program (led by Adam Ingrao; Michigan Food & Farming Systems), we have increased the number of Veterans or active military from 21% (or 214 members) to 37% (449 members) from 2021 to 2022. Since we launched in 2019, we have had consistent program growth which supports the success of our approach and the increased quality of engagement we provide through GPMB promotes professional and economic growth as well as strengthens the relationship between local associations and the beekeepers they serve. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The community-focused approach GPMB utilizedcreates collaborative working environments that facilitate the development of other beneficial training programs, including train-the-trainer programs, working groups such as the IPM4Bees Midwest Working Group and the Midwest Managed Pollinator Protection Plan (Midwest MP3) Working Group (funded through North Central SARE), and even other beekeeping training programs, such as the Heroes-to-Hives Veterans Program led by Michigan Food & Farming Systems and Michigan State University partners. In addition toworking groups, professionsal development opportunities occur throughGPMB leadership engagement and committees.The GPMB governing committeeconsists of 14 members and each is a representative from a partnering association, bee club, or educational institution. Current partners include: The Center for Rural Affairs (coPI), Colorado Beekeepers Association, Iowa State University Extension, Kansas Honey Producers, Northeast Kansas Beekeepers Association, Jim n'l Farms, Missouri State Beekeepers Association, Nebraska Beekeepers Association, Omaha Bee Club, Wyoming Bee College, and the list of interested partners continues to grow. Information about the program progress, changes, and opportunities are disseminated to partnering organizations through their GPMB governing committee representatives as well as through the GPMB website, quarterly newsletters, and monthly virtual seminars with guest lecturers.In addition to the 14 members who serve on the Governing committee, other beekeeping farmers volunteer their time to serve on GPMB subcommittees. There are foursub-committees to serve as the work force to complete necessary tasks that sustain program success. And in each committee, members consist of representatives from different organizations and states so there are diverse ideas, perspectives, and opinions broadly shared across the GPMB community. GPMB Subcommittees Content Subcommittee: Chair: Charlotte Wiggins, MO; Vice Chair: Brad Sumter, NE; Committee: Teresa Campbell, MO; Joli Winer, KS; Kirstin Bailey, NE; Gregg Hitchings, MO; Judy Wu-Smart, UNL-NE MISSION: Addressing Learning Objective education gaps and soliciting and/or creating material to address those gaps. Certifying courses and materials to be used in GPMB programming both online and in person. Online Testing Subcommittee. Chair: Teresa Campbell, MO; Committee: Dan Brouk, provisional journeyman, MO; Charlotte Wiggins, master candidate, MO; Henry Long, master candidate, MO; Sharon Contini, retired teacher, MO; David Draker, provisional journeyman, MO; Judy Wu-Smart, UNL-NE MISSION: To professionally develop online tests to educate and measure competency from one program level to the next. Apprentice to Journeyman online test completed. Work started on Journeyman to Masters. Master's Project Subcommittee. Chair: Courtney Brummel, UNL-NE; Committee: Teresa Campbell, MO; Kirsten Bailey, NE; Cory Stevens, MO; Brad Sumter, NE; Becky Tipton, KS MISSION: To review and recommend submitted master's projects to fill existing content gaps and provide new GPMB tools. Open (Teaching) Apiaries Subcommittee. Chair: Becky Tipton, KS; Committee: Megan Vetter, NE; Ken Heitcamp, MO; Dwayne Jansen, PJ; Daisy Warnick, UNL-NE; Judy Wu-Smart, UNL-NE MISSION: Providing guidance for apiary teachers and answering questions regarding field training at Open Teaching Apiary sessions. Discussed issues and concerns regarding apiary liability, insurance, and appropriate signage. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results and information have been disseminated in three ways: 1) through the GPMB website, 2) through partners, including beeassociation websites/events andexternal working groups; and 3) through monthly virtual HapBee Hour seminars andsocial media announcements. Communication to partners occurs through regular monthly meetings among the GPMB governing committee. The Governing committee currently consists of 14 members and each is a representative from a partnering association, bee club, or educational institution.Information about the program progress, changes, and opportunities are disseminated to partnering organizations through their GPMBcommittee representatives as well as through sub committees, the GPMB website, quarterly newsletters, and monthly virtual seminars (HapBee Hour) with guest lectures. Information is also shared through externer working groups and programs, such as: Heros-to-hives: Heroes to Hives is a unique program offered through Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Food and Farming Systems and our partner Universities that seeks to address financial and personal wellness of veterans through free professional training and community development centered around beekeeping. Veterans exit the Heros-to-hives program with a broad depth of basic beekeeping knowledge (Year 1 instruction) and GPMB will facilitate further advanced experiential learning/field training (Year 2+ instruction) as well as personal and professional relationships that open up new opportunities and ensure long-term peer support Link. Mid-West IPM4Bees