The Inter-Mountain photo by Sarah Goodrich Robert Kinkaid, president of the Upshur County Beekeepers Association, speaks to Buckhannon Rotary Club members Tuesday afternoon.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Sarah Goodrich
Robert Kinkaid, president of the Upshur County Beekeepers Association, speaks to Buckhannon Rotary Club members Tuesday afternoon.

BUCKHANNON — Buckhannon Rotary Club members learned about the Upshur County Beekeepers Association and the skill it takes to be a beekeeper.

Bob Kinkaid, current president of the Upshur County Beekeepers Association, said most counties have an association, noting Upshur County has a “very strong” group with about 30 to 35 active members.

The mission of the associations across the state is to bring awareness to the importance of honey bees, their survival rate and what can be done to aid their survival as well as ways to support local beekeepers.

“Without bees and without earthworms, you wouldn’t have the lunch you have today,” Kinkaid said during the lunch meeting. “You can’t do agriculture without those two things.”

Kinkaid said association members try to educate the community and students on the importance of bees.

In fact, the association is sponsoring a beginners beekeeper class, which has had about 90 people in attendance so far.

The classes are being taught by Joyce Frey from the Tygarts Valley Conservation District, and subject matter covers honey bee biology, beekeeping equipment, how to introduce bees to a hive and more. Each class is taught at Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School.

The classes are offered free to the public. Anyone who is interested can find more information online on the Upshur County Beekeepers Association’s Facebook page.

Members of the association meet at 6:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Farm Bureau building on Route 33.

“We do presentation and demonstrations every meeting,” Kinkaid said.