Peter...
Sounds like a good plug for our recently completed SARE project!  Backyard beeks learning to make their own bees and focusing on quality!
I've been pretty gun shy about posting but maybe this is a good opportunity.

SARE wrote a nice little article which can be found here at this link:
http://www.southernsare.org/News-and-Media/Press-Releases/Virginia-Beekeepers-Successful-in-Rearing-Local-Honeybee-Colonies
 
Our full report and the appendices can be found here- (Still needs some editing)- 
http://mysare.sare.org/mySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewRept&pn=FS08-223&y=2011&t=1

As for Fall pollen feeding... lots of hives lost last year in this area  with much of the  reason- or at least theory is that summer drought caused pollen dearth and most of us were not paying attention to that in the hives.  Does not seem to be as much as of a dearth this year, and bees are bringing in pollen. Experimenting with providing small amounts of pollen sub this year and watching out for SHB.

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