by Todd Youngblood

Dear Friends,

My family and I have just returned from a great trip to College Station.
We have begun construction on the Honey Bee Research Facility at Texas A&M. On Friday July 24, 2009, we held a stud signing ceremony at the site of the building. The stud signed by everyone in attendance, will be on display inside the building once it is completed. We have tentatively set the date for the TBA Winter Delegate’s Meeting, along with a possible grand opening of the Facility, on February 20, 2010. We will have more details for you as construction progresses.
As we bring this part of the process to a close, it is time to start looking forward as to the next phase of our relationship with TAMU. We will not be able to sit back and wait for the fruits of our labor to come. We will need to be involved in the decision making of what we think needs to take place there. Afterall, we are the major stakeholders and deserve a big seat at the table. I will be in contact with Dr. Heinz and others as to suggestions for potential ideas for research. This is a process that will require a lot of help from all involved. I hope you will be willing to help when I or whoever may call on you to help make a push for certain projects that the industry finds important. We have come a long way since I was first approached by Mr. John Milam to serve on the fund raising committee for the Facility. It is no time to sit back and rest.
As the summer wears on, your TBA Board of Directors are preparing for the Annual Convention. I am sure you know by now that the Convention will be held in Tyler this year. I hope you are making plans to come and share a few days with friends and hopefully glean a few pieces of information from the programs that will be presented. I always feel that my days spent at conventions are well worth the effort it takes to get there. I hope you feel the same. Look for the finalized program agenda in the next issue of the Journal.
As I mentioned, the summer continues to wear on here in South Texas. We are in the midst of the driest 23 month period since record keeping began in the late 1800's. Despite the harsh conditions of the country, our bees seem to be holding up quite well in the current state. We have been feeding a lot of sugar syrup with essential oils mixed in. I have only recently begun feeding pollen substitute as the signs of natural pollen have all but dried up. I hope your part of the country is in better shape than mine.