Participants in the 'Buzz Me Honey' Beekeeping workshop, held Saturday at BAMSI's North Andros campus, were taught about beekeeping and its potential for an entrepreneurial venture. They were also shown how to safely
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Some sixteen participants were part of the "Buzz
Me Honey" Beekeeping Workshop held on Saturday at the Bahamas Agriculture
and Marine Science Institute’s (BAMSI) North Andros campus. Led by Dr Solomon
Ward, a Bahamian professor and member of the Michigan Beekeeping Association,
and Don Lam, also a members of the Michigan Beekeeping Association, the
workshop was an exciting opportunity for students and members of the public to
gain a better understanding of beekeeping and see it as an entrepreneurial
avenue that is sweetly within their reach.
Presentations were given on bees and their
habitat, beekeeping management and
entrepreneurship
, as well
as information on the Bahamas Co-operative Development. BAMSI student Mrs.
Marina Newton volunteered to head the steering
committee
for the development of a North Andros Beekeeping Association. According to Jeri
Kelly, BAMSI’s marketing officer, workshop participants had the opportunity to
carry out a beehive extraction from one of the building on campus. “This was a
delightful hands-on experience as we all can boast of the elegantly sweet honey
that was tasted from those honeycombs,” she said.
She further added that the
workshop
was a success because “it achieved its purpose of educating our students
and the Androsian community on beekeeping while
igniting
the desire to develop the industry”.
The workshop, which was hosted by BAMSI, was
held in conjunction with the Inter American Institute for Cooperation on
Agriculture (IICA), the Bahamas Cooperative Development and Gold Stream Ltd.
Their respective representatives were on hand for the experience: Shacara
Lightbourne (IICA); Judy Simmons, Leon Rahming and Ronnette Collie (Bahamas
Co-operative Development); and Charles Sawyer and Rueben Rahming (Gold Stream
Ltd.).
