Bee Keeping

I am going to start a 4-H club for my kids this year. I have filled out the application to be a leader and just need to get it sent in to the extension office. I will attend a Leader Orientation later this month and then the fun begins. I have a list of possible 4-H projects. They range from Dairy Cattle to Lego Robotics. We can rule out any involving farm animals or plants, but that still leaves an enormous range of possibilities. I am considering right now photography, clothing and textiles (sewing for Nan), art, rocketry, foods and nutrition, among others. I need to narrow it down because there are fees for each area in which a kid is involved.

I had an intriguing offer from a colleague of Todd's at the seminary yesterday. His boys, who are grown up and in grad school, kept bees when they were younger. They still have all the equipment...the gloves, the hat, the netting, the boxes, plus whatever it is a person needs. I think we would just have to buy bees to start with. He tried to convince me that I could raise them in my backyard but just that might push the neighbors over the edge. I don't know how happy they are with us right now for our noisy hens who crow like roosters. But Norm also said we could keep them at his place where they have a few acres with chickens and sheep. I talked with the boys about it yesterday and they seemed to like the idea. I think we will go to a bee keeper supply store today and ask some questions.