Indiana Chief Apiary Inspector Kathleen Prough

Indiana State Apiarist Kathleen Prough will be speaking at the 2011 Honeybee Fair on the topic of gardening and landscaping for honeybees.  Whether your garden consists of a few pots on the patio, or a few acres of manicured beds, Kathleen will offer tips to help ensure your practices are friendly to honeybees.

A native of Michigan, Kathleen is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and received certification to teach secondary education.  She worked as a seasonal apiary inspector for the Michigan Department of Agriculture from 1988 until 1992.

Kathleen has served as Chief Apiary Inspector for the state of Indiana since 1994.  A valuable resource to beekeepers statewide, Kathleen is available to inspect hives to diagnose possible diseases or parasite infestations.  She works with other State Apiarists to conduct nationwide research on the health of honeybee colonies and the presence or absense of particular problems in hives. Kathleen aslo puts her skills to use travelling around the state and speaking to beekeeping groups and the general public to promote good beekeeping techniques and honeybee-safe gardening practices.

Purdue Extension Educator Roy Ballard

The SIBA is excited to bring you Purdue Extension Educator Roy Ballard at the 2011 Honeybee Fair.  Roy will be discussing development of bee pasture.  He will give us techniques to convert unused land ranging from fencerows to fallow fields into a multi-season smorgasbord for our winged friends.

Roy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education from Purdue University and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Indiana University. He has used this training to instruct Vocational Horticulture students for 12 years and to help farmers and other rural landowners to remain sustainable in the face of substantial change in the rural community.

During his Extension career Roy has dedicated much of his time to assisting small farm owners who desire to diversify their existing operations with new enterprises and new marketing systems and with beginning farmers seeking ways to keep their acreage productive, profitable and personally rewarding.  Roy is aware of the need to foster the continued productivity and profitability of farmers but at the same time appreciates the need to farm in ways that are as sustainable and with the lowest impact on the environment possible.

In an effort to increase the rate of knowledge transfer from Educators to farmers Roy has been involved in a number of professional development initiatives in recent years including the Indiana Agritourism Training Initiative, Tristate Organic Series, Tristate Organic Training Initiative, Indiana Farm Sustainability Tours, Growing for Market Series, and the Indiana High Tunnel Educational Initiative. Each of these have been funded through the North Central Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education Program (NC SARE) and have been collaborative efforts with numerous educators, specialists, farmers and agency representatives across Indiana and beyond.

Roy has been a supporter of Indiana beekeepers and works to increase the knowledge and understanding of others in the importance of honeybees and ways in which we can enhance their numbers through the judicious use of pesticides and by developing home landscapes that better provide for their needs.

Roy currently serves as the Indiana Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Coordinator. His role is to increase public awareness of SARE, SARE educational resources and related funding opportunities. In this capacity Roy also facilitates training opportunities for Educators of all institutions, agencies and non profits in the area of sustainable agriculture.

Roy is a strong proponent of the concept of extension and the continued need to provide timely, unbiased information based in research to farmers to allow them to make the very best decisions for their farm and their community.

Roy is a beekeeper, woodworker and gardener in his time away from the office.

 

2011 Indiana Queen and Princess

The Honeybee Fair will also feature a visit by Indiana's own 2011 Honey Queen Lacey Dooley, and Honey Princess Alex Lesniak.

Lacey is a freshman at Ivy Tech University.  She is a 10 year 4-H member from Rockville, Indiana.  Lacey grew up showing cattle, pigs, and drafthorses as well as racing 600 cc mini-sprint cars, and helping on the family farm.  She also helps run the family horse drawn carriage and catering businesses.  Lacey enjoys reading, gardening, and of course, beekeping.

Alex is freshman studying animal sciences/pre-veterinary at Purdue University.  She likewise was a 10 year 4-h member and continues to participate in Collegiate 4-H.  Alex hails from South Bend, Indiana, where she has kept bees for seven years.  She frequently gives presentations to educate the public about the importance of honeybees.  At Purdue, Alex also enjoys Swing Dance, Boiler Green Initiative, Pre-Vet Club, and Zoo. She has also developed a website, which you will find at www.peacebees.org.