 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
|||
 |
||||
 |
||||
 |
||||
9-14-05 |
|
|
WEST VIRGINIA HONEY TO BE FEATURED SATURDAY AT CAPITOL MARKET The West Virginia Department of Agriculture's (WVDA) Apiary Program will visit Capitol Farmers' Market to promote West Virginia honey and the beekeeping industry Saturday, September 17, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. WVDA beekeeping experts will be on hand to offer free samples of distinctive West Virginia honey varieties, and will also don "bee beards" periodically throughout the day. They will also demonstrate how bees work with a "see-through" hive. "Because of the types of trees and plants that the bees work, West Virginia has flavors of honey you won't find in other places," said State Apiarist George Clutter. "I'm a bit biased, but I think we have some of the best-tasting honey in the country." Bees are also important for pollination of the state's fields and forests. They dramatically improve pollination of all sorts of wild plants, as well as fruits, flowers and garden plants. They are such effective pollinators that exporting bee colonies to other states to help their farmers is becoming an industry of its own. Some beekeepers have sent bees as far as California to help farmers there pollinate their crops. "We have an aggressive management and assistance program for our beekeepers," said Clutter. "As a result, we have fewer losses and a surplus of bees to export. Some places are desperate for bees and it's become economically feasible to send colonies out-of-state." West Virginia bees have been used for pollination up and down the east coast since the 1970s, said Clutter, but this is the first time they have been shipped as far as California . He expects that about 1,000 colonies will go west this winter. The WVDA certifies about 1,500 colonies a year as safe for shipment out of West Virginia. Approximately 1,600 beekeepers are registered with the WVDA, as required by law, as a safeguard against bee diseases and pests.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
|
|
|
|
©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
|
|
Contact the Webmaster
|
|
|
|