'Beekeeping for Beginners' 1 Day Workshop Visual Arts

Whether you're simply interested in keeping bees or want to learn all you need to know about hobby beekeeping - from hives to honey, this one day, fun and interactive workshop will teach you the fascinating secrets of the honeybee and everything about how to care for and keep bees in an ethical and sustainable way.

Our Beekeeping for Beginners workshop is lots of fun and includes all the essential information to leave you confident about one of the most enjoyable (and oldest!) natural hobbies. The day begins at 10am and runs to approximately 4pm, here on our organic farm just 4 minutes from Market Deeping and 18 minutes from Peterborough train station in Lincolnshire.

We'll have welcome refreshments ready for when you arrive and after a quick opportunity to say hello to your fellow workshop students, it's time for the fun to begin!...

THE BEE BASICS: our day begins in the barn, getting to know about the honeybee, specifically the breed we keep here on the farm and their fascinating history. You'll learn basic bee biology; how bee colonies work and communicate; the life cycle of a colony and the essentials to best understand the honeybee and their behaviour and why it matters.

BEEKEEPER: discover and try for yourself the equipment bee keepers use to care for their colonies; learn about some of the many different types of bee hives and how to find out what's best for you. You'll learn some of the most common diseases to look out for and the most effective prevention methods; how to care for bees day to day; which plants help support the honeybee population and of course how to harvest honey!

DISCOVER: how honey is made and taste a wide range of different types of honey from different pollen sources, each as unique in flavour as the landscape the bees have foraged on.

THE BEES KNEES: we don't like spending too much time in the classroom so in no time at all it'll be time to try on your bee suit and meet our bees! We'll provide everything you need and guide you through how to safely, confidently and calmly work with bees, showing you how to open the hive, recognise the different types of bee (including how to spot the queen) and explain what they are doing in different parts of the hive.

TOUR: the garden with one of our team to see the bees at work pollinating (the best way to experience up close how a bee uses its tongue and legs) and to see how simple it is to plant bee-friendly flowers. We'll explain how and why we have planted the way we have here at the farm with bees and pollinators in mind. Then it's time to get back to the hives to put everything we've learnt into practice.
There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and get practical advice on keeping bees, throughout the day.

This workshop is taught by Jez:
Jez heads up Bees for Business from our small award-winning farm on the Cambridgeshire/Lincolnshire border. Beekeepers for some of the most iconic brands in Britain, including Burghley House, Jez and his team care for bees and provide honey for businesses including hotels, restaurants and stately homes. Jez is an ethical, artisan beekeeper, passionate about encouraging more people to discover the exciting and beneficial hobby of beekeeping. He has learnt from some of the most widely-respected and experienced bee farmers and bee keepers, is co-lead on a native British bee breeding programme and is invited to talk worldwide on honeybees and beekeeping.

OUR COURSES ARE ALL-INCLUSIVE:
We'll provide you with everything you need, including unlimited locally sourced, home grown and organic refreshments, an organic pizza lunch cooked in our outdoor, wood-fired pizza oven and bee keeping suits for the day. You'll leave with plenty of notes and resources, including a packet of organic, bee-friendly flower seeds and courtesy of BJ Sherriff, the leading supplier of beekeeping clothing, an exclusive 25% discount code for anything in their online store from beekeeper suits, gloves and equipment, too. Bring a pair of wellies or sturdy boots with you but please do not wear perfume or cologne as strong scents can cause problems for the bees. Do not drink alcohol prior to attending. All delegates will be required to sign a declaration in order to partake in the day’s activities.

100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:
We like to run our workshops fairly and honestly. Your booking secures a very limited place, so is non-refundable - if you can’t make it, you can send a friend or colleague instead though. If at the end of any of our workshops you haven't enjoyed it and don’t believe that it has helped you to achieve what it set out to, we will gladly refund you 100% of the price you paid.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?:
We are actively trying to help the environment and so all workshop confirmations and supporting information will be emailed to you. We will also email a reminder to you the week before the workshop with all the details and directions to the farm.

HELP US TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT:
If you're able to car share, use public transport (we're just 18 minutes from Peterborough and Stamford train stations), cycle or have an electric car, use promo code ECO10 to save £10! You'll need to show us your train ticket, taxi receipt (or bicycle!) when you arrive.

LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE: Places are strictly limited and sell out every year so please do book early to avoid disappointment.

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