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November 1st ~ Round Table Discussion
Registration: Click Here
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Sunday, November 1st, 2026, 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Subject: We will share information about the wrap-up of the OSBA Fall Conference, what you would like to see from OSBA in 2027, check your knowledge on “What would you do?”, and wrap up by addressing any questions from attendees.
Date & Time: Round Table Discussions are held on the 1st Sunday of each month, starting promptly at 7:00 pm
Information: Events are free to attend and participate in, but registration is required through our event Tickets. After you register online, you will receive an email confirmation. The Zoom “VIRTUAL LINK” will be towards the bottom of the email. Every meeting will begin with “What’s New,” as we showcase new programs, updates, and events happening in Ohio and the surrounding States. Anyone who wants to speak will be given 3-5 minutes (depending on the number of attendees). We ask that everyone be respectful of one another and of the OSBA Board Members. All comments will be heard and discussed. -
2027 OSBA Board Nominations
The 2027 OSBA Board Nominees
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Nominees have now applied for this year’s open positions. You may vote for one candidate in each category, or a write-in candidate, and propose constitutional changes. Write-in candidates are permitted under the following guidelines: 1. The name on the write-in ballot section must be spelled correctly using the first and last name. 2. The home address or name of home club or home city of the write-in candidate must be used to avoid any like named persons. 3. The candidate must be an OSBA member in good standing.
Mail-In Ballots: OSBA members may only vote once. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday, October 19th to be accepted. Mail your ballot to: Roger Myers, 1760 CR-2, Swanton, OH 43558 (YOU MUST HAVE YOUR RETURN ADDRESS ON THE ENVELOPE)
View & Print Document 2027 OSBA Board Nominees
View Constitutional Changes
Online Voting: Paid, Complimentary, and Life Members will receive an email from Electionrunner.com, the email address on file with your OSBA account, with a link to vote for each candidate and propose constitutional changes. Electionrunner.com will send emails on Monday, September 28, at 8:00 am. Voting deadline: Saturday, October 24, at 12:00 pm.
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OSBA Constitution ~ Proposed Ballot Changes
OSBA Constitution ~ proposed ballot changes.
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The OSBA Board has proposed changes to our Constitution. Due to the ever-increasing lack of volunteerism across the State of Ohio, many different organizations, associations, and clubs are having to change their bylaws and constitutions to keep it running. Every 501(c)(3) must follow Robert’s Rules of Order and Ohio Revised Code 1702.34 when operating with the minimum essential officers. Please see the added language below or open the complete constitution document for your review.
2026 OSBA Constitutional Changes
Document language that the OSBA Board is asking you to vote upon:
Article VI – Executive Committee, Section 2. Meetings
Subsections
4. Under the advancement of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) and the Ohio Revised Code 1702.34, the minimal essential officers are: 1. Presiding Officer – normally the President or Chair. 2. Secretary/Recording Secretary – keeps the minutes and official record; and 3. Treasurer – Financial Officer (IRS, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and financial officer with second signature on all accounts).
5. OSBA must have all (3) three positions filled. If any of these (3) three positions cannot be represented, the Board may appoint a member in good standing to fulfill this obligation. For a term limit of (1) one-year appointment. If the position(s) cannot be filled, the Board must outsource this position(s), by possibly making it a paid position, or consider Article XVII – Dissolution.
Article VII – Regional Directors, Section 2. Election and Terms of Office
Subsection
3. Regional Directors are limited to two (2) consecutive elected terms. The Executive Officers, by majority vote, may appoint any member in good standing to any Board position unfilled at the start of the new year, regardless of any term limits.
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2026 Fall Conference
The 2026 OSBA Fall Conference will be held at Kent State University – Ashtabula, OH. Starting Friday, Oct 23, at 5:00 pm with presentations and labs. Saturday, Oct 25, at 9:00 am with (4) four tracks of education. This provides educational information for all types of beekeepers. You are welcome to jump from track to track or stay with any one track all day, depending on your interest and desire to learn something new.
