Apiary Application
Covenant Valley Farms Apiary
Owner: Nolan and Annie KennedyFarm Address:
1752 Crawford Smithonia Rd
Colbert, GA 30628
Madison County
United States
Mailing Address:
1752 Crawford Smithonia Rd
Colbert, GA 30628
United States
daytime phone: 706-206-7105
evening phone: 706-742-7993
Application Date: 2010-02-24
General Information
| Please briefly tell us why you are applying to have your apiary be part of the Certified Naturally Grown program. | We believe in the natural way of producing farm products, to give the consumer a better, healthier choice. |
| Is the land on which your apiary sits currently certified (by CNG or another organization)? | no |
| Has the land on which your apiary sits ever been Certified in the past? | no |
| How did you hear about Certified Naturally Grown? | Internet |
| Please check all markets where you sell your honey. |
Farmer's Market Farm Stand Local Resaurants CSA's Coops Health Food Stores Groceries Wholesalers LocalHarvest.com Word of Mouth Other (please specify below) |
| You may use this space to specify where customers can purchase your honey (this will be displayed on your profile to help customers find you). | At 1752 Crawford Smithonia Rd. Colbert, Ga 30628; athens.locallygrown.net |
| How many hives are in your apiary (or apiaries)? | 12 |
| Before continuing, please take a moment to review the 5 steps to Apiary Certification. (You may do this by clicking the link below.) Are they clear? | yes |
Apiary Location and Position
| Some beekeepers seek certification for more than one apiary. Please provide the location (or locations) of the apiary (or apiaries) for which you seek certification. | Main location(August to June),1752 Crawford Smithonia Rd, Colbert, Ga 30628. Secondary location(June to end of July), John Wood Rd., Clarksville, Georgia. |
| Briefly describe the landscape where the apiary is located. What surrounds the apiary? What are the nectar sources? | Combination of pasture and forest. Sources of nectar are fruit trees, clovers, tulip poplar, privet, and other wild flowers. Secondary location is for the Sourwood nectar. Surroundings include forest, pasture and open areas with farms. Secondary location is at a small farm owned by a local beekeeper that at this time does not have any honeybees at the location. He believes honey should be as natural as possible. |
| Do you own or manage the land on which your apiary is located? (If at least one of your apiaries is on land you own or manage, answer yes.) | yes |
| Do you agree not to use on this land any synthetic materials that are not allowed under the CNG produce or honey programs? | Yes |
| Use this space to describe any land management practices you use to support the honey bee population. | Plant sweet, crimson, and white clovers and other nectar sources where I can confirm where the nectar is gathered. Also use honeybees to cross pollinate local gardens. We do not spray or use any pesticide or herbicide on our land. No synthetic fertilizers are used. |
| Within each apiary for which you seek certification, do you manage any hives "conventionally", using practices or substances that are not allowed under the CNG apiary standards? | no |
| Are all hives in the apiary at least 6 inches off the ground? | yes |
Hive Construction, Components, and Comb Removal
| Do your hives have any paint or chemical treatment on the interior surface of the hive? | no |
| Do you have, or will you develop, a labeling system and schedule to ensure removal of at least 20% of brood frame per year, such that there is never brood comb present that is more than 5 years old? | yes |
| Please breifly describe your comb removal practices to date, and your plans for the coming seasons. | To this date I remove any brood comb that approaches 2 years old, this minimizes possible accumulation of pesticides and also increases size of adult honeybees. Each frame is given a date of insertion and nlt date. I have thus far 60-70% new frames(2010) due to the splitting of colonies and new equipment. I will adhere to the CNG program of frame removal which I think is a sound practice. |
Apiary Transition
| Does your hive contain brood comb that A) is from another beekeeper (including from purchased nuc), or B) has been exposed to Tylan, or C) has been exposed to three or more treatments of fluvalinate (Apistan, Mavrik) or amitraz (Miticur, Taktic, or Mitak)? | yes |
| Will you ensure that, through brood comb replacement or operation expansion, no more than 40% of the exposed comb will be present in the apiaries to be certified, AND that the exposed comb that remains will be marked and removed from your apiary within two years? Your apiary will have transitional status until all exposed comb is replaced. | yes |
| Please indicate the month and year when you expect you will have replaced all marked brood comb (the comb that was purchased from another beekeeper, treated with Tylan, and/or exposed to three or more more treatments of fluvalinate or amitraz)? | August 2011 |
| Has any wax or comb in your apiary ever been exposed to coumaphos (CheckMite+) or fenpyroximate (Hivastan), or more than six indirect exposures of coumaphos (CheckMite+), hydramethylnon or fipronil (Max Force Gel roach baite) as closed trapping for SHBs? | no |
General Bee Maintenance and Care
