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The 30th annual Alabama Beekeepers Symposium took place at the Clanton Conference & Performing Arts Center on Feb. 1. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

The lines to enter the 30th annual Alabama Beekeepers Symposium. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

Honey-themed food and drinks were available as part of the symposium. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

Three hundred and seventy-four beekeepers attended the 30th annual Alabama Beekeepers Symposium. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

Of the 374 beekeepers, 110 of them participated in the day-long beginner beekeepers’ program that was available. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

Several prominent beekeepers were in attendance to assist attendees with anything they were looking for. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

A visual of a honey comb assistant for honey bee use. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

A symposium attendee taking in the sights of the 30th annual Alabama Beekeepers Symposium. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

Bee-themed nic-naks were a part of the trade show portion of the symposium. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

Lunch was provided for the attendees through their ticket to the symposium. (BRANDON EVANS | CONTRIBUTED)

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

One of the most unique events held in Clanton each year celebrated its 30th anniversary on Feb. 1 as the annual Alabama Beekeepers Symposium took place at the Clanton Conference & Performing Arts Center on the campus of Jefferson State Community College.

The immersive event into beekeeping and everything that comes with it celebrated its 30th symposium and its growth from just a single classroom at Auburn University. The symposium was started by Dr. James Tew, Auburn University’s beekeeping specialist in the 1990s, and the first event was just 20 beekeepers inside a classroom on campus. Each year the symposium was held it grew until it outgrew the Auburn campus. A few venues held the symposium after Auburn, but in 2012 it settled in Clanton and has been a staple local event ever since.

“We would be remiss if we did not mention that all of us Extension beekeepers are from all over the state of Alabama, and we depend heavily on the Chilton County Extension Office to run this symposium,” Jack Rowe, Beekeeping Specialist and Arboricultural Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said. “It takes a lot of time and effort to feed hundreds, arrange the dining and vendor spaces and classrooms. We are always indebted to the Chilton office and the Chilton Research & Extension Center Research Farm.”

This year’s symposium welcomed 374 beekeepers both newcomers and experienced, and 110 of them participated in the day-long beginner beekeeping program. Two beekeeping researchers were the keynote speakers at the symposium — Dr. Marla Spivak of the University of Minnesota and Dr. Frank Rinkevich of the USDA ARS Honey Bee Research Laboratory in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Spivak researches honey bee health, behavior and management, and Rinkevich researches insecticide and fungicide toxicity in honey bees, as well as resistance of the deadly Varroa mite to miticides used to control them in honey bee colonies. Both speakers spoke on stage multiple times throughout the symposium. Other speakers at the symposium included Dr. Geoffrey Williams with the Auburn Bee Lab and members of the Alabama’s Master Beekeeper Association.

“We were very lucky to have (all of the speakers),” Rowe said. “Alabama Cooperative Extension beekeepers like myself, Allyson Shabel, Dr. Selina Bruckner and Dr. Jon Jacobson all spoke on various topics from do-it-yourself to honey bee management and business. The Alabama Master Beekeepers strive to help beekeepers attain greater knowledge and skill. All Master Beekeepers have to pass rigorous exams and practical skills assessments to attain their title, so they fit right in at a symposium.”

The symposium hosted a Honey Show USA honey show where the attendees of the symposium got the chance to get involved in the Black Label Honey Competition. Trained judges went over each entry of honey and assigned winners in each category. All honeys are different, and the kinds of plants the bees sample nectar from, the time of the growing season and the handling of the product from the hive to the jar all have an effect and give it different flavors.

The symposium also featured a trade show that is unique for an informational symposium to have, but is important for beekeepers to be able to purchase supplies and see and handle them before purchasing. This year’s symposium had 22 vendors that included nation-wide corporations to local makers and sellers in Alabama. Goods available at the trade show included safety equipment, honey extraction and bottling materials, labeling, textbooks, art and wearable bee-themed clothing and nic-naks.

Rowe offered a special thanks to the Clanton Conference & Performing Arts Center for hosting the event and providing classrooms for the different symposium tracks that were available.

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