David Davis, who serves as the Agriculture Extension Agent and CED with NC Cooperative Extension in Yancey County, will talk about the county programs to promote and protect pollinators. The meeting is slated for Tuesday, July 23, and is open to the public. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the the Trinity Episcopal Church, 15 Hemlock St., Spruce Pine, NC 28777.
David will give a pesticide program update where he will share the county’s educational efforts to protect pollinators, share updates regarding services offered to beekeepers, such as farm registration programs Bee Watch, Drift Watch, and Field Watch. These programs are designed to provide better communication between farmers and beekeepers, in an effort to reduce bee kills and injuries following pesticide applications.
David has been a long time advocate of beekeeping and the promotion of beneficial pollinators. In previous years, David assisted in organizing and conducting the Eastern Bluegrass Bee School, and assisting in various other bee keeping educational programs when he served as the Agriculture Extension Agent in Winchester, Kentucky.
In his current role, David serves beekeepers in Yancey County. He also conducts educational programs focused in agriculture, commercial horticulture, home and consumer horticulture, and livestock production. These programs promote practices for the safe use of pesticides by farmers and homeowners, the use of IPM practices to minimize the use of pesticides, and proper disposal of pesticides to avoid environmental damage.
Toe Cane Beekeepers Association is a nonprofit organization serving the honey bees and beekeepers of Mitchell, Avery and Yancey counties. It offers educational and training opportunities throughout the year for new and experienced beekeepers and engages in community outreach through area schools and at special events. For more information, visit www.toecanebeekeepers.net