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Early Bird Registration is open for attendees and vendors to register online or by mail-in forms. For all of the details, visit https://ohiostatebeekeepers.org/fall-conference/
We are featuring:
*Three hands-on labs (mead lab, wax lab, dissection lab). These will be held only on Friday, October 23. There will only be 24 seats available for each selection, and they are first come, first served. *You must purchase an admission ticket to attend the hands-on labs. This program will run on Friday, October 23 only.
*The Pollinator Steward Certification (PSC) is offered by Pollinator Partnership and is designed to educate participants on pollinator biology, threats, and habitat creation. The program emphasizes a science-based understanding of pollinator needs and practical applications to support pollinators across various landscapes, including gardens, parks, farms, and urban areas. Participants gain knowledge of pollinator identification, life cycles, and strategies to expand their impact through community education. This program will run on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, concurrently with the OSBA Fall Conference.
*The Ohio State Beekeepers Association (OSBA) is offering a Beginning Beekeepers Certification class designed to educate participants on beekeeping basics, seasonal management, pests and parasites, record-keeping, and a wrap-up Q&A session. The program emphasizes a science-based understanding of honey bee needs and practical applications to support healthy beekeeping in your apiary. Participants gain knowledge of honey bees, colony requirements, and strategies for expanding healthy colonies throughout their apiaries. This program will run on Saturday, October 24, concurrently with the OSBA Fall Conference. -
Pollinator Steward Certification
The Pollinator Steward Certification is a program that trains individuals in pollinator ecology, habitat creation, and education, empowering them to become certified stewards for pollinator conservation.
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Agenda/Schedule (Download↓)
Registration (Click Here)
Overview:
The Pollinator Steward Certification (PSC) is offered by Pollinator Partnership and is designed to educate participants on pollinator biology, threats, and habitat creation. The program emphasizes a science-based understanding of pollinator needs and practical applications to support pollinators across various landscapes, including gardens, parks, farms, and urban areas.
Participants gain knowledge of pollinator identification, life cycles, and strategies to expand their impact through community education.
Who Should Participate:
The program is ideal for home gardeners, land managers, farmers, educators, and anyone interested in pollinator conservation. It is suitable for individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of pollinator ecology and to actively contribute to habitat creation and stewardship in their communities.
Course Structure:
The certification program at the 2026 OSBA Fall Conference is delivered in person.
The course typically includes:
Introduction to pollinators and their ecological roles
Indigenous perspectives on pollinator stewardship
Focus on butterflies, bats, and other overlooked pollinators
Habitat creation for small and large landscapes, including gardens, municipal areas, and agricultural lands
Pollinator identification and monitoring
Strategies to expand community impact
The program often runs in cohorts, with modules released weekly and recorded sessions available for those unable to attend live. Participants complete a habitat quality assessment for a chosen site, including a written report and photos, to demonstrate practical application of the course content.
Certification and Benefits:
Upon completing the course and meeting habitat and education criteria, participants receive a Pollinator Steward Stamp, which can be used on resumes, correspondence, and social media to signify certification. The stamp is non-transferable and demonstrates a verified understanding of pollinator ecology and habitat stewardship.
Certified stewards join a growing community of individuals committed to pollinator conservation and can leverage their knowledge to educate others and implement habitat projects.
Price, Registration, and Timing:
The Pollinator Steward Certification at OSBA Fall Conference, Friday, October 23rd, 6 P.M., and Saturday, October 24th: Registration will open June 1st. Space is limited. Early Bird price is $100. The regular price will be $150 starting July 1st. Lunch tickets may be purchased for Saturday at a cost of $8.00 -
House Bill 911
Representative Melanie Miller Testifies in House Committee on Commercial Apiary Legislation
To watch Rep. Miller’s testimony, click here.
To read House Bill 911, click here.
House Bill 911 – 136 General Assembly has been introduced by procedure by Introduced In House and In House Committee. It will be moving on to the Reported By Committee next. To follow to progession of this Bill, click here.
