A new course, Business Tools and Marketing Strategies for Beekeepers, is being offered by Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Office of Continuing Professional Education. This two-day course is intended for individuals who are currently maintaining bee hives and who want to better understand business practices, marketing challenges and production opportunities. Also, our course is designed to assist existing beekeepers who wish to scale up their sideline operations to become commercial pollinators or larger honey producers.

The instructors include Tim Schuler, Commercial pollinator and honey producer Grant Stiles, and Landi Simone of Gooserock Farm.

Day 1
• Commercial/Sideline Beekeeping
• Developing a Business Plan
• Budget Planning
• Identifying Your Insurance Needs
• Products of the Hive
• Marketing Your Products
Day 2
• Commercial Scale Management for Success
• Parasites and Diseases
• Equipment Selection
• Honey Extraction, Bottling, Selling & Storing

A panel discussion is scheduled for Day 1 and an optional tour of a commercial beekeeping operation and honey facility are also planned on Day 2.

Early Registration, 10/31/2008 - 11/28/2008: $95.00
Late Registration Fee, 11/29/2008 - 12/5/2008: $125.00

For online registration and more information: http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/courses/current/ae0402ca.html

Thank you New Jersey Beekeepers Association for this information: http://www.njbeekeepers.org/