Bowen Agricultural Alliance

What’s this about?

Did you know that pollinators — like honeybees — are responsible for 1 in every 3 bites of food we eat? Bees have been an important part of human life for millennia (i.e. a super long time). But now bees are facing new problems (some of them man-made). To make matters worse, there are fewer and fewer new beekeepers to help maintain bee colonies. The average age of a beekeeper in North America is now over 60 years old, and many of these “old-timers” are retiring without anyone to pass on the knowledge to.

The Bowen Agricultural Alliance (Baa) wants to encourage younger Bowen Islanders to take up this craft so that as the older population moves on, there will be a new generation of people with experience in keeping bees.

Why beekeeping?

• It’s a great hobby. You learn a lot about these social animals and you look at the world around you in a different light.
• People are nice to you because you’re helping to pollinate flowers, fruits, and vegetables in your neighbourhood.
• You get to harvest fresh honey. Each mouthful tastes different and “tastes” like the time and place it came from.
• With a little experience, you can make a bit of money doing it (selling honey and wax, offering pollination services, or working for a commercial beekeeper).
• Beekeeping is important world-wide. It may even be your ticket to travelling and working in other countries.

OK, think you’re up for it? What’s this bursary do?

The bursary (there is only one for 2010) will help a newcomer get started. It’ll help pay for an introduction course and some of the costs for equipment and bees. (Equipment and bees run about $300 to $500 for one to two hives). To qualify for the bursary there’s a few requirements you need to meet:

• Your birthday should be between January 1, 1985 and May 15, 1998.
• You need to be a full time Bowen Island resident.
• The bursary is for people with no exposure to beekeeping, so don’t apply if somebody in your family (on Bowen) is already keeping bees.
• You must complete the May 14-16 introduction course (a Friday evening through Sunday afternoon)
• You’ve got to be willing to commit to maintaining a colony for 6 months (with support from island beekeepers and a veteran North Shore beekeeper who will come to visit once per month).

Here’s how to apply for the cash:

• Submit an essay (500 words or less) or a video recording (3 minutes or less), that explains why you’d be interested in beekeeping and an example of your commitment to a particular area of interest (e.g. school, skills training, martial arts, music, sports, animal care, etc)
• Get a reference letter from an adult (e.g. neighbour, teacher, employer)
• (For applicants under 18) provide a signed consent letter from a parent
• Depending on the number of applicants, we may ask to do a short interview to help make the decision

Application materials can be sent to bees@BowenAgAlliance.ca or in the mail c/o RR1, D27, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0. Please be sure to include both first and last name and your Bowen contact details. The (extended) submission deadline is May 10, 2010.