Working Group: The IPM4Bees Working Group consists of about 30 extension professionals across the Midwest and seeks to foster learning, collaboration, and information/resource sharing among researchers, extension educators, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders that work withmanaged honey bees and orwildbees in agriculural landscapes. The primary aim andfocus is on identifying, evaulating, and demonstratingbee-friendlyintegrated pest management (IPM) practices for both farmers and beekeepers.Resources and training sessions offered through IPM4Bees aredistributed and offered to GPMB members Link. Managed Pollinator Protection (MP3) Working Group: The MP3 group consists of dozens of researchers, extension professionals, state and federal agency representatives who have experience or are interested in developing a MP3 plan for their respective states. The group aims to address the pollinator health crisis by facilitating a coordinated effort to learn from each other, share resources, and reduce redundancy. More importantly, states share what has worked and has not worked so others will not make similar mistakes and be more effective communicators when engaging with partners, industry, regulators, and policy makers on the development of MP3s Link. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Prior to the GPMB program there were very few training programs available for beekeeping farmers in the Great Plains Region. The main goal of the regional beekeeping training program was to provide science-based training opportunities to beekeeping farmers that will improve the health and productivity of honey bees and thus sustain and promote new beekeeping farmer businesses. The program accomplished this goal through 3 objectives: 1) Provide training for beginning beekeeping farmers with 0-10 years of experience. Outcome: The GPMB program has developed a network of beekeepers, educators, and dedicated citizens who strive to help one another care for their hives. The educational lectures, videos, and training guides have been collaboratively vetted and developed by the GPMB working committees and members who are also beekeepers and representatives of their local beekeeping association or club, thus ensuring the information provided through GPMB maintains relevance and prioritizes regional needs and considerations for Midwest beekeepers. The initial program goal was to target ~100 participants per year, however GPMB has exceeded this goal by 6 times and currently serves over 1835 members across 16 states:(NE(427), MO(320), IA(249), KS(131), MI(61), CA(37), IL(35), OH(22), WY(22), MN(18), NY(18), CO(13), GA(13), SD(11), IN(9), OK(8)). 2) Develop educational modules and materials to make training opportunities more accessible. Outcome: By ensuring beekeeping associations are continually involved and invested in the development of training opportunities, we have developed a standardized curricula or framework for advancement from apprentice to journeyman to master level topics. This tiered approach has been a successful model for Master gardeners and has been adapted for beekeeping farmers. The GPMB website and Moodle classroom platform allows individuals to track and customize their learning experience. Knowledge gained, changes in practices, and overall program impacts are measured through pre- and post- surveys, course evaluations, and by tracking advancement through levels. We met all our program goals and have had at least 30 individuals advance to the next tier (either Journeyman or Master levels) with a total of 110 members advancing during the past three years. Additionally, we exceeded our goals for the number of participants who will expand their business because of the advanced training opportunities (goal 20 per year; total 173/60), and who will actively monitor for and manage pests/diseases as a result of the program (goal 100 per year; total 876/300). During this program we identified a gap in education, as many beekeepers were unable to complete field training requirements because there were insufficient number of training sites and willing educators to provide practical hands-on training. Therefore, the GPMB program will continue to support beekeeping farmers and local groups by helping to establish numerous teaching apiaries. The efforts to develop guidance, training, and financial support for volunteer mentors to safely work with live honey bee colonies has begun through another USDA BFRD sponsored program (NEBN-28-503). 3) Provide targeted training opportunities to underserved populations. Outcome: GPMB developed introductory "Exploratory Beekeeping (level 0)" lectures, resources, and activities for partners to teach to other communities, including underserved audiences (Latino, Native American communities and Veterans). GPMB aimed to have 40 people who attended an exploratory course continue their education as apprentice level beekeeping farmers per year and met our goal with a total of 121 participants continuing on. By providing culturally-sensitive targeted training this program is supporting new beekeeping farmers within these underserved communities. GPMB partners Randall Cass, Iowa State University, is currently working with CFRA to develop more beekeeping resources in Spanish and plan to deliver Spanish taught beekeeping courses in 2023.