Skep-techs and Thinking Outside the Hive May 31, 2008

Slow Food Portland continues its "Foundations of Agriculture" series with a discussion of bees and pollination on May 31st. The importance of these insects in agriculture has come into sharp focus with a nationwide rise in honey bee diseases. Virtually all of our fruit crop and most vegetable seed production rely on bees. Here\'s your chance to learn more about bees and farming.

We will visit a working farm in Gaston. Dan Hiscoe of Springhill Honeyworks and the Tualatin Valley Beekeepers Association will discuss the operational aspects of his 250-hive pollination service, and how he manages bee colonies with an emphasis upon their health and vigor. Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society will introduce the solitary and native bees that live and work the Willamette Valley, their habitat requirements, and how they can be integrated into our farms. The Xerces Society is a world-wide leader in invertebrate conservation, and works with farmers to improve native bee habitat. Anthony Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm will describe the importance and challenges of managing all manner of bees in the working landscape of a commercial farm.

RSVP: to [email protected]
$5 members, $10 non-members

Official Website: http://slowfoodportland.com/meeting/