Texas Public Radio | By Brian Kirkpatrick

Brian Kirkpatrick / Eighteen-year-old Cashlyn Varnon was selected as this year’s festival Honey Queen.

Uvalde brought back its Honey Fest tradition this weekend to celebrate the local industry, little more than one year after the Robb Elementary School shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead. It was cancelled last year because of the tragedy.

The bees that produce the region’s honey and the townspeople both share a strong sense of community.

“They are tough, and they are going to do everything they can to survive. They work together, and they all pull their weight. And it’s all about the hive,” said local beekeeper Linda Williams.

Brian Kirkpatrick / Beekeeper Chianne Delacerda at the Uvalde Honey Fest on June 9, 2023.

Fellow local beekeeper Chianne Delacerda liked the comparison, too. Delacerda operates Deer Valley Apiary just outside Uvalde.

“The community still tries to come together,” she said. “We still try to stay cohesive as a unit. Everyone kind of supports each other through everything.”

Festival manager Gloria Reza agreed.

Brian Kirkpatrick / Bees at work at the Uvalde Honey Fest on Friday, June 9, 2023.

“We are one big beehive. We’re a bunch of worker bees, and we will find a way to pick up the pieces,” she said. “Not just from this tragedy, but from anything that has happened to us.”

It’s clear the residents of this farm and ranching town will always remember the shooting victims.

Eighteen-year-old Honey Queen Cashlyn Varnon was asked if the festival is a step toward a new normal. “A little bit. It’s definitely still different,” she said.

Brian Kirkpatrick / Honey Fest in Uvalde on June 9, 2023.

The festival was held at the town square in the heart of Uvalde. There were all sorts of vendors, including those selling honey, made by the area’s bees.

At the park’s center, however, remained the wooden crosses with the names of those who died, along with photos and mementos from their lives.

Brian Kirkpatrick / Wooden crosses remain at the center of the Uvalde town square, where Uvalde held its 2023 Honey Fest.

And in the countryside around the town, bees were busy collecting nectar from wildflowers dotting the landscape, including from Guajillo brush, which produces what one beekeeper called a light, sweet, beautiful honey.

The beekeepers explained that honey has healing properties for humans — a quality Uvalde treasures more than ever before.

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: ‘We are one big bee hive:’ Uvalde festival celebrates honey’s power to heal wounds and soothe souls | TPR

Links:

Zoom: https://auburn.zoom.us/j/904522838

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceCountyextension/

Email: ams0137@aces.edu

*Watch for Updates on the EAS Website:
https://easternapiculture.org/conference/eas-2023/

Learn how to be a beekeeper in this self-paced online course that teaches students how to start, maintain, and care for a honey bee colony.

Make a beeline to Rutgers University’s ONLINE Bee-ginner’s Beekeeping Class.  You will cover everything you need to know to further your hobby or get your business off ground!

Topics include:

• Bee Biology
• Queen Bee Purchasing
• Disease and Mite Prevention
• Hive Assembly and Management
• Honey Extraction
• Rules and Regulations
• And Much More!

Our instructors are Mike Haberland, an Associate Professor and County Environmental Agent with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and Debbie Haberland, a teacher, marine biologist, and owner of Working Girls Meadows apiary. They will be on hand every step of the way to answer your questions and guide your learning. Complete the 15 – 17 hours of online course work at your own pace and attend a live review and Q&A session with our instructors. Certificates will be issued for successful completion of this course.  The class will run April 3 – 30, 2023.

Click here to learn more and/or to register!

Links:

Zoom: https://auburn.zoom.us/j/904522838

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceCountyextension/

Email: ams0137@aces.edu

Virtual Public Meeting: EPA and FDA Product Oversight

MARCH 22, 2023

Date:

March 22, 2023

Time:

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

Organized By:

Center for Veterinary Medicine

Attend

Register for This Event

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention is co-hosting a virtual public meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) on March 22, 2023. Additionally, EPA is opening a docket for the agencies to receive public comment on their current approach to the oversight of various products regulated as either pesticides by EPA or new animal drugs by FDA. The agencies are also announcing the availability of a whitepaper entitled, “WHITEPAPER: A Modern Approach to EPA and FDA Product Oversight,” which describes the current challenges and highlights the potential benefits of a modernized approach for oversight of these products.

EPA and FDA are considering how best to update their respective oversight responsibilities for specific products in an efficient and transparent manner and in alignment with each agency’s expertise, with the goal of improving protection of human, animal, and environmental health. The purpose of the public comment period and virtual public meeting is to obtain feedback from stakeholders on the whitepaper and ideas for modernizing EPA and FDA’s approach to product oversight.