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The Great Plains Master Beekeeper Program (GPMB) and website officially began in April 2019 and as of November 2022, it currently has 1835 participants from 16 states across middle America but with a primary focus onMidwest states (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri) which comprises over 60% of the membership in the GPMB program (NE(427), MO(320), IA(249), KS(131) or 1137/1835). GPMB participants include beekeeping farmers ranging in skills from novice with no experience to advanced beekeepers wanting challenging classes and updated course offerings to improve colony health and economic independence. The GPMB program provides support and training to educators partnering with the program, including numerous local beekeeping groups and the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA), so they may independently provide training on practices that are science-based and time-tested totheir associates and club members, thus growing the GPMB learning support network. The Exploratory Beekeeping courses offered through this program by partners, like CFRA, targeted underserved communities inCrete, Grand Island, Lincoln, the Maci Reservation, Milford, Nebraska City,Schuyler, Scottsbluff, Winnebago. The in-person training opportunities complement online lectures and have increased the skillset and knowledge of beginning beekeepers in Latino, Native American, and Veteran communities. In January 2022, of the total 996 GPMB participants,50% were females (500), 2% identified asNative American (19) and 3%Hispanic (30), and21% reported to beVeterans or currently serving in the armed forces (214) demonstrating GPMB's ability to reach members from underserved communities. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The community-focused approach GPMB utilizescreates collaborative working environments that facilitate the development of other beneficial training programs, including train-the-trainer programs, working groups such as the IPM4Bees Midwest Working Group and the Midwest Managed Pollinator Protection Plan (Midwest MP3) Working Group (funded through North Central SARE), and even other beekeeping training programs, such as the Heroes-to-Hives Veterans Program led by Michigan Food & Farming Systems and Michigan State University partners. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results and information have been disseminated in three ways through theGPMB website,through partner association websites and social media announcements; and through monthly virtual HapBee Hour seminars. Communication to partners occurs through regular monthly meetings among the GPMB governing committee.The Governing committee currently consists of 14 members and each is a representative from a partnering association, bee club, or educational institution. Current partners include: The Center for Rural Affairs (coPI), Colorado Beekeepers Association, Iowa State University Extension, Kansas Honey Producers, Northeast Kansas Beekeepers Association, Jim n'l Farms, Missouri State Beekeepers Association, Nebraska Beekeepers Association, Omaha Bee Club, Wyoming Bee College, and the list of interested partners continues to grow. Information about the program progress, changes, and opportunities aredisseminated to partnering organizations through their GPMB governing committee representatives as well as through the GPMB website,quarterly newsletters, and monthly virtual seminars with guest lecturers.? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Prior to the GPMB program there werevery few training programs available for beekeeping farmers in the Great Plains Region. The maingoalof theregional beekeeping training program was to provide science-based training opportunities to beekeeping farmers that will improve the health and productivity of honey bees and thus sustain and promote new beekeeping farmer businesses. The program accomplished this goal through 3objectives: 1)Provide training for beginning beekeeping farmerswith 0-10 years of experience.Outcome:The GPMB program has developed a network of beekeepers, educators, and dedicated citizens who strive to help one another care for their hives. The educational lectures, videos, and training guides have been collaboratively vetted and developed by the GPMB workingcommittees and members who are alsobeekeepers and representatives of their local beekeeping association or club, thus ensuring the information provided through GPMB maintains relevance and prioritizes regional needs and considerations for Midwest beekeepers.The initial program goal was to target ~100 participants per year, howeverGPMB has exceeded this goal by 6 times and currently serves over 1835 members across 16 states:(NE(427), MO(320), IA(249), KS(131), MI(61), CA(37),IL(35), OH(22),WY(22),MN(18),NY(18), CO(13), GA(13), SD(11), IN(9), OK(8)). 2)Develop educational modules and materials to make training opportunities more accessible.Outcome:By ensuring beekeeping associations are continually involved and invested in the development of training opportunities, we have developed a standardized curricula or framework for advancement from apprentice to journeyman to master level topics. This tiered approach has been a successful model for Master gardeners and has been adapted for beekeeping farmers. The GPMB website and Moodle classroom platform allows individuals to track and customize their learning experience. Knowledge gained, changes in practices, and overall program impacts are measured through pre- and post- surveys, course evaluations, and by tracking advancement through levels. Wemet all our program goals and have had at least 30 individuals advanceto the next tier(either Journeyman or Master levels) with a total of 110 members advancing duringthe past three years. Additionally, we exceeded our goals for the number of participants whowill expand their business because of the advanced training opportunities (goal 20 per year; total 173/60), and whowill actively monitor for and manage pests/diseases as a result of the program (goal 100 per year; total 876/300). During this program we identified a gap in education,as many beekeepers were unable to complete field training requirementsbecausethere were insufficient number oftraining sites and willing educators to provide practical hands-on training. Therefore, the GPMB program will continue to support beekeeping farmers and local groups by helping to establishnumerous teaching apiaries. The efforts to develop guidance,training, and financial support for volunteer mentors tosafely work with live honey bee colonies has begunthrough another USDA BFRD sponsored program (NEBN-28-503). 