PRESIDENT Larry Snelling 603-542-6305
He joined KBA 6 years ago(2002), after acquiring a stranded hive of bees on
property his brother bought. The hive had not been tended to for over 5
years, with it toppled over and only a small nucellus of bees left. It was in the fall of the
year, and he wrapped up the
hive and brought it home. Larry
and Deb attend the KBA beekeepers workshop in the Spring of the new year
where he learned all about beekeeping. The hive thrived that Spring, and
gave him over 50 lbs. of honey and he was hooked on beekeeping. Each year
thereafter, he added several hives, often locating them at friends home's
where they raised organic vegetables, and had plenty of fruit trees and
wildflowers to tend. Over the past six years, the hives have been as many as
15 to as small as 6 depending on the year. Larry and Deb turned an already
busy herb business into a busier one with the addition of honey to the
product line. Honey blends of lemon-herb, spiced-herb, and orange-herb are
the flavors most generally made, and special blends during the summer such
as lavender is made. Along with the honey, they also sell candles,
beeswax, and herbal products to make up gift baskets that are sold year
round.
Larry is the owner of Snelling Maintenance, doing mechanical and
commercial maintenance in the New England area. His jobs range from small
scale home repairs, to large business duct work and installation. Because of
owning his own business, he now has more flexibility and can tend to his bees
more. He often receives calls from area beekeepers on advice or to come capture a swam. Beekeeping has become a very relaxing and enjoyable hobby that he hopes to continue on into retirement.
VICE PRESIDENT Ed Little 603-863-4791
Ed and his wife, Charleen, are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year (2002). Our congrats go to them and many more to come. They live in Croydon, NH with their cats and one bee hive. They started keeping bees in 1999 because of the gardens. Charleen likes her flowers but as anyone well tell you the bees really help your vegetable gardens which they have seen for themselves.
They both were working at the same plant that just closed this year so now (as Ed put it) they are trying the gentleman farmer bit. They are semi-retired with both working at NAPA in Newport.
To them, keeping bees has been a learning experience and it still is. The one year they got 100 lbs off the one hive which was the best year. Next year they plan to add another hive. Ed is very interested in the bees and wants to be more involved. His hobby is motorcycles.
SEC/TREAS Karen Booker 603-746-3656
Beekeeping was one thing that I thought that I would look into later as we get closer to having a small farm and bigger garden and maybe an orchard. My girlfriend asked if I would like to sign up with her to take beekeeping as she really wanted to do it back in 1999. She wanted someone to share the ride to the school which she thought was a good deal. Especially since the husbands were invited under the same fee. So we made it a cheap date. The boys went for the food and we went for the information.
I won the hive that year but found out that I can't have it in backyard as it's wet in the Spring till about July. It's at a friend's from where Lee works. Once we move then we will have the hives for the garden and whatever else we have.
I enjoy organic gardening, crafts of all types with scrapbooking at the top right now, genealogy, reading, camping and especially volunteering. I have worked in flower shops, at Disney World where Lee and I meet, and recently Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. I also home school our son, Bryan. Yes I am never home, just ask my husband.
We live in Contoocook and hope to move a little westward after we sell our house to look for our little farm.