| Describe how you maintain your bee population from one season to the next. Do you rely on survivor colonies, incorporate feral colonies, purchase new bees every year, or some combination of these and/or other practices? | I depend on a high percentage of survivor colonies. Through the practice of Integrated Pest Management(IPM) and other natural methods, it ensures better survival. We also select and split the strongest hives to promote better breeding in the apiary. Requeening and spliting interupts the life cycle of mites and increases the survivabilty of the hive. We want to approach 20 hives and establish our own nucs and queens to maintain a closed apiary. |
| Do you sometimes feed the bees when honey supers are on the hive, or within two weeks before honey super addition? | no |
| If and when your bees require supplemental feeding, what do you feed them? Please be specific and include all ingredients. | Any surplus honey(fall honey from my hives which is usually a darker stronger honey but very valuable to the bees)and sugar syrup with pure cane sugar. |
Management of Pests and Disease
| Varroa Mite | |
| Please briefly describe what measures you take to suppress the Varroa mite population in your hives. | Through the IPM method, it stresses natural solutions such as using powdered sugar(dowda method and shake test, essential oils, and screened bottom boards. |
| How do you monitor mite population levels? When and how often? | Through the use of screened bottom boards. Monitored spring, summer and fall. |
| Before treating any hive for Varroa mites, will you monitor the Varroa mite infestation level to determine whether it exceeds the treatment threshold set by your local network? (If you run a survivor colony, and you never treat, please answer Yes.) | yes |
| If you choose to treat colonies infested with Varroa mites, will you keep records of treatment methods, along with pre- and post-treatment monitoring results? | yes |
| American and European Foulbrood | |
| How do you prevent and treat American Foulbrood (AFB) and European Foulbrood (EFB)? | Hygienic practices and identification and removal of infected hives. No problem so far. |
| Nosema | |
| How do you prevent and treat Nosema? | Same as above. No problem so far, I will use natural treatment as listed by CNG. |
| Other Diseases | |
| What has been your experience with other diseases (such as chalkbrood, viral diseases, wax moths, small hive beetle)? How have you dealt with them? How will you deal with them if they recur? | Wax moths present a problem mainly in stored combs during the winter. We check the combs frequently and keep them sealed inside. For hive beetles we use the inserts under the screened BB, and also use traps which cuts downs on their population. |
| Pests | |
| What measures do you take, if any, to protect the hives against pests such as mice, skunks, possums, raccoons, and bears? | Other than keeping the hives 8-14 inches off the ground, no other measures have been needed. |
| Please describe any other practices you follow to help strengthen the bee population under your care. | We are convinced that for the honeybee to survive natural methods must be used and chemicals, antibiotics, and other medications must stop being used. I personally go to great lengths to ensure every hive has a chance not only to produce but survive. I have kept bees for 40 years and the last 10 years have seen major challenges for the honeybee specifically in reference to mites and beetles. This requires day to day monitoring of the colonies. |
Colonies Engaged in Pollination Services
| Are your colonies engaged in pollination by contract? | no |
Local Networks
| Are you a part of a local network of beekeepers using natural methods? This could be a formal network like a county beekeepers association, or it could be an informal network of beekeepers in your area with a commitment to using natural methods. | yes |
| If this is a formal network please indicate the name of the network below. (If it is not a formal network, please simply write "informal".) | We are members of the Oglethorpe County Beekeepers Association and members of the Eastern Piedmont Beekeepers Association. |
| If this is an informal network, please indicate below the names of at least two other beekeepers who participate. They do not need to be CNG beekeepers, but they do need to have some commitment to and knowledge of natural practices. (If you're part of a formal network, please simply write "see above") | See above. In addition to the above our informal network includes; Sandy Reinhardt-Cng grower, high school science teacher,and beekeeper. Harold Wood; Natural beekeeper. |
Agreements
| Please indicate your agreement with the following statements by entering your name/s in the spaces following the statements. | |
| I/we will only use the Certified Naturally Grown name and label on apiary products (honey, pollen, propolis) that are in fact from the CNG apiaries described in this application. | Nolan and Annetria Kennedy |
| I/we understand that CNG beeswax certification is a separate process (not yet available in 2010), and that the basic Apiary Certification doesn't confer CNG status on beeswax. | Nolan and Annetria Kennedy |
| I/we understand the CNG work requirements: A) To complete at least one certification inspection of another CNG apiary in my area each year. B) To arrange at least two annual inspections of my/our apiary, to be carried out by qualified inspectors as outlined in CNG informational materials. | Nolan and Annetria Kennedy |
| I/we have reviewed the Certified Naturally Grown standards, understand them, and will abide by them. I/we understand that if I/we have any questions I/we may contact CNG for clarification. | Nolan and Annetria Kennedy |
| You may use this space to tell us anything else you think we should know about your farm: | |