3)Provide targeted training opportunities to underserved populations.Outcome:GPMB developedintroductory "Exploratory Beekeeping (level 0)" lectures, resources, and activities for partners to teach to other communities, includingunderserved audiences (Latino, Native American communities and Veterans). GPMB aimed to have 40 people who attended an exploratory course continue their education as apprentice level beekeeping farmers per year and met our goal with a total of 121 participantscontinuing on. By providing culturally-sensitive targeted training this program is supporting new beekeeping farmers within these underserved communities. GPMB partners Randall Cass, Iowa State University, is currently working with CFRA to develop more beekeeping resources in Spanish and plan to deliver Spanish taught beekeeping courses in 2023.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The Great Plains Master Beekeeper Program (GPMB) and website officially began in April 2019 and as of August 2020, it currently has 643 participants from multiple states across the region (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri, as well as several members from Mumbai India and Belgium). GPMB participants include beekeeping farmers ranging in skills from novice with no experience to advanced beekeepers wanting challenging classes and updated course offerings. In addition to online participants, we have offered as well as trained the staff of our partners, the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) so they may independently provide courses in order to reach more people. The Exploratory Beekeeping courses will be targeted at underserved communities in Crete, Grand Island, the Maci Reservation, Lincoln, Nebraska City, and Schuyler, Nebraska via digital and social distanced methods this fall.. These in-person training opportunities complement the online offerings and have increased the skillset and knowledge of beginning beekeepers in Latino, Native American, and Veteran Communities. Some courses were offered in Spanish and English to broaden the consumer base and we will be creating an exploratory video lecture in Spanish. Of the total 643 GPMB participants, 51% are females (396), 1% are Native American (7),2% are Hispanic (19), and 16% are Veterans or currently serving in the armed forces (130) demonstrating GPMB's ability to reach members from underserved communities. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?All three project objectives focus on expanding training opportunities and professional development. Objective 1) Provide training for beginning beekeeping farmers with 0-10 years of experience. In 2020, UNL Bee Lab provided a total of 6 beekeeping workshops across four major Nebraska cities. In addition, GPMB certified the first 9 master beekeepers to pass the field test portion of the courses, as well as 2 journeymen beekeepers. Course participants also included people from neighboring states Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Missouri. Workshop courses covered 2-full days of lectures, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and field training and targeted beekeepers with all levels of experience and operation type (e.g. honey producers, pollination service providers, queen rearing, hobbyists). These workshops included 5 introductory level classes (Year 1 and Year 2 Beekeeping) to 673 new or aspiring beekeepers to educate about basic honey bee management and IPM strategies for honey bee pests and diseases. The UNL Bee Lab offers beekeeping courses across Nebraska but through GPMB we are able to provide additional learning opportunities for the region. For example, this year we were able to offer Learning Series, short (1-2 hr) courses, on very specific topics, such as honey extraction, honey markets, hive inspections, etc. while Open Apiary Sessions are more informal gatherings at the UNL teaching apiaries to field questions and offer more field training. Open Apiary Sessions were unavailable this summer due to COVID-19 restrictions. Therefore, UNL Bee Lab collaborated with Randall Cass from Iowa State University Extension (GPMB partner) to offer weekly virtual open discussions. HapBeeHour has been offered since April 24th and occurs every Friday from 5-6 pm via Zoom conferencing. It's an informal virtual gathering to share photos, videos, and answer questions for beekeepers of all experience levels. Each week we prepare some seasonal tips and reminders to help beekeepers keep up with bee management needs and have a place to get thoughtful answers. We allow participants to provide input and share their operational setups for honey extractions or in their apiary. Others share stories of their hard-learned experiences to prevent new beekeepers from making similar mistakes, particularly regarding the use of miticides and timing of applications. Topics covered this year included broad subjects that appeal to a general audience, such as improving bee habitat