To the List,

Steve Bonnie writes” In a September 2005 meeting with apiary 
representatives, we were informed that the Board of Directors of the 
Minnesota Honey producers Association (MHPA) had previously voted to seek 
repeal of the apiary statute.  In addition, we were informed by MHPA, that 
the Apiary Advisory Committee is in support of this position."

Is not Dr. Marla Spivak not on the Apiary Advisory Committee? Surely the 
Minnesota State Extension Apiculturist would be at a loss to any shrinking 
much less a demise of the inspection program. 

For the life of me I just do not understand WHY any group of beekeepers 
i.e., Minnesota Honey Producers, would wish to do away with their Apiary 
Inspection Service; it just does not make good sense.  Perhaps there are 
more 
Enlightened folks on this list that can give good reason for Minn. to 
repeal their laws, I for one can not find a single one; but, then I am but 
a simple single beekeeper.

Here in North Carolina we have an Apiary Inspection Service that is strong 
for two reasons, a strong state beekeeping association and a strong 
academic and extension position.  Together all three separate entities, 
work together as an equilateral triangle each side upholding the others 
when stress is applied to any one side. The North Carolina State 
Beekeepers Association has been instrumental in creating additional 
Apiarist positions trough the years by working with direct lobbying and 
the NC Farm Bureau. The services that an apiary inspection service 
performs are far more than merely inspecting for foulbrood. 

Back in December I posted the following post on this List: 
http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0512&L=bee-
l&D=1&T=0&O=D&I=-3&X=5C9AAB202FEF299438&Y=Carolinabeeman%
40hotmail.com&P=6783, in response to a similar post on December 4, 2005 by 
Brian Fredericksen who wrote: “To Bill and Bob and anyone…
…it sounds like you have a much more meaningful state bee
program in the NE then we have here in MN. In fact the MN Honey
Producers Association has asked the state to essentially disband the
state program since it is under funded and basically useless…..Currently 
we have a couple of seasonal inspectors who do nothing but look for 
foulbrood scale when hives are shipped out of state.”

It seems that nobody really listens, and those few that do listen don’t 
seem to care enough to make a positive difference and speak up. 

It is a shame to see Minnesota go the way of Arkansas, I here that Oregon 
is losing  (lost) their extension apiculturist. Will New York follow - 
again? Let all go burn our hives so that we can be dependent on foreign 
honey, fruit, produce, food, and clothing.  We don’t need beekeepers and 
beekeeping here in America, “heck” in a couple of years its all gonna be 
Africanized anyway, and frankly I don’t want to be bothered with the phone 
calls of people crying and begging for help. 

There is a paragraph in the March issue of my column for the “American Bee 
Journal” that complements our North Carolina State Apiarist and Inspection 
Service, it easily can be used to help provide support  for those states 
whose inspection service is under fire; that is, if you want to speak up 
and do something about it!

True, the beekeepers in Minnesota need to respond to the questionnaire, in 
mass. Also they need to shake up the press and the politicians and promote 
the need for an apiary inspection service in a positive aggressive, and 
grand manner. Marla can’t do it by herself.


Chuck Norton

Norton’s  Nut & Honey Farm
330 Irvin Street
Reidsville, NC 27320

Tel: 336 342 4490
  

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