Background

Currently, EPA and FDA determine regulatory oversight of pesticides and new animal drugs based on the rationale described in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the agencies signed in 1971 and revised in 1973. Since that time, pesticide and animal drug technologies—and both agencies’ understanding of these technologies—have evolved.

For example, parasite treatment products applied topically to animals (including pets) generally are regulated by EPA if they remain on the skin to control only external parasites (e.g., collars or spot-ons to control fleas and ticks) and by FDA if they are absorbed systemically into the bloodstream. The agencies now understand that many of the topically administered products currently regulated by EPA do not remain on the skin and are actually absorbed into the bloodstream, highlighting challenges with the current approach and raising different safety concerns than originally anticipated.

Additionally, genetically engineered (“GE”) pest animals, which are gaining interest as a pest control tool that can reduce the need for conventional pesticides, were not envisioned 50 years ago when the original regulatory approach was developed. As agreed in the 2016 National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products, EPA and FDA have considered how to update their respective responsibilities with the goal of developing an efficient, transparent, and predictable approach for overseeing GE insects. Recently, Executive Order 14081, issued September 12, 2022, has further directed the agencies to improve the clarity and efficiency of the regulatory process for biotechnology products, underscoring the need for continued coordination between the agencies on biotechnology. The whitepaper and public meeting only address EPA and FDA oversight.

The agencies’ current approach to determining whether EPA or FDA is the appropriate regulator of certain products does not effectively reflect or accommodate scientific advancement, and it has become clear in some cases that the current approach has resulted in misalignment between product characteristics and the agency better equipped to regulate the product. A modernized approach would ensure that the oversight of these products better aligns with each agency’s expertise, accounts for scientific advancement, avoids redundancy, better protects animal health and safety, and improves regulatory clarity for regulated entities, animal owners, veterinarians, and other stakeholders.

Public Meeting Information

The virtual public meeting will focus on the whitepaper and the following questions. We are not seeking input or comments about any specific products, other federal agencies’ product oversight, or other topics outside the scope of the whitepaper and the questions below. We are particularly interested in receiving comments from the public on the following:

1. What do you perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of each agency in regulating these types of products?
2. Are there additional or different challenges that EPA and FDA did not identify in the whitepaper?
3. How can EPA and FDA communicate with their stakeholders about the regulation of these products in a clearer and more transparent manner?
4. For regulated entities, how have you historically determined which agency to approach first to bring your product to market?
5. For consumers, do you know who is regulating the products you use on your animal(s)? If you have a concern or complaint about a specific product, do you know which agency to contact?
6. How should EPA and FDA modify product oversight to better align with each agency’s mission and expertise?
7. What difficulties would you envision if EPA and FDA were to modify product oversight to better align with each agency’s mission and expertise, and how could they be mitigated?

Registration

Stakeholders interested in attending the virtual public meeting must register no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 15, 2023. Interested persons should register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/547810324427External Link Disclaimer and will need to provide contact information for each attendee, including name, title, affiliation, address, email, telephone number, and if reasonable accommodations due to a disability are needed. Early registration is recommended. Registrants will receive confirmation when their registration has been received and will be provided the webcast link. Registrants should ensure they retain the webcast link email and should check their “junk mail” folder if they do not receive an automatic confirmation with the webcast link after registering.

Requests for Presenting Oral Comments

During online registration you may indicate if you wish to make oral comments during the virtual public meeting. Registrants requesting to present oral comments should provide information regarding which topics they intend to address at the time of registration. We will do our best to accommodate requests to present oral comments.

Individuals and organizations with common interests are urged to consolidate or coordinate their comments. All requests to make oral comments must be received by March 15, 2023.

We will determine the amount of time allotted to each presenter and notify participants by March 21, 2023. No commercial or promotional material will be permitted to be presented or distributed at the public meeting.

Submitting Electronic or Written Comments

Comments submitted to the docket and/or presented at the public meeting should be limited to the questions/topics posed in the Federal Register Notice only, as described above.

Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, public comments will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time at the end of April 24, 2023.

Comments can be submitted electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal, starting on February 23, 2023. All comment submissions received must reference Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0103. All comments received will be placed in the docket.

Do not electronically submit any information you consider Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Additional information on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at the EPA Docket Center.

Following the public meeting and the close of the comment period, the EPA and FDA will consider comments received in determining next steps.

