HCBA is an education and applied research organization.
To facilitate education HCBA:
hosts an annual class for beginner and experienced beekeepers
provides mentoring for members, by members
hosts monthly meetings w/guest and member speakers
maintains a hands on learning and demonstration apiary at Historic Johnson Farm
hosts seminars w/guest speakers on advanced topics in beekeeping
HCBA mission in education is to propagate knowledge about bees and beekeeping.
Mentoring: Ah….the expectant beekeeper. Most of us “experienced” beekeepers remember the anticipation of that phone call—the day the bees arrived! Rushing to our cars (trucks, SUV, etc) to begin a journey that would delight, frustrate, reward, and baffle. We had all the basics-the bear fence, a well-sited apiary, bee suit, smoker, frame tool. We had even attended every night of the HCBA bee school so we knew a lot. (Or thought we did.) What we were to learn was that the most important “tool” we would have in our arsenal, the one we would turn to over and over throughout our first year and beyond would be our MENTORS.