State Representative Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) today provided sponsor testimony before the House Agriculture Committee on House Bill 911, legislation that updates Ohio’s apiary registration and placement requirements to better support Ohio’s beekeeping industry and ensure compliance with existing state law. The bill comes in response to concerns from local beekeepers in Rep. Miller’s district.
“At its core, House Bill 911 is about protecting investments, encouraging compliance with existing law, and supporting the continued success of an industry that is vital to Ohio agriculture,” said Rep. Miller. “It helps ensure that Ohio’s beekeeping community can continue to grow and thrive while reducing conflicts that have increasingly become a source of concern for beekeepers in my district and across the state.”
Current Ohio law requires apiary registration and provides temporary allowances for bees placed for the active pollination of flowering or blooming crops. However, concerns raised by commercial beekeepers have highlighted gaps in compliance and enforcement that can create challenges for colony health, hive productivity, and fair access to forage resources.
Specifically, some individuals are establishing larger apiaries near existing registered commercial operations without obtaining permission or properly registering those locations after temporary pollination exemptions expire. When too many colonies are concentrated in a small area, bees compete for the same nectar and pollen sources. The result can be reduced honey production, increased colony stress, and a greater risk of spreading pests and diseases between hives.
House Bill 911 addresses these concerns by clarifying and modernizing Ohio law by prohibiting a person from establishing a new commercial apiary within three miles of an existing registered commercial apiary unless permission is obtained from the existing registered commercial beekeeper.
The bill preserves important exemptions for:Landowners maintaining bees on their own property;
Smaller apiaries containing fewer than ten hives owned by beekeepers with fewer than forty total hives statewide;
Temporary pollination apiaries actively servicing flowering or blooming crops during the current 30-day exemption period; andThe Ohio Department of Agriculture reports that more than 6,500 registered beekeepers maintain over 56,000 colonies throughout our state. These apiaries play a critical role in supporting Ohio agriculture through crop pollination, honey production, and the maintenance of healthy pollinator populations.
Rep. Miller reinforced during her testimony that the bill is not intended to restrict hobby beekeeping or interfere with legitimate agricultural pollination activity. Rather, it ensures that larger commercial operations follow the same registration and placement standards already expected under Ohio law.
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USDA BARC Lab ~ Beltsville, MD
Update: July 8, 2026
You are welcome to read, print, and use this support letter to send signed copies to Ohio State Representatives, United States Representatives, and Stakeholders.
The Closing of BARC (Bee Lab) ~ Beltsville, MD
OSBA has been part of the BARC Lab Support Group with numerous individuals, leadership teams, industries, and U.S. Senators and Representatives. From our last meeting, BARC was just told that the USDA itself plans to shut down the Beltsville lab by Sept 30. They told us on the call that everyone needs to be out by Sept 30. Mr. Jerry Hayes was told on good authority that people have to be out on Sept. 1. The rest of the month will be spent emptying all the material and equipment. It was stated that dumpsters have already been ordered. Note that USDA employees are unable to empty their labs; a cleanup crew will be paid to dump everything.
These labs include the Bee lab as well as all agricultural labs – food animal, crops, horticulture, soil, food quality, and even chestnut research. Everything will be destroyed. The employees have nowhere to go, and the USDA is not helping them, so the employees are mostly “jumping ship” to totally different jobs or retiring. No effort has been made to rehome the employees, the labs, or the equipment. An old law stated that the BARC lab, being agricultural, had to remain agricultural even if the buildings are destroyed, however somehow the USDA demolition committee has gotten around that loophole. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb1267/?ys=2026rs MGA passed HB1267 this year, which puts some restrictions on the land if BARC is no longer utilizing the property.
“If we sustained 60-90% losses of other livestock animals, there would be a mobilization of veterinarians, FDA, CVM, FEMA, EPA, etc. Our veterinary disaster teams exercised a Foot & Mouth outbreak it would be economically devastating. Dr. Lamas and Dr. Hill were instrumental in declaring the emergency last year and mobilizing researchers to investigate the cause of losses. Animal pollination is a multi-billion dollar industry or we can all eat wind pollinated food-corn, wheat and soy. No fruit/vegetables and all those good amino acids we don’t get anywhere else. This will cost us all much more than keeping the labs where they are.”