Event Materials

WHITEPAPER: A Modern Approach to EPA and FDA Product Oversight

The exhibit will be on display until March 2024. Image: Museum of the Albemarle

The Museum of the Albemarle will host a poster exhibition that explores the process of pollination by interpreting the unique relationship between pollinators and flowers.

Presented by Smithsonian Gardens and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, “Pollination Investigation” will be on display starting March 20 and will showcase how pollinators are vital for a strong ecosystem as most plants need their help to fertilize flowers and reproduce.

Send a Coastal Valentine to the oyster-lover in your life, while supporting N.C. oysters with a virtual oyster adoption! Options include virtual valentines, custom or group options, or even an oyster knife or a box of salty oysters.

The exhibit will be on display until March 2024 in the museum in Elizabeth City. There is no charge to visit the museum.

The exhibition features seven “pollinator profiles” for bees, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, flies, moths, and wind, along with special references to bats and water. Using a field-journal theme, each profile describes the pollinators’ favorite flowers based on floral characteristics encouraging exploration into flower shape, color, scent, and more.

The set of 14 posters is in both English and Spanish and designed to educate and inspire people to explore the natural world looking at flowers and insects.

Distributed at no cost to schools, libraries, museums, and community organizations, “Pollination Investigation” was created by Smithsonian Gardens in collaboration with the National Museum of Natural History and made available by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. It is funded in part by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: Museum to host ‘Pollination Investigation’ poster exhibit | Coastal Review

Virtual Public Meeting: EPA and FDA Product Oversight

MARCH 22, 2023

Date:

March 22, 2023

Time:

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

Organized By:

Center for Veterinary Medicine

Attend

Register for This Event

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention is co-hosting a virtual public meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) on March 22, 2023. Additionally, EPA is opening a docket for the agencies to receive public comment on their current approach to the oversight of various products regulated as either pesticides by EPA or new animal drugs by FDA. The agencies are also announcing the availability of a whitepaper entitled, “WHITEPAPER: A Modern Approach to EPA and FDA Product Oversight,” which describes the current challenges and highlights the potential benefits of a modernized approach for oversight of these products.

EPA and FDA are considering how best to update their respective oversight responsibilities for specific products in an efficient and transparent manner and in alignment with each agency’s expertise, with the goal of improving protection of human, animal, and environmental health. The purpose of the public comment period and virtual public meeting is to obtain feedback from stakeholders on the whitepaper and ideas for modernizing EPA and FDA’s approach to product oversight.

Background

Currently, EPA and FDA determine regulatory oversight of pesticides and new animal drugs based on the rationale described in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the agencies signed in 1971 and revised in 1973. Since that time, pesticide and animal drug technologies—and both agencies’ understanding of these technologies—have evolved.

For example, parasite treatment products applied topically to animals (including pets) generally are regulated by EPA if they remain on the skin to control only external parasites (e.g., collars or spot-ons to control fleas and ticks) and by FDA if they are absorbed systemically into the bloodstream. The agencies now understand that many of the topically administered products currently regulated by EPA do not remain on the skin and are actually absorbed into the bloodstream, highlighting challenges with the current approach and raising different safety concerns than originally anticipated.

Additionally, genetically engineered (“GE”) pest animals, which are gaining interest as a pest control tool that can reduce the need for conventional pesticides, were not envisioned 50 years ago when the original regulatory approach was developed. As agreed in the 2016 National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products, EPA and FDA have considered how to update their respective responsibilities with the goal of developing an efficient, transparent, and predictable approach for overseeing GE insects. Recently, Executive Order 14081, issued September 12, 2022, has further directed the agencies to improve the clarity and efficiency of the regulatory process for biotechnology products, underscoring the need for continued coordination between the agencies on biotechnology. The whitepaper and public meeting only address EPA and FDA oversight.

The agencies’ current approach to determining whether EPA or FDA is the appropriate regulator of certain products does not effectively reflect or accommodate scientific advancement, and it has become clear in some cases that the current approach has resulted in misalignment between product characteristics and the agency better equipped to regulate the product. A modernized approach would ensure that the oversight of these products better aligns with each agency’s expertise, accounts for scientific advancement, avoids redundancy, better protects animal health and safety, and improves regulatory clarity for regulated entities, animal owners, veterinarians, and other stakeholders.

