Project Apis m. Update
Project Apis m. is a nonprofit organization that funds research for the honey bee industry. It is the largest nongovernment source of funds for bee research in North America. The organization strives to support projects that will have practical outcomes for beekeepers.
Encaustic Art Workshop
Encaustic is an ancient art medium using beeswax. The wax is pigmented and applied hot while it is liquid. Because the layers of wax are fused together with heat, encaustic is often referred to as painting with fire. The workshop will give attendees a chance to actually paint and create, while a variety of techniques will be demonstrated . Materials will be provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
After a short six years long career as a public-school teacher, George Hansen transformed a hobby beekeeping operation into a commercial endeavor. Starting from a few swarms and a collection of retrieved nuisance hives, the company now runs 7000 colonies in three states. Although the name Foothills Honey Company LLC never changed, the focus of the beekeeping is now primarily pollination service, with honey and wax making up no more than 30 percent of gross revenues. It is often referenced that at least thirty percent of the American diet is dependent on pollinators and especially honey bees. The reason bees are so critical to us is because of this food, and the other pollination in the landscape that the bees provide. Many of these seed and fruit crops pollinations are not well paid, and put bees at risk. Concentrating on a succession of pollinations throughout the year has required the Foothills Honey Company to develop targeted management strategies to keep the hives in good pollinating condition from January to October. In the past few years, with the increased interest in beekeeping, sales of starter colonies have become an important part of the business as well. George and his wife Susan are currently transitioning their business to their sons Matt and Joe. George is an active member of the beekeeping community, promoting the industry’s interests as past president of the American Beekeeping Federation and formerly as a long-time producer representative on the National Honey Board. He hosts an annual Bee Day workshop and orientation at the Foothills Honey Company home site. Currently, George represents the ABF on the Honey Bee Health Coalition, participating on the steering committee as well as work groups tackling forage, nutrition, crop pest control and beekeeping management issues. He serves on the boards of the Bee Informed Partnership and Project Apis m, as well as the steering committee for the Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund. George and Susan maintain an overlarge garden, both vegetable and landscape, and enjoy developing and crafting theme spaces in the gardens. Both George and Susan have painting studios.