The support group said we still have a chance, but we need to RAISE HELL! Wear out the phones of our U.S. Reps, esp. the DC area rep. The Farm Bureau has helped, but not at the national level. Anything we can do to help needs to be done ASAP! Please take the time to reach out to our U.S. Leadership to help save this valuable, needed resource. You are welcome to cut, paste, use, copy, or transmit the support letter below this article.United States House of Representatives ~ Ohio
District
Name
Party
Office Room
Phone
Committee Assignment1st
Landsman, Greg
D
2244 RHOB
(202) 225-2216
Energy and Commerce2nd
Taylor, David
R
325 CHOB
(202) 225-3164
Agriculture|Transportation and Infrastructure3rd
Beatty, Joyce
D
2079 RHOB
(202) 225-4324
Financial Services4th
Jordan, Jim
R
2056 RHOB
(202) 225-2676
Oversight and Government Reform|Judiciary5th
Latta, Robert
R
2470 RHOB
(202) 225-6405
Energy and Commerce6th
Rulli, Michael A.
R
421 CHOB
(202) 225-5705
Education and Workforce|Energy and Commerce7th
Miller, Max
R
143 CHOB
(202) 225-3876
Foreign Affairs|Ways and Means8th
Davidson, Warren
R
2113 RHOB
(202) 225-6205
Financial Services|Foreign Affairs9th
Kaptur, Marcy
D
2314 RHOB
(202) 225-4146
Appropriations|Budget10th
Turner, Michael
R
2183 RHOB
(202) 225-6465
Armed Services|Oversight and Government Reform11th
Brown, Shontel
D
2455 RHOB
(202) 225-7032
Agriculture|Oversight and Government Reform|Select Comm on the Strategic Competition US and China12th
Balderson, Troy
R
2429 RHOB
(202) 225-5355
Energy and Commerce13th
Sykes, Emilia
D
1217 LHOB
(202) 225-6265
Transportation and Infrastructure|Science, Space, and Technology14th
Joyce, David
R
2065 RHOB
(202) 225-5731
Appropriations|Homeland Security15th
Carey, Mike
R
1433 LHOB
(202) 225-2015
Budget|House Administration|Joint Committee of Congress on the Library|Ways and MeansUnited States Senators ~ Ohio
Name
Party
Office Room
ContactBernie Moreno
R
Senior Senator
https://www.moreno.senate.gov/Jon Husted
R
Junior Senator
https://www.husted.senate.gov/
Supporters of the BARC Lab Support Group:
Jamie Walters, President ~ Ohio State Beekeepers Association
Roger Myers, Communications Officer ~ Ohio State Beekeepers Association
Barb Bloetscher, Member of Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA)
Elizabeth Stulberg, American Society of Plant Biologists
Danielle Downey, Project Apis m. by Danielle Downey
Barbara Kowalcyk, GW Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security
Chris Stelzig, Executive Director of the Entomological Society of America (ESA)
Michael Goergen, The American Chestnut Foundation
Izzy Hill, Director of Regulatory Affairs with Project Apis m.
Tyler Hough, Maryland Farm Bureau
Terry Kane for the Honey Bee Veterinary Consortium
Christine Hagan, Associate Director of Federal Relations, University of Maryland
Debbie Seib, President of American Beekeeping Federation
Chad Brewer, VP Technical Service, National Cotton Council of America
Baylen Linnekin, Government Accountability Project’s Food Integrity Campaign
Dr. Tracy Farone,DVM Professor at Grove City College, director of the GCC bee Project and rep for Honey Bee Vet Consortium
Pam Goddard, National Parks Conservation Assn
Allie Cavanagh with Rep. Elfreth
Peter Marx, Choose Clean Water Coalition
Dr. Zac Lamas, UMBC Researcher | Hive Armor