Public Meeting Information

The virtual public meeting will focus on the whitepaper and the following questions. We are not seeking input or comments about any specific products, other federal agencies’ product oversight, or other topics outside the scope of the whitepaper and the questions below. We are particularly interested in receiving comments from the public on the following:

1. What do you perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of each agency in regulating these types of products?
2. Are there additional or different challenges that EPA and FDA did not identify in the whitepaper?
3. How can EPA and FDA communicate with their stakeholders about the regulation of these products in a clearer and more transparent manner?
4. For regulated entities, how have you historically determined which agency to approach first to bring your product to market?
5. For consumers, do you know who is regulating the products you use on your animal(s)? If you have a concern or complaint about a specific product, do you know which agency to contact?
6. How should EPA and FDA modify product oversight to better align with each agency’s mission and expertise?
7. What difficulties would you envision if EPA and FDA were to modify product oversight to better align with each agency’s mission and expertise, and how could they be mitigated?

Registration

Stakeholders interested in attending the virtual public meeting must register no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 15, 2023. Interested persons should register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/547810324427External Link Disclaimer and will need to provide contact information for each attendee, including name, title, affiliation, address, email, telephone number, and if reasonable accommodations due to a disability are needed. Early registration is recommended. Registrants will receive confirmation when their registration has been received and will be provided the webcast link. Registrants should ensure they retain the webcast link email and should check their “junk mail” folder if they do not receive an automatic confirmation with the webcast link after registering.

Requests for Presenting Oral Comments

During online registration you may indicate if you wish to make oral comments during the virtual public meeting. Registrants requesting to present oral comments should provide information regarding which topics they intend to address at the time of registration. We will do our best to accommodate requests to present oral comments.

Individuals and organizations with common interests are urged to consolidate or coordinate their comments. All requests to make oral comments must be received by March 15, 2023.

We will determine the amount of time allotted to each presenter and notify participants by March 21, 2023. No commercial or promotional material will be permitted to be presented or distributed at the public meeting.

Submitting Electronic or Written Comments

Comments submitted to the docket and/or presented at the public meeting should be limited to the questions/topics posed in the Federal Register Notice only, as described above.

Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, public comments will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time at the end of April 24, 2023.

Comments can be submitted electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal, starting on February 23, 2023. All comment submissions received must reference Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0103. All comments received will be placed in the docket.

Do not electronically submit any information you consider Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Additional information on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at the EPA Docket Center.

Following the public meeting and the close of the comment period, the EPA and FDA will consider comments received in determining next steps.

Event Materials

WHITEPAPER: A Modern Approach to EPA and FDA Product Oversight

Zoom: https://auburn.zoom.us/j/904522838

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceCountyextension/

Email: ams0137@aces.edu

Abstract Submission Has Started!

www.apimondia2023.com

This Apimondia 2023 Scientific Committee welcomes the submission of original contributions for oral and poster presentation at the Congress.

During the 48th Apimondia Congress in Chile there will be spaces for the discussion of all the issues and matters that concern beekeeping in the world. All of them will be distributed in conferences and symposia of the usual scientific commissions whose sessions are held regularly during the days of the Congress.

Abstracts can only be submitted online via the online abstract submission system. Abstracts sent by the post or e-mail will not be accepted. Rules and details about abstract submission here.

Abstract Submission deadline is April 1st, 2023. After this date evaluation period will begin and no late submission will be accepted.

Main Topics for Abstract Submission

Apitherapy

• Scientific based evidence supporting the nutritional, physiological and health claims of bee products
• Preclinical research – safety, pharmacology and toxicology of bee products. Guidelines for medical applications.
• Clinical trials in apitherapy – doses, interactions, side effects (human and veterinary medicine). Update on the use of apitherapy in infectious diseases.
• Regulatory issues and clinical ethics related to the integration of apitherapy as TCM in healthcare systems.

Bee Biology

• Bee genetics and development
• Bee nutrition and physiology
• Bee behavior (learning/cognition, social behavior)
• Bee breeding and cryopreservation
• Managed bee biodiversity (stingless bees, Apis subspecies and conservation)

Beekeeping Economy

• Honey traceability
• Beekeeping at the family, cooperative and national level
• Consumer education and market expansion

Beekeeping for Rural Development

• Nature Based Beekeeping
• Lot Input Beekeeping
• Promoting Rural Youth Beekeeping Using Sustainable Methods
• Beekeeping for this Living with Disabilities
• Utilizing Indigenous Beekeeping Knowledge
• Methods to Resolve Rural Beekeeping Community Conflicts

