Two weeks ago I met Joshua O'Rear at USDA, NASS in Washington D.C.  Joshua is the senior bee and honey statistician. It was very interesting to have him share how USDA goes about tracking colonies and honey production. When I returned, I sent an email asking if he would consider writing an article for publication explaining more about how NASS goes about it business. I was impressed with his knowledge and the techniques used. Please note the final sentence in his response. 

"It was great meeting you the other day.  I always enjoy meeting my co-workers families, especially so when they’re also beekeepers. It’s interesting that you mentioned Bee Culture specifically, I speak with them a couple times a year, and we’re planning to do an interview with them on our upcoming reports.  We also maintain a good relationship with American Beekeeping Federation and the National Honey Producers Association. Thankfully now that honey bees have a spot light on them, we’ll able to put out some more press releases on the type of estimates we produce and how they’re used.  Though, our biggest challenge is getting responses to our questionnaires, since that’s our largest source of data."  
Take care,
Joshua T. O'Rear
Poultry and Specialty Commodity Section
USDA, NASS
202-690-3676

Jerry, I was in DC to brief the Veteran Training Farm to officials in the White House. I included words about the UofM Master Beekeeping Course. I am headed back to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee for Agriculture the first week of April. I've been asked to include our development, capital and operating budgets for the first three years. Your Beekeeping Courses for our projected students are included in that budget. Probably need to talk to you off-line and see what else I might include. I was one of the lucky ones to get enrolled in your March course. The trip to DC might interfere a bit. By the way, I am somewhat stronger now having hefted "The Hive and the Honey Bee" completing it over the past month.  It has to be the heaviest book on the market.
Gary

 

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