Practical Beekeeping

The Course

Join us to find out what happened at the FarmED Honey Apiary this summer and learn from our experiences on how FarmED's honey is produced from the flowers in our meadows and harvested for use in our kitchen and cafe.

The diversity and abundance of plants at Honeydale Farm mean the bees from our hives are busy from January to October but the summer months are especially vital for honey production. During this practical and interactive course you’ll get to grips with the honey extraction equipment Tony uses, discuss the highs and lows, followed by a visit to the apiary and a colony inspection (weather permitting).

What you will learn:

- In-depth look at the 2024 season, including managing bees from July into autumn.

- How, when and why we produce our honey crop. 

- How-to guide on extracting, bottling and labelling honey, including an examination of the equipment we use. 

- Apiary visit.

- How to problem-solve common issues such as no honey being produced.

- Discussion: what is Darwinian beekeeping and how its principles may help us become better beekeepers.

We want to help beekeepers, new and improved to feel knowledgeable and confident when nurturing their bees. Tony Yarrow has over 50 years of beekeeping experience and has made all the mistakes in the book, so you don't have to!

About the Speaker:

Tony began keeping bees in Wales in 1975. He worked as a bee expert with two beehive manufacturing companies and has known and worked with some of the UK’s largest commercial beekeepers. Tony keeps 15-20 colonies in four sites in North Oxfordshire, including here at FarmED, producing around half a ton of surplus honey a year for the FarmED Cafe and kitchen. 

Beekeepers are encouraged to bring their own protective clothing. 

Tiered Pricing

Delivery of our mission is a collective effort and our values embrace inclusivity and diversity. We don’t want price to be a barrier to anyone visiting FarmED or attending our events. Read more about our tiered pricing policy here.

If cost is a barrier to you attending, then please do ask us for financial support. The FarmED Bursary offers free or subsidised places to those that will benefit most.

Cancellation Policy

We understand that there may be times when you need to cancel your booking.  Our cancellation policy is outlined here.