save the date for the Fall Conference in Syracuse!

November 6 & 7, 2026

Embassy Suites Destiny USA
311 Hiawatha Blvd W.
Syracuse, NY 13204

The ESHPA Board has made an awesome decision to reduce the ticket prices for the conference. We know times are tough and many are tightening their belts. Fees have been drastically reduced for members to $30 per day or $50 for both days!! Non-members will be at the old rate of $75 per day or $125 for both days. Make sure to check your membership status before purchasing tickets.

Guest Speakers

Randall Cass - Cornell University Bee Extension Specialist

Topics - 1. NYS Beekeeper Tech Team update
2. From Honeycomb to Consumer: Tips on bottling, marketing and safety regulations

Randall joined Cornell University as a honey bee extension associate in the spring of 2025. He manages the NYS Beekeeper Tech Team, supports honey bee research, and is an extension resource for beekeepers throughout the state. Randall has worked in beekeeping extension for nearly a decade, previously serving as an extension associate and researcher at Iowa State University. His research has focused on honey bee health in agricultural landscapes and integrated pest management. Randall holds a Master of Science from the University of California, Davis.

Anne Mills - NYS Apiculturist

Topic - NYS Apiculturist update

Mike Conner - Professional Arborist & Beekeeper from Michigan

Topic:
Bees, Trees & Small Meadows: One of the primary challenges in beekeeping is ensuring adequate bee nutrition. Migratory beekeepers can relocate their colonies from areas that support spring buildup to honey flows throughout the season, but a small-scale beekeeper may not have that option. Their colonies must build up and produce a honey crop from a single location. As the availability and diversity of bee forage continues to decline, it is increasingly important for beekeepers to evaluate their sites and consider supplementing natural forage with additional plantings. Although trees are often the most significant single source of pollen and nectar, beekeepers can also establish selected annuals and perennials in small areas to help bridge nutritional gaps and support healthy bee populations.

Bio:
Mike Connor is a Certified Arborist, Nursery Grower, and an experienced Beekeeper. He grew up on an orchard and Christmas tree farm in Southwest Michigan and purchased his first hive of bees when he was12 years old. He is in a unique position to understand the relationships between plants, trees, and bees.

A graduate of Cornerstone University, with post-graduate studies at MSU, Mike became a Branch Manager of a national Bee Supply manufacturer, Dadant and Sons, in 1977.  At Dadants he received a practical education in beekeeping from some of the best beekeepers in the world. He left Dadants in 1985 to start his own tree Nursery and operate 200 hives of his own.

Including a 7-year commitment as a Municipal Arborist and Park Superintendent, Mike has spent his entire career growing and caring for plants, trees, and bees. He is a co-founder of the Grand Rapids Area Bee Club.

Paul Kelly - Research and Apiary Manager, The University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre

Topics -
1. Ergonomic Beekeeping - Trucks, tools and methods for small to midsize operations
Beekeeping activities all involve moving equipment and physical exertion. Wheels, levers, tools and methods to reduce physical strain are valuable to reduce injuries, improve efficiencies and make the work more pleasant. In this presentation I will describe the methods we use to manage our 350 colonies. The methods are suited to small to mid-size scale beekeeping operations.

2. The LVG Breeding Program: Breeding for Low Varroa Growth at the HBRC
In 2012 we demonstrated a close correlation between grooming behavior and low varroa population growth (LVG). More recently we have adopted a simple method of breeding for low varroa growth rate (LVG). This method indirectly selects for grooming behavior and other resistance mechanisms. In five generations we have achieved a seven-fold decrease in mite population growth. This method has been adopted by Ontario bee breeders and we are encouraging its adoption elsewhere.

Bio:
Paul has managed the Honey Bee Research Centre since 1987. His primary role at the centre is to manage honeybee colonies for research and teaching purposes. He provides research support for hive health science, training for students and beekeepers, coordinates and teaches beekeeping courses and conducts facility tours for the general public.
Paul’s interests include bee breeding, beekeeping tool design and manufacture, beekeeping video production, medicinal use of hive products, and hive management techniques. Paul and the HBRC team have produced 77 beekeeping videos for the HBRC YouTube channel. They have been translated into 12 languages and have been viewed approximately 30 million times. He makes and sells Bee Belts, the tool belt for beekeepers.
Paul received the Eastern Apiculture Society, Roger A. Morse Extension Award in 2017 and was inducted into the Ontario Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2022.

Dr. David Peck - Director of Research & Education, BetterBee

Topics - 1. Changes in Varroa treatment options
2. Locally adapted queens: Marketing Myth or Cornerstone of Bee Stock Improvement

Bio:
Dr. Peck is the Director of Research and Education at Betterbee in Greenwich, NY, where he assists in product development and research, and also teaches classes and develops scientifically-sound educational materials. His doctoral work in Cornell University's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior was supervised by Professor Tom Seeley. His dissertation research focused on the transmission of mites between bee colonies, as well as the mite-resistance traits of the untreated honey bees living in Cornell's Arnot Forest.

After earning his degree, he has continued to research varroa/bee interactions, including fieldwork in Newfoundland, Canada (where varroa still have not arrived) and Anosy Madagascar (where varroa arrived only in 2010 or 2011). He has served as a teaching postdoctoral fellow in Cornell's Department of Entomology, and is still affiliated with Cornell through the Honey Bee Health program in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Peck has kept bees for more than a decade, though his home apiary is often full of mite-riddled research colonies so he doesn't usually produce much honey. 

Grant Stiles - Founder, Stiles Honey, Fords, NJ

Topics - 1. Seasonal Management
2. Honey House Basics and Food Safety

Bio:
Grant Stiles, founder of Stiles Apiaries, has dedicated his life to honeybees and the art of beekeeping. It began as an eight-year-old boy’s fascination after capturing his first swarm of bees with his father and has since grown into one of the most successful apiaries in the New York/New Jersey region. Today, Stiles Honey manages over 10,000 colonies annually and stands as one of the largest honey producers and packers in Northeast, distributing honey across the country.

Grant’s journey is deeply rooted in both passion and expertise. While pursuing his degree in entomology at Penn State University, he focused his research on honeybees and supported his education by selling beeswax candles and hand-painted ornaments. His career path led him to serve as the New Jersey State Apiarist for a decade, where he gained invaluable insight into the commercial beekeeping industry and strengthened his commitment to supporting local beekeepers.

Under his leadership, Stiles Honey has become more than a honey producer—it’s a hub for the beekeeping community. Every year his company supplies hundreds of NUCs to local clubs, backyard beekeepers, and other apiaries to get ready for the spring season.  As an authorized Mann Lake equipment dealer, he provides the equipment, tools, packaging supplies, and continuing education to help both new and experienced beekeepers thrive throughout the year.

With decades of hands-on experience, a deep scientific foundation, and a lifelong passion for honeybees, Grant brings unmatched knowledge and enthusiasm to every conversation in the community. His story is a testament to how curiosity, dedication, and innovation can turn a childhood hobby into a nationally recognized success.

Book your stay at the Embassy Suites Destiny USA early and save!!
Reduced room rates available until October 5th

The New York State Honey Map is now live!

These are the ESHPA members that sell honey throughout the state. We will be advertising this heavily on all our new flyers and advertising and especially at the State Fair when people are ALWAYS asking us where to get honey. Of course people come from all over the state, so this is a great opportunity to pick up some new customers!

If you would like to be listed on the map,
you need to be a current member and fill out the following form.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/171wimSdBVKNTZZGwV1mCdkJ3N1aqjXA0Y2uucLdkymE

Did you know we have a calendar of ALL the beekeeping club meetings throughout the state?

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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