Part One of this course will provide a general overview of the honey bee, beekeeping and its history. In addition, this course will demonstrate all of the basic equipment used in keeping bees.
Lee and Jeanine Lester currently operate a tree service and run a ministry/mission called Wild Goose Outreach. They first got into beekeeping five years ago. They were curious about it as a hobby and wanted to have a few hives for their garden.
Gradually they have moved towards establishing a working farm where people who have become homeless can stay, work and get their lives back together. The honey bee part of the mission has just begun in earnest. The Lester’s’ realized that the lumber from the tree business could provide boards for the men in their mission to make bee hives and swarm boxes. The hives could then be used to house bees on the farm. Additionally, the hives could be sold to raise money for the mission.
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While the goal of the mission is to be a complete, near-organic farm, the initial focus is on the honey bees. This is because of the availability of free raw materials (lumber), the work it provides for the people at the farm and the revenue that the honey, pollen, propolis and wax sales generate.
The Lester’s’ recognize the importance of the honey bee and greatly enjoy sharing that information with others. They hope to encourage people all over Georgia to help improve the honey bee population.
