 About Us
A Message from the President:
It is very possible the Lancaster County Honey Producer's Association could have been in existence for more than 100 years. Research through our local library has shown that our association met with the Fruit Growers Association in the early 1900's. When researching associations that have existed back in the early 1900's, one is left with the feeling that this is more than a friendly social gathering. We can speculate that these meetings were an important part of their lives. Vendors and customer's names were exchanged. New ideas, product information and weather-related changes affected each other as well.
This was their livelihood. Today, the Lancaster County Honey Producers have approximately 30 to 40 members. Most are hobbyists. However, there are a few that supplement their incomes with beekeeping.
All of our members understand the benefits of pollinating insects. The honeybee has been a fascinating study for all of us and we consider the relationship with the honeybee a learning journey.
Our association normally meets five times a year. Our last meeting, which is called the honey roundup, is at the Dutch Gold facility in Rohrerstown. Some of the members bring honey products to be displayed and judged by a person who is considered an expert in the field. Our first official meeting of the year is held in mid-April. For years we have demonstrated how to install a package of honeybees into a hive. Later in the evening, we raffle the hive and bees off to a new and upcoming beekeeper. Most of our meetings include lectures and presentations such as mating and rearing queens, pollination, diseases or basic management. One of our overall objectives is to teach the public the importance of beekeeping.
We understand that bee biology can be overwhelming and somewhat difficult to understand for younger school-aged groups. We try to spark their interest by showing them how exciting it is to work with thousands of insects flying around you, and more importantly, how many of our food products come from pollinating insects.
We encourage you to explore something new. Come join us for an evening of educational fellowship.
Sincerely,
Dan Chambers |
