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 following are the remaining 2024 Open Apiary dates and times for teaching and testing:
If you would like to learn more about a future GPMB in-person course or would like additional information about the program, contact Chuck Dailey (chuckdailey@att.net or call 765.535.8290).