My query about AIP was not intended to air dirty laundry about beekeeping
politics in New York State, but in NYS it's hard to discuss one without the
other. Frankly, our politics should be treated like a bad outbreak of AFB:
burn it, bury it, start clean. Alas that is not going to happen.



Michael wrote, “I have only lived here 15 years, I have yet to see the
state, Cornell, nor ESHPA do anything for the non-commercial beeks.” Perhaps
you will in the next 15 years, but don’t hold your breath. The AIP in NYS
will be at best, the same ol’ same ol’. They will fill the State
Apiculturist position but won’t add any more inspectors. Expect inspection
of the migratories, no more.



ESHPA is an odd organization. Michele Colopy’s article, “How to kill a Bee
Club” is a case study. ESHPA is a strangle hold of multi-generation
commercial officers serving commercial interests. Offices are filled via
nepotism, father to wife to son to daughter, for decades! Hobbyist and
sideliners are tolerated at the meetings, but the beekeeper with a handful
to a couple hundred hives in the back yard don’t deserve a say when it
stacks up against operations worth hundreds of thousands and more. Efforts
to represent the little guys are squashed, soundly. Elections are always
backed with the commercial hired help to assure the results.



There is an Apiary Industry Advisory Committee (AIAC) that exists to advise
the Commissioner of Agriculture. The members of the AIAC are appointed by
the Commissioner. The freshman class was originally recommended by the
ESHPA board. The rosters of the ESHPA Board of Directors and the AIAC are
very similar. AIAC members are to serve limited terms (4yrs?), but some
members have served decades. We joke that an AIAC position is like a
Supreme Court Justice! Replacements to the AIAC are recommended by the AIAC
and approved by the Commissioner. It’s a very closed club. Meetings are
open to all beekeepers, but only AIAC members may speak. Coincidently, many
of the AIAC members are annually the top ELAP recipients. The comment, "...
biology, politics, and ELAP payments" hits close to the mark.



In the last century, NYS was blessed with a stellar apiculture program at
Cornell University, headed by Dr. Roger Morse (I have 2 of Roger’s
smokers!). Roger was a friend to all beekeepers in the State. If you called
this world renown apiculturist, he would drop everything, and your problem
became his highest priority. Roger regularly traveled to many of the
multitude of bee clubs in the state, never accepting an honorarium. When
Roger retired, his replacement had big shoes to fill. Dr. Calderone did his
best. When Nick retired, Cornell was willing to fill the position, if the
state’s beekeepers paid salary and benefits. The consensus was, “No.” But a
small group of “Concerned Beekeepers” consisting mostly of AIAC members and
former ESHPA officers started a fund-raising campaign to raise money to
fund the professorship. The effort never came close to the goal, but
somehow managed legislative appropriation to fund a tech transfer program
modeled after the program Medhat put together for the Ontario Beekeepers
Association. Subsequent year funding for the Cornell Tech Transfer Team has
come from Governor Cuomo’s budget appropriation of $250,000. I never heard
the assertion that one must be earning $1000 or more to get on the Tech
Team radar, but I *was* told that my yards are too far from Cornell to
warrant a visit.



So I think that covers the bases Mike mentioned (state, Cornell, ESHPA).
The Commissioner acknowledged some of the historic hiccups. Regarding
required registration, Commissioner Ball assured the granularity will be by
hives and county, yard location will not be required. And he stated
unequivocally there will be no fees, “This is not a money grab.” The
audience was skeptical. And he expressed hope that the AIP and Tech
Transfer Team will be able to provide improved services to state beekeepers.



Mike wrote,  The rumor going around is the Cornell and Eshpa are rewriting
the laws, none of the members of any of the clubs I belong to know a thing
about it, so how could we comment to you about it? Well there’s the rub,
your input is not wanted! The Tech Transfer Team, modeled after UGuelph
program, looks very much like beekeeping in Ontario, where beekeepers have
a very good, responsive program for which the beekeepers willing pay. New
York, not so much. Regardless, the feeling is, “If it comes from The
Cornell Tech Transfer Team, it must be good!” People will drink the cool
aid. And stay tuned for the best management practices!



But I’m not here to grouse, though I have done a fair piece, I’m looking
for ideas that will make me want to buy into an inspection program. Cards
on the table, I am nearing the end of my beekeeping years. Regardless of my
efforts I doubt such an AIP will come to be in my day. In the meantime,
I’ve spent a good deal of money attending classes and conferences and
self-education. Full disclosure, I was one of four finalists in the last
round of hiring the State Apiculturist, and I am a past president of Empire
State Honey Producers Association. I know the ropes.



So, what will make me want to buy in? Funded at its current rate the AIP
will never be worth a bean. It shows great hubris for me to say my
beekeeping skills surpass those of the part-time hive inspectors, but oops,
I did it again. I would want of a program enough skilled inspectors to
inspect the hives of all beekeepers in the state. Onsies, twosies up to the
largest operation in the state. I want extension. To get my money I want
education for the beekeepers who are being inspected. I want communication,
not just data collection. If there’s a pocket of AFB a few miles from me, I
want to know. I want a pollinator protection program that protects my bees
from pesticide applicators. A pollinator protection program that includes
required registration so beekeepers can be put on notice to move their
hives when sprayers are spewing is absurd! And yes, I was invited to the
PPP meeting, I was not allowed to speak. I want a robust program at
Cornell, one that will come from Ithaca to Saratoga if I need it. I want
Best Management Practices that recognize there are many levels of
beekeeping. BMPs geared to commercial beekeepers are laughable to a
beginner. So that’s 6 things on my wish list for a start. It’s an expensive
wish list. But in a state that claims the value of honey bees pollination
to agriculture at $300,000,000 it seems a paltry sum.



Please keep this thread going.



Aaron Morris – I think, therefore I bee!

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