3 posts tagged “randy oliver”

Club members are invited on the full-day field trip, Saturday, April 25, to visit Randy Oliver's Grass Valley operation. Randy is the club's guru, and recognized for his careful methodology for evaluating less-toxic and non-toxic apiculture methods. You'll also be able to purchase nucs to bring back with you.

For more information, to reserve a nuc, or to find a carpool, contact Sara Willis at 510-531-9423 or email  sarahchickbee [at] aol [dot] com. 

Field Trip to Randy Oliver's Apiary and Scientific Beekeeping - sign-up REQUIRED
Sunday, April 27, 2008 - all day - 8am to 8pm - details below.  $85 per Nuc (no purchase required).

This is a great trip - one of the highlights of the beekeeping year!  I hope you had an opportunity to attend the class given by Randy Oliver late last month.  If not, this is a second opportunity to learn from California's most energetic beekeeper, writer and researcher.

This is a field trip to Randy's home, his business, research facility and bee yards.  You will see a great range of beekeeping activities.  Randy works his colonies so efficiently that you will be inspired to open your hives as often as you like.  While we're all working the hives, take the opportunity to build your own nuclear colony - pick your queen and fill-up the box with as many bees as you can fit.  Nuclear colonies include a laying queen, three frames of brood, and two frames of food.  Read the "beginners" pages at http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com to learn what to bring (box and bedsheet and $85/nuc).

Like the workshop, the field trip requires protective gear.

You're welcome to drive your own vehicle, but the rest of us will be carpooling.  This year, for the first time, we will have a group leaving from downtown Berkeley as well as Sara's house near the Mormon Temple.  Six seats are available in each van, and we'll add vans as needed until everyone has a seat.  All bees will be transported in "the big van" but we'll make stops both in Berkeley and Oakland on the way back.  It's 150 miles each way - about four hours total travel time.

Sign-up is required for this one so we can get an accurate seat count.  We'll finalize travel/convoy arrangements after the sign-ups are done.  If you have a large people mover and would be able to drive a carpool, please let me know.

We will be making a stop in Colfax at the Sierra Market to purchase picnic items, or bring your own from home.

Notes:
(1) You DO NOT have to be purchasing bees to attend and enjoy this field trip.
(2) You DO NOT have to be present to purchase bees, but you must make arrangements in advance.
(3) Sign-ups are required by EMAIL to president at alamedabee dot org and state your preference for Oakland or Berkeley.

The Alameda County Beekeepers Assoc. has special activities this month that will get beginning beekeepers up to speed, while providing new info and insight for more experienced folk.

The regular meeting will be held Tuesday, April 8, from 7:30 to 9 PM or so at the Rotary Nature Center, 600 Bellevue Ave., Oakland near Lake Merritt.

Joe Gutierrez has a large bee yard in Hayward, and he has agreed to allow us to have a hands-on workshop at his place.  We'll discuss that also at the next meeting.  We'll need volunteer instructors, so if you can help, please attend.   It would be really neat if we can have a few members bring some of their beekeeping hardware to the next meeting so beginners can see what they need to buy.

This year, the Alameda County Beekeepers Association hopes to again take a field trip to Randy Oliver's Apiaries in Grass Valley, CA.  This will likely be the weekend of April 12th, but the trip is subject to the weather in Grass Valley.  People will be able to buy bees from Randy on the trip, Randy provides a full nuclear colony complete with brood and queen.  It's your best chance of success because the bees are already established.  You will need a nuc box, and you can place an order for one or more at the next meeting.

People can place their orders on Wednesday (4/9), we can have Joe's workshop on Saturday (4/12) and then go to Randy's place on Sunday (4/13).  We can call it "Bee Week."

If you can't make the meeting but would like to attend Joe's workshop or go to Randy's place, email us at president at alamedabee dot org.