Bee Health

• Impact of pesticides on bee health
• Breeding for Diseases / Mite Resistance
• Impacts of Pests, Parasites and Pathogens on Bees and their control. (Development of bioproducts for bee health. – Honey bee microbiota and their impact on bee health. – QUEEN and drone health)
• Monitoring and mitigation measures for new Invasive species
• Antimicrobial/acaricide resistance

Pollination and Bee Flora

• Crop pollination by honey bees
• Crop pollination by non-Apis bees
• Conservation of pollinator diversity and plant-pollinator interactions
• Characterization and management of floral resources
• Effects of environmental change (land-use, climate change, invasive species) on floral resources, pollinators, and pollination

Beekeeping Technology and Quality

• Methods of detection of fraud in bee products
• Tools to avoid fraud in beekeeping (block chain, data bank, …)
• Determination and identification of constituents and micro constituents of genuine bee product (characterization, base of the activity, …) and of contaminants
• Impact of climate change on beekeeping activities and mitigation
• Sustainable management of bee colonies (included breeding and selection)
• Innovative techniques to manage bee colonies (included non intrusive techniques)

Agenda available NOW!

Hello Happy Beekeepers,

We have a quick announcement for those of you who are interested in our 2023 Spring Bee College event on March 17 and 18, 2023. The wait is over, our new agenda is available to view!

If you have been holding off on to see what our class offerings will be this time, you need not wait any longer! Thank you very much, as always, for your patience and understanding while we got it ready for the public. We are very excited about the topics and speakers we have lined up, and we hope you will be, too!

The schedule can be found on our website, BC23Sp-Schedule-for-Website[34].pdf (ufl.edu)  Please note that it may still be subject to some changes, and that you will receive a finalized version at the event in your program.

Thank you for your interest in Bee College!

Louis Dennin,
Extension Coordinator

E-mail honeybee@ifas.ufl.edu with any comments/questions. Hoping to see many of you there!

Upcoming event information:
2023 GBA Spring Conference Middle GA State University-Robert F. Hatcher, Sr. Conference 100 University Parkway Macon, GA 31206
Date: 17 Feb 2023 3:00 PM EST

Join them at their GBA Spring Conference 2023 in Macon, Georgia!

The conference will take place at Middle GA State University in the Robert F. Hatcher, Sr. Conference Center, 100 University Parkway Macon, GA 31206.

The GBA Spring Meeting is full of educational opportunities with great speakers, fun times making beekeeping connections, and an informative dinner.

The keynote speakers include Dr. Keith Delaplane, Dr. Jeff Harris, and Kamon Reynolds, co-founder of Hive Life.

Breakout speakers include Keith Fielder, Broadus Williams, Mary Lacksen, Ryan McDonald & Bobby Thanepohn, and Mary Cahill-Roberts. The breakouts offer something for everyone, from seasoned beekeepers to newcomers, as well as support for local club leadership.

The spring meeting includes the Artisan Show with fourteen entry classes, in addition to beverage, food, and wax categories. There will be more than $5000.00 in prize money. Click here for the Artisan Show rules.

A highlight of the spring meeting is the auction to sell four coveted advertising spots on the GBA web page. Bring your checkbook and plan to bid high! To see the current ads, click here. And to see the bidding rules, click here. The auction will be held at 10:45 on Saturday morning.

The meeting starts at 5:00 PM on Friday, February 17^th, with the GBA Board meeting. Following the board meeting, they will have a reception followed by a special dinner event for all registrants who sign up to attend. This year’s dinner speaker is Dr. Jeff Harris. The cost of the dinner is $25 a person.

The general spring meeting will take place all day on Saturday, February 18^th, beginning with the local club Presidents Breakfast. The regional speakers will include talks about queen rearing, making creamed honey, marketing your honey and creating and using nucs as a resource.

To see the full program click here.

Registration is now open:

• Early registration for member is $55, including lunch.
• Registration for non-members is $75, including lunch.

Join GBA now for the member price.  Beginning February 13^th, registration fees for everyone will be $75.

Reminder:  To enter the honey show, you must be a paid up GBA member by February 13^th and also must be a paid registrant for this conference.

Once you are registered, you will receive an email confirmation with GBA special motel room rates. 

We are looking forward to a great meeting and to seeing all of you there!

Links:

Zoom: https://auburn.zoom.us/j/904522838

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/7Z3hJRomf

Email: ams0137@aces.edu

We are here to share current happenings in the bee industry. Bee Culture gathers and shares articles published by outside sources. For more information about this specific article, please visit the original publish source: 48th APIMONDIA | International Apicultural Congress (apimondia2023.com)