Beekeeping in Southern New York
Classes - Meetings - Contact Info

Orange County, the land between the Delaware and Hudson rivers has also been the land of milk and honey for more than 150 years!

In 1855 William Buck of Newburgh New York, purchased thirty-six colonies of German black bees (the only variety in the U.S.A. at that time) from an unknown beekeeper. He later sent his colonies aboard the "George Law" for Aspinwall on November 5,1855. There the hives were loaded on the train and taken to Panama City and put on the steamer, "Golden Age". The voyage to San Francisco was completed in 12˝ days. Eighteen colonies survi­ved the trip which finished on Nov.30, 1855 in San Jose. And that’s how bees were moved across country.

One hundred and six years later the Southeastern Beekeepers Club was formed on January 1961 with 20 members. Today, as a Not-For-Profit organization, the mission of the Club is to educate the public on the benefits of beekeeping and the value of the products from the beehive. Through Club meetings and numerous fairs around the county, Club members are geared to educate the consumer with information and delicious samples of Honey. 

As more and more foods are processed and filled with artificial ingredients, a growing trend in this country is to look to more natural approaches to balancing one’s health. Honey is the answer and beekeeping is a great way to “do it yourself”. With a little effort and modest cost, anyone can produce this completely natural, pure food with so many benefits. Other products from the beehive like Bee Pollen, Propolis and Royal Jelly can also enable someone to improve their health and lifestyle. Find out more and join us at our next meeting!