The Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program includes organizations in the states of Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming.
Chuck Dailey is GPMP’s representative from The Beekeepers of Indiana. He serves as the GPMB’s Vice Chairman and supports five separate sub-committees including the Governance, Content, Orientation, Open Apiary and Chair of the Masters Project Committee.
St. Peter’s Apiary in Lebanon is currently the approved Open Apiary site for teaching and testing all levels of the GPMB programs in Indiana. However, GPMB is pursuing other possible sites across the state for additional Open Apiaries to support regional participation and testing. Their goal is to open at least 2 additional open apiary sites in Indiana by 2026.
Each in-person session lasts approximately 2 hours, and the program curriculum covers all 20 on-line modules with additional information relevant to each topic. The format gives anyone who misses an in-person class the ability to complete those specific modules on-line at their convenience. Each student works to complete their volunteer and field hours with the goal of passing their Apprentice to Journeyman field exam.
A key difference between GPMB and other on-line master beekeeping programs is the requirement for each partner organization to maintain at least one Open Teaching Apiary in their region supported by a GPMB Master beekeeper. These apiaries are used for teaching and testing sessions for the program. Our goal is to open at least 2 additional open apiary sites in Indiana by 2026 to support regional participation and future testing.
The GPMB website can be found here.
In-person curriculum
Apprentice level (0-2 years experience)
Great Plains Master Beekeeping Adult Program Cost: $5/session
“Beekeeper Diary” Book Cost: $35
Starting March 13, 2025. Ending May 29, 2025.
Thursdays 6:00pm-8:00pm
Field Testing starting in June 2025 (weather dependent: sunny & above 55 degrees)
| Session | Date | Topics |
| Session 1 | March 13 | 1.01 Intro to bee morphology/life cycle 1.02 Caste system, age polyethism |
| Session 2 | March 20 | 1.03 Role of bees in agroecosystem 1.04 Local apiary law |
| Session 3 | March 27 | 1.05 Honey bee plants 1.06 Safety and stings |
| Session 4 | April 3 | 1.11 Beekeeping equipment 1.15 Swarm management |
| Session 5 | April 10 | 1.07 Locations of apiaries 1.08 Placement of hives 1.12 Seasonal hive activities |
| Session 6 | April 17 | 1.10 Introduction to honey bee stressors 1.19 Other insects in the apiary |
| Session 7 | April 24 | 1.13 Overwintering basics 1.18 Colony health inspections |
| Session 8 | May 1 | 1.14 Honey production 1.17 Role of beekeepers in food production |
| Session 9 | May 8 | 1.16 Varroa mite monitoring & management |
| Session 10 | May 15 | 1.09 Installing package bees 1.20 Beekeeper’s etiquette |
| Session 11 | May 22 | Apprentice course review |
| Session 12 | May 29 | Apprentice course written final exam |
Apprentice to Journeyman Field Exam
Field Exam can be taken after completion of the class final exam, 20 approved volunteer hours and 20 approved field hours. The Field Exam must be scheduled at a GPMB designated Open Apiary with a certified instructor. Indiana’s approved Open Apiary is located at
St. Peter’s Apiary
950 E. Washington Street
Lebanon IN 46052
Certified Master Beekeeper Chuck Dailey
Hap-Bee Hour
GPMB students can register to join Zoom meetings on the 2nd Friday evening of each month.
Open Teaching Apiary
Field demonstrations, in-hive training, volunteer opportunities, and field exams:
Open Apiary events are structured gatherings that support the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program. There will be demonstrations each session with Q&A and time for hands-on experience with bee colonies. Open Apiary volunteers will receive credit towards the 20 volunteer hour requirement of the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program. These will take place 10am to 1pm on the following dates (weather dependent: sunny & above 55 degrees)
April 26
May 24
June 28
July 26
August 23
September 27
Contact
For questions or additional information on how to sign up, send an email to askharvesthouse@gmail.com.