9:00am - Welcome and Introductions, Justin Stevens

9:15am - Bee Plants and Honey, Jim Bobb

10:15am - Organic Varroa Mite Contral in Beehives, Ross Conrad

11:15am - Coffee Break

11:30am - What are Mites?, Dr. Dianna Sammataro

12:30pm - Lunch, provided by Boy Scout Troop 27 of Greenwich, NY

1:30pm - Field Workshops:
A. Requeening and Other Hive Manipulations, Jim Bobb
B. Summer Splits and Mating Nucs, Ross Conrad
C. Identifying Hive Condition Using a Sticky Board, Dr. Diana Sammataro
D. Harvesting Techniques, Justin Stevens

2:30pm - The New York State Apiary Inspection Program, Paul Cappy

3:00pm - Panel Discussion & Wrap Up

Jim Bobb
Jim is a horticultural and apiarian educator, researcher and writer. A Penn State Master Gardener, he teaches horticulture classes at the Barnes Foundation & Longwood Gardens. His bees have been the Penn State's and PA Deptartment of Agriculture's test subjects for small hive beetle traps, IPM treatment efficacy and early virus research. He is president of the PA State Beekeepers Association and current Chairman of the Board of the Eastern Apicultural Society.

Ross Conrad
Ross learned his craft from the late Charles Mraz, known as founding father of apitherapy, and from Charlie's son Bill. Former president of the Vermon Beekeeper's Association, Conrad is the auther or Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture. He has written numerous articles on organic farming, natural healing and health issues. His 12 year old small sideline beekeeping business, Dancing Bee Gardens, supplies his friends, neighbors and local stores with honey and provides bees for Vermon apple pollination in the spring.

Dr. Diana Sammataro
Dr. Sammataro is a foremost university educator, researcher, author of the invaluable Beekeeper's Handbook and is the recipient of numerous scientific awards. Dr. Sammataro is currently a research entomologist at the Carl Hayden Honeybee Research Lab in Tucson, Arizona. She currently works on pollination problems and on developing a novel approach to managing bees and parasitic mites using bee and mite volatiles and natural products.

Paul Cappy
Paul is the New York State Apiculturalist and used to manage hundreds of colonies across the state for pollination purposes and honey production. He now heads up the state's revitalized inspection program.

Justin Stevens
Bob's son Justin is a second generation beekeeper and the manager of Betterbee. After graduation from Dickinson College he worked in Washington, DC with a marketing firm before returning to Betterbee to assist with the family's apiaries. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, he specialized in agribusiness, working with indigenous farmers and beekeepers and their Africanized honeybees.