and wild bees, as well as very specific beekeeping management topics, such as spring management, honey harvesting, comb production and replacement, pesticide incident monitoring, and hive pest monitoring and management. Each week there are roughly 20-30 participants that join HapBeeHour and participants include beekeeping farmers from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and California. Recordings of the HapBeeHour chat are archived and also made available for GPMB participants.We will continue to offer these until the end of the bee season (end of October-November) however, given the positive feedback we have received regarding HapBeeHour chats we will likely offer them again next season summer 2021 as well. Objective 2) Develop educational modules and materials to make training opportunities more accessible. In addition to all the above listed UNL Courses, GPMB certified and vetted 10 courses from partner organizations in all five partner states.This included partnering with Missouri Extension and certifying the Missouri Master Pollinator Stewardship Program as a certified GPMB course.The program also created 3 online learning series courses with over 310 attendees and counting. GPMB participants are spread across the region and many struggle to find reliable beekeeping workshops taught by experienced beekeepers or "vetted" instructors. Therefore, we sought to address this challenge in two ways 1) certify courses currently taught in partnering states to have more course listings on the GPMB website; and 2) develop, update, and post educational materials, videos, webinars, and guides for GPMB participants that are unable to attend in-person courses or who want extra learning aids GPMB instructors interested in having their course listed as a GPMB course submit their lecture content to the project coordinator who then evaluates which topics are covered and how the course aligns with the educational requirements set at each program level (apprentice, journeyman, and masters). The "vetting" or certification process for existing courses allows GPMB to "credit" and highlight courses with more reliable robust content compared to courses that gloss over important topics or only provide a series of photographic images (without word context) which provides little educational value. The rubric developed to set topic requirements at each level was approved by the governing committee (consists beekeeping organization leaders) and is currently being used as a model for instructors to refine their current courses. This certification process has allowed for instructors from bee clubs and associations to tailor their training to fit in the Master Beekeeping framework and this has given them new ideas and the certification process has refreshed some of the information going into the beekeeping communities, for example, outdated mite treatment guidelines, improper storage techniques, and mislabeled information. By unifying education materials across several states, we have been able to address emerging issues such as how to safely conduct hazard analysis of honey production, how to stagger varroa treatment to avoid resistance, and how to negate the impacts of secondary pest stress on hives. Objectives 3)Provide targeted training opportunities to underserved populations,such as Latinos, transitioning military and veterans, women and tribal groups. In addition to online learning series lecture videos, we have offered 8 in-person Exploratory Beekeeping classes as well as trained the staff of our partners, the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) so they may independently provide courses in order to reach more people. The Exploratory Beekeeping courses targeted underserved communities in Crete, Grand Island, the Maci Reservation, Lincoln, Nebraska City, and Schuyler, Nebraska. These in-person training opportunities complement the online offerings and have increased the skillset and knowledge of beginning beekeepers in Latino, Native American, and Veteran Communities. Through Exploratory Beekeeping courses, we have reached 42 participants (8% Latino, 8% military, 18% Tribal members, and 51% were women). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We provide training opportunities through multiple avenues from formal workshops, learning series, open apiary sessions and this year we converted much of our content to virtual programing dur to COVID-19. The GPMB Virtual Fun Day offered a variety of presentations and demonstrations. Below are some of these types. Lecture presentations: Research/informative- Lectures provided by experts from universities, agencies, and organizations focused on bee health, pest/pathogens/pesticides and other stressors, breeding efforts, and honey bee research developments. Management- Lectures provided by an array of researchers, educators, extension professionals, and experienced beekeepers to increase management skills and improve knowledge regarding beekeeping management options, such as integrated pest management for Varroa mites, pesticide exposure monitoring, and dietary supplemental options to boost hive nutritional and immunity. Value-added/products- Lectures provided by experienced beekeepers to introduce a variety of value-added products (soaps, lotions, candles, alternative uses for bee wax, pollen, honey, etc..). Lectures will provide introductory information about how to get started, equipment needed, and or marketing considerations. Professional development- Lectures provided by experienced beekeepers and professionals to promote professional development among beekeepers interested in expanded their operations, as well as provide