This is the place to keep up to date with all the Honey Happenings of the members of the Cook – DuPage Beekeepers Association.
With the media’s attention on honey bees and the perils they face, beekeepers are finding themselves in the news more and more. The experience and expertise found in our association make us a natural source for reporters. Additionally, some of our members share their knowledge with others through articles on beekeeping and related topics in various magazines.
If you are featured in a beekeeping related article, TV or radio segment, or have been published or know of a member who has been, please e-mail the information including any Internet links along with your name and contact information, to webmaster@cookdupagebeekeepers.com and we will investigate and feature the information here.
We are all proud of these accomplishments and want to highlight the articles by and about our members. Be sure to acknowledge and congratulate them at the next meeting!
Ron Fischer, the Bee Man or Orion
Many of you know Ron Fischer, either in person or through his work as the editor of “The Buzz”, the CDBA newsletter. Ron was recently featured in the February 20th edition of the Quad City Times.
Ron Fischer poses with his Iconic portrait in a Feb 20, 2010 article from the Quad City Times. Phot by Larry Fisher of Quad City Times
(article by Alma Gaul) Ron Fischer was born and raised in Oak Park, Ill., and spent much of his adult life working as an accountant for various high-powered financial services companies.
But always in the background was the pull of his grandparents’ 1844 farm between Orion and Coal Valley, Ill., the fifth-oldest in Rock Island County.
He spent a lot of time there as a child, developing an interest in gardening, and as an adult he staked out a plot of his own where he planted an orchard and berry patches of all kinds. He worked in the Chicago area, but he returned to the farm for his hobby.
In 1970, he bought a honeybee hive because his berries and fruits needed bees for pollination and, having “no idea how to keep bees at all,” he took courses from the University of Illinois and Ohio State University.
Fischer’s life has now come full circle.
In 2005, he bought 60 acres of the farm and moved there. Now he is the expert, teaching others about beekeeping.
(For the full story, click here)
A Primer on Keeping Bees
Ron also contributed to a side bar article in the Quad City Times on how to start keeping bees. For that article , click here
Article by CDBA Members featured in American Bee Journal
The March issue of the American Bee Journal featured an article by Chuck and Karen Lorence. “Illinois Beekeepers Share Their Honey Show Secrets” (page 253) looks at the “bee life” of Jim and Karen Belli of Wadsworth IL. The article looks at how the Bellis became interested in beekeeping and honey judging and provides some useful tips for beekeepers interested in placing their honey in competition.
This article joins others the Lorences have published including “Farmer’s Market” and “A Dream Realized” published in 2008.
Problems of disappearing bees North Auroran mission
Harry Patterson was featured in May 6th issue of “The Voice” , a local paper published in the Fox River Valley. In the article Harry talks about the challenges of keeping bees in today’s environment of pesticides, CCD, and what John Q. Public can do to help reduce chemicals in the bees system. We are trying to get a link for the article and will update this once we have further information.
Edie McDonald Talks Bees with ABC 7 TV
Edie McDonald was one of three beekeepers featured on an ABC7 special report on Beekeepers in Chicago. The feature was shown on May 17 highlighted beekeeping in the city. To see the video clip, click here.
Jim & Karen Belli, ISBA Summer Meeting Featured in Lake County News Sun Article
A great combined article on Jim and Karen Belli with their award winning honey and the ISBA Summer meeting sponsored by the ISBA recognized Beekeeping Association can be found by clicking here. The meeting featured many Cook DuPage Beekeeping Association members presenting information and demonstrating beekeeping fundamentals at the Saturday event.