Vermont Beekeeping Co-Op Project

"What would you do, Dad?" That's what I asked my Father the summer before he passed. We were watching his hive swarm into the top of a very tall pine tree. I had never paid too much attention to his beekeeping "hobby" so I was completely clueless as to what was happening. He said, "If I could, I'd go up and get them." So that's what I did. I donned his bonnet, put a box on my shoulder & up the ladder I went. What I saw was the most amazing, exciting, humbling, throbbing specticle I have ever seen. I was nose to nose with 30,000 honey bees. I could feel their warmth, smell the honey they were gorged with and the sound.....I cannot describe it. I managed to get them into the box & down the ladder but they did not stay and the following summer, my Dad passed on. A couple of years later, we bought his house and I cleaned out the old wax & frames but I left the hive so I could look at it & remember....then the bees showed up!! Dad sent me a swarm of my own! Again, I am clueless!!! But I was able to get them onto new frames and a new home and kept that hive for 13 years. During that time, I became totally addicted to beekeeping but found there weren't alot of resources for mentoring & support. My husband & I started Vermont Beekeeping Supply about 4 years ago. We provide support, workshops, supplies, equipment and BEES!!! And now we want to expand our space and have a cooperative space for beekeepers to come & learn, share experiences, extract their honey, raise their own Queens and Bee Talk.