resources on marketing products and financial support aids. Demonstration types: In the yard- Demonstrations provided in the apiary by researchers, educators, and experienced beekeepers on various management topics. Topics include: Trouble shooting hive issues (inspecting failing hives and what to do) Varroa monitoring & treatments (Mite washes and rolls, OA vaporization, OA dribble) Local queen rearing operation tour In the honey house: Demonstrations provided in the "honey house" (or wherever honey is being processed) by beekeepers of varying experience levels will focus on exhibiting different ways to extract, process, and market honey. Topics may include: Small scale honey extraction demonstration (no equipment straining, hand-crank, automatic) Honey extraction set-up tour (commercial operation) Quality honey products for competition and sale? Makers workshop: Demonstrations by experienced beekeepers in their natural setting to teach about how to make a variety of value-added products and other products that help promote bee health. Topics include: Lotions, soaps, and other cosmetic products Candles and or wax-based products Specialty honey products (comb honey, creamed honey) Costs: There were no fees associated with this GMPB virtual event, however, participants were given donation options: Donate to your beekeeping association (only) Donate to GPMB (only) (Note: this option is for those not associated with a group) Or donate to both (50% equal shares) *Suggested donation amount of $10 person. In total, we received 105 gifts ranging from $2-$200 and raised a total of $3,233 ( $3,103.68 after 4 percent processing fees). Participants were given the option to also donate to their local beekeeping associations so within the $3103 received partners received some revenue as well: Missouri State Beekeepers Association ($62.40), Nebraska Beekeepers Association ($144.00), Missouri Rolla Bee Club ($19.20), North East Kansas Beekeepers Association ($86.40), Kansas Honey Producers ($158.40), Iowa State University Beekeeping Program ($9.60). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to provide training opprotunities through in-person workshops, online lectures and seminars, informal Q & A sessions (Weekly HapBee Hour Chat via Zoom), and we are planning another virtual fun day for the Winter/early Spring of 2021. This year, training workshops and field programing were limited due to COVID restrictions therefore we look forward to resuming prevous courses as well as creating new blended courses to utlize both virtual and in-person training components to address future COVID concerns in the next coming season.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Of the total 643 GPMB participants, 51% are females (396), 1% are Native American (7),2% are Hispanic (19), and 16% are Veterans or currently serving in the armed forces (130) demonstrating GPMB's ability to reach members from underserved communities. April -Nov results (measured through workshop and beekeeping association surveys, website registration, certification, and feedback): Outcome1: Number of participants enrolled in the training program (100 per year); actually reached 643 participants (outcome completed); Outcome2: Number of exploratory participants who will enroll in another beekeeping course (40 per year); actually ~15 participants (35% completed); Outcome3: Number of participants who will become certified at a level and advance to next level (30 per year); reached 35 participants (100% accomplished); Outcome4: Number of participants who will expand their business as a result of the advanced training opportunities (20 per year); 17 participants responded (85% accomplished); Outcome5: Number of participants who will actively monitor for and manage pests/diseases as a result of the program (100 per year); actually reached 336 participants (outcome 100% completed).
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The Great Plains Master Beekeeper Program (GPMB) and websiteofficially began in April 2019 and as of November 2019, it currently has 215 participants from multiple states across the region (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri). GPMB participants include beekeeping farmers ranging in skills from novice with no experience to advanced beekeepers wanting challenging classes and updated course offerings. In addition to online participants, we have offered 7 in-person Exploratory Beekeeping classes as well as trained the staff of our partners, the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) so they may independently provide courses in order to reach more people. The Exploratory Beekeeping courses targeted underserved communities in Crete, Grand Island, the Maci Reservation, Lincoln, Nebraska City, and Schuyler, Nebraska. These in-person training opportunities complement the online offerings andhave increased the skillset and knowledge of beginning beekeepers in Latino, Native American, and Veteran Communities.Some courses were offered in Spanish and English to broaden the consumer base and featured hands on activities to familiarize novices with the tools and terminology of the trade. Of the215 participants, 55% are females (118), 2% are Native American (5), 2% are Hispanic (5), and 34% are Veterans or currently serving in the armed forces (75)demonstrating GPMB's ability to reach members from underserved communities. