2010 Applicants for Current WVBA Grant

120 WVBA members have applied for the $30 "Rebate" for WV package bees or WV nucs. The Grant application period closed on January 31st, and work is currently in progress to notify applicants of their approval. The primary purpose of the $4000 USDA grant was to encourage the development of a WV package bee industry and secondarily help with the development of the WV Nuc industry. The $30 incentive for the WVBA member would, in turn, help the individual beekeeper. As a result of this grant, beekeepers across West Virginia hopefully will become increasingly aware of dependable sources of packages and nucs from within the state. This should lessen or at least slow the spread of Africanized genes.

There were some minor misunderstandings regarding the grant. There was no intention to favor one source of bees over another. Before advertising the grant on December 1st, every effort was made to contact WV beekeepers with operations that would have the ability to make up packages within the state. It was critical that the source be WV-based, and not from an out-of-state package provider. Nor was it possible to appove an application without knowing the source of packages or nucs. Applicants were also permitted to apply for nucs as a secondary possibility. This was a consideration when extreme travel time to a package producer was involved.

In the next few weeks letters will be sent to all applicants. They will be told that if they wish to withdraw from the program, they may, but they should let the grant administrator know as soon as possible, so the unused funds may be reassigned to other applicants. They will be reminded that their evaluation is important to this and future grants. Evaluation forms will be sent with the $30 checks when copies of paid receipts are received. These evaluations will be brief, easy to fill out and returned by August 31st. A formal report (grant administrator's responsibility) must be returned to the state office in early fall. If your bee yard is inspected this season those who received help with a package or nuc are asked to indicate that colony to the inspector. Bee inspectors' observations will be included in the final report.

It is my opinion that 2 things need done for possible future grants: 1). There should be a WVBA committee to determine the future grant's purpose, and 2). General agreement among local associations to support the state organization's goals. Withholding local group applications would lessen competition among beekeeping grants, and make one large grant more likely. Working with this grant as well as the grant of two years ago has been interesting and generally rewarding because the grants were able in a small way to help other beekeepers.