Updates for 2025

2025 New York Farm Bureau Taste of NY Reception

The New York Farm Bureau held their annual Taste of NY Reception in the Capital Convention Center in Albany on Monday, March 3rd. ESHPA President Mark Fiegl and 2nd Vice President Bob Deemer represented our organization at this event. Commodity groups, individual farms and County Farm Bureaus presented their products and perspective to over 200 legislators from both the NY Senate and NY Assembly and their staff. The room was also packed with Farm Bureau members and FFA chapters from all regions of New York State. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Commissioner of Ag and Markets; Richard Ball attended and visited booths and spoke with producers. We had the opportunity to hand out 2 oz bear samples (519 to bee exact) of NY honey as well as our brochure that informs people who we are as an organization. We also created and distributed a one-page document of issues important to NY beekeepers (see below) which was presented to legislators and their staffers. As an attraction to bring in traffic, we had on display our teaching hive and a human scale model of a varroa mite. Many people asked us why we had a crab on the table and that gave us opportunities to discuss the impact varroa mites are having on our honey bees. It was encouraging to meet people including legislators who self-identified as beekeepers at this event as well as seeing honey samples in the various county Farm Bureau booths. This is an important event to bring NY honey and our honey bees to the attention of indivuals who are in positions to have an impact on our concerns and interests.

Issues of Concern to Beekeepers in New York State

Honey bees are a crucial part of our agricultural system as well as the overall ecosystem due to the pollination services they provide for millions of dollars of crops as well as wild plants. Honey bees are under increasing pressure in three areas, parasites and the pathogens they can vector, pesticides in the environment and loss of diverse plants to forage.

1. Colony winter hive losses across US to include NY beekeepers have exceeded 1.1 million colonies or above 50% of total known colonies. Current reason for the loss is unknown and being investigated cooperatively by multiple land grant universities including Cornell University. ESHPA supports full funding as requested by Cornell Cooperative Extension and funding to research at Cornell University as some of their work impacts honey bees directly.
   

2. New York State has announced an initiative to plant more trees throughout the state. ESHPA supports this effort with the hope that trees that benefit pollinators be include in that list. Amongst these of most importance to beekeepers are natives Basswood (Tilia americana) and Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera).
   

3. Pesticide use education is critically important. While there are licensing and training requirements for agricultural applicators there is not much in the way of information and training for homeowners. Master Gardener programs through local county Cornell Cooperative Extension offices may offer some training, but there is a lack of resources for them to have a greater impact. Suburban home landscapes offer little in the way of pollen and nectar resources for pollinators and what they do offer are often toxic due to misuse of pesticides by homeowners.
   

4. Bears are a part of the New York State landscape and have been increasing in areas that have not seen bears in many decades. Honey bee colonies are an attractive source of nutrition for bears, not just in honey but the brood is a great source of protein for bears. ESHPA would like to see two things in regards to bears in New York State:

   1. An increased hunting season for taking more bears controlling their expanding territory.

   2. Compensation (similar to other high bear populated states offer) to beekeepers from losses due to bear attacks.

• The Summer Picnic will be July 19th in Fulton, NY (SE of Oswego)
  

• The Board voted to change around the dues structure starting in January. The new fees will be as follows;
  Single membership - $40
  Couple or family membership - $50 (includes 2 votes)
  Student membership - $10 (must have student ID)
  The Commercial and Sideliner membership levels have been eliminated
  Lifetime Membership is $400
  

• We will be adding a public calendar of all the beekeeping clubs throughout the state.
  

• We are adding a benefit for members only; a state wide locator for those wishing to buy honey, bees or other products from the hive, directly from you, the seller!
  

• One $1000 student scholarships will be available this year for students participating in Agricultural degrees
  

• Board Election results:

  Bob Deemer moves up to 2nd Vice President, formally the 3rd VP

  Eliazara Campbell moves up to the 3rd Vice President, formally the Western district director

  Tara Hahn joins the Board as the Western district director

  Tom Kingsley joins the Board as the Central district director

  Nick Hoefly joins the Board as the Southern district director

Welcome to The Empire State Honey Producers Association, Inc.
Or for short, ESHPA.

ESHPA open to all beekeepers in NYS, from the hobbyist with one hive, to the commercial migratory beekeeper with thousands. This is made clear in the preamble of the bylaws:

To promote and protect the interests of New York State beekeepers, and

To form an association for mutual benefit of New York State honey producers; to promote and assist in efforts to preserve and protect the honey bee; to assist New York State honey producers in promoting, marketing and publicizing honey and hive products and educate the public to the value of honey bee pollination; to aid in presenting a uniform point of view on concerns of New York State honey producers to state and federal agencies and the general public.

To procure uniformity and certainty in customs and usages of trade and commerce, and of those having a common trade, business, financial or professional interest; to promote a more enlarged and friendly intercourse among beekeepers.

ESHPA was originally founded in 1870 as the “New York State Bee-Keepers Association”, with dues of $1 (considered too high by many potential members). Ladies interested in beekeeping could join with just a signature.

Today ESHPA is a 501(c) (5) Federal Tax exempt corporation with a governing board elected by the general membership. Full bylaws are available at ESHPA.org . Regional “North-Eastern” “Southern” “Western” and “Long Island” directors are elected to three-year terms. Officers are elected to two year terms.

The majority of ESHPA members have less than 50 hives according to a voluntary online survey conducted in 2012.

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