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?UNL Bee Lab trained CFRA staff about beekeeping and how we deliver lectures, hands-on activities, and field demonstrations to illustrate key hive management approaches, including integrated pest managment. CFRA is now trained to offer Exploratory level courses and we will continue to work with our partners so that they may become more involved in introductory (Year 1 & 2 beekeeping) and advanced courses. UNL led workshops are delivered by the Bee Lab team which consists of PI Wu-Smart and several graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff. Students and staff are given opportunities to led workshop activities, field demonstrations, and or present lectures which is extremely critical in their professional development and learning how to engage with broad stakeholders and interest groups. Students and staff are also encouraged to develop extension publications which will be made available through GMPB. Current extension publications in development or review include: "Getting Honey Certified", "Monitoring for Pesticide Incidents using Dead Bee Traps", Pollinator Conservation Programs for Land Managers in the MidWest", and "Wild Bees in our Prairies". How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All decisions on the GPMB certification processes and requirements (learning objectives, field training, and volunteer service) were reviewed and approved by the Governing Committee. The Governing committee currently consists of 14 members and each are a representative from a partnering association, bee club, or is a project partner. Current partners include: The Center for Rural Affairs (coPI), Colorado Beekeepers Association, Iowa State University Extension, Kansas Honey Producers, Northeast Kansas Beekeepers Association, Jim n'l Farms, Missouri State Beekeepers Association, Nebraska Beekeepers Association, Omaha Bee Club, Wyoming Bee College, and a few other parties that are still in the process of submitting courses for program placement. Once that process is complete their organizations will be added to the formal partner's list and a representative from that group will be invited to participate in the governing committee. Information about the project is disseminated to partnering organizations through their GPMB governing committee representatives as well as through the GPMB website and quarterly newsletters. The GPMB website (https://gpmb.unl.edu/) houses all the educational aids, videos, publications, and courses offered as well as opportunities to get involved in citizen science projects and other community engagement events, such as county and state fairs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue to expand our course listings by recruiting more GPMB "instructors". To do this, we have scheduled 2020 field testing days for Kansas and Missouri members to "test-out" into higher levels. For example, representatives serving on the governing committee are typically experienced beekeepers and or instructors already. We are having many of these members "test-out" into master's (or journeyman) levels to avoid having to retake education requirements and so we can have "GPMB certified" instructors in place to offer classes in their states and "certified journeyman" beekeepers to offer mentors for apprentice level members. We will also continue to offer exploratory level courses to underserved communities and will offer introductory/advanced level courses based on feedback and demand. For example, from this year's feedback, we will offer a bilingual (Spanish/English) Year 1 beekeeping class in Grand Island, NE next summer.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1) Provide training for beginning beekeeping farmers with 0-10 years of experience. In 2019, UNL Bee Lab provided a total of 17 Beekeeping workshops in 5 cities across Nebraska which reached 748 beekeepers from Scottsbluff (Scotts Bluff County) to Lincoln (Lancaster County). Course participants also included people from neighboring states Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Missouri. Workshop courses covered 2-full days of lectures, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and field training and targeted beekeepers with all levels of experience and operation type (e.g. honey producers, pollination service providers, queen rearing, hobbyists) as well as Pest Management Professionals, Extension staff, public agency staff, and others interested in bees. These workshops included 13 introductory level classes (Year 1 and Year 2 Beekeeping) to 673 new or aspiring beekeepers to educate about basic honey bee management and IPM strategies for honey bee pests and diseases. Additionally, 4 of the workshops were advanced courses (Queen rearing & Pest and Pathogen Diagnostics) reaching 84 beekeepers. The advanced courses are designed to help beekeepers with 5+ years of experience expand their skills so that they may expand their businesses and operations in new directions. The UNL Bee Lab offers beekeeping courses across Nebraska but through GPMB we are able to provide additional learning opportunities for the region. For example, this year we were able to offer 8 Learning Series and Open Apiary Sessions every month from April-November which reached roughly 100 attendees. Learning Series are short (1-2 hr) courses on very specific topics, such as honey extraction, honey markets, hive inspections, etc. while Open Apiary Sessions were more informal gatherings at the UNL teaching apiaries to field questions and offer more field training. Topics covered included broad subjects that appeal to a general audience, such as improving bee habitat, as well as very specific beekeeping management topics, such as fall management, overwintering, and hive pest monitoring. Beekeeping courses, learning series, and open apiary sessions were offered throughout the year and topics were aligned to address seasonal needs well in advance so attendees would have a head-start on determining management needs in their own hives. This allowed us to address seasonal needs or emerging issues and provide the necessary information and management guidance for participants to implement new skills immediately into their operations. 2) Develop educational modules and materials to make training opportunities more accessible. GPMB participants are spread across the region and many struggle to find reliable beekeeping workshops taught by experienced beekeepers or "vetted" instructors. Therefore, we sought to address this challenge in two ways 1) certify courses currently taught in partnering states to have more course listings on the GPMB website; and 2) develop, update, and post educational materials, videos, webinars, and guides for GPMB participants that are unable to attend in-person courses or who want extra learning aids. GPMB instructors interested in having their course listed as a GPMB course submit their lecture content to the project coordinator who then evaluates which topics are covered and how the course aligns with the educational requirements set at each program level (apprentice, journeyman, and masters). The rubric developed to set topic requirements at each level was approved by the governing committee (consists beekeeping organization leaders) and is currently being used as a model for instructors to refine their current courses. This certification process has allowed for instructors from bee clubs and associations to tailor their training to fit in the Master Beekeeping framework and this has given them new ideas and the certification process has refreshed some of the information going into the beekeeping communities, for example, outdated mite treatment guidelines, improper storage techniques, and mislabeled information. By unifying education materials across several states, we have been able to address emerging issues such as how to safely conduct hazard analysis of honey production, how to stagger varroa treatment to avoid resistance, and how to negate the impacts of secondary pest stress on hives. Online resources were developed using existing UNL Bee Lab and Dr. Marion Ellis's former Midwest Master Beekeeper Course materials. Many of which were digitalized and used as a framework from which the new GPMB courses were built from. 3) Provide targeted training opportunities to underserved populations, such as Latinos, transitioning military and veterans, women and tribal groups. In addition to online learning series lecture videos, we have offered 8 in-person Exploratory Beekeeping classes as well as trained the staff of our partners, the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) so they may independently provide courses in order to reach more people. The Exploratory Beekeeping courses targeted underserved communities in Crete, Grand Island, the Maci Reservation, Lincoln, Nebraska City, and Schuyler, Nebraska. These in-person training opportunities complement the online offerings andhave increased the skillset and knowledge of beginning beekeepers in Latino, Native American, and Veteran Communities.Through Exploratory Beekeeping courses, we have reached 124 participants (8% Latino, 8% military, 18% Tribal members, and 56% were women) in 2019. The following is a summary list of 2019 exploratory beekeeping courses: General Exploratory Beekeeping: February 9th, Grand Island, Hall County, 25 attendees, UNL led March 30th, Nebraska City, Otoe County, 18 attendees, UNL led June 15th, Schuyler, Colfax County, 6 attendees (all women), CFRA led Targeted Exploratory Beekeeping: Latino communities (courses offered in Spanish & English): June 22nd, Grand Island, Hall County 27 attendees (6 Latino), CFRA led August 29th, Crete, Saline County 14 attendees (4 Latino), CFRA led Active/retired military: April 5th, Ento Hall, UNL led, Lancaster County, 10 active/retired military Tribal members: May 29th, Macy, Thurston County 16 attendees,14 Tribal members, CFRA led July 16th, Santee, Knox County 8 attendees, all Tribal members, UNL Led Some courses were offered in Spanish and English to broaden the consumer base and featured hands on activities to familiarize novices with the tools and terminology of the trade. We already have classes for 2020 on the schedule and we will also offer a full bilingual (Spanish/English) introductory beekeeping course. Of the total215 GPMB participants, 55% are females (118), 2% are Native American (5), 2% are Hispanic (5), and 34% are Veterans or currently serving in the armed forces (75)demonstrating GPMB's ability to reach members from underserved communities. April -Nov 2019 results (measured through workshop and beekeeping association surveys, website registration, certification, and feedback): Outcome1: Number of participants enrolled in the training program (100 per year); actually reached 214 participants (outcome completed); Outcome2: Number of exploratory participants who will enroll in another beekeeping course (40 per year); actually reached 63 participants (outcome completed); Outcome3: Number of participants who will become certified at a level and advance to next level (30 per year); actually 35 participants (outcome completed); Outcome4: Number of participants who will expand their business as a result of the advanced training opportunities (20 per year); actually 17 participants responded (outcome almost completed); Outcome5: Number of participants who will actively monitor for and manage pests/diseases as a result of the program (100 per year); actually reached 336 participants (outcome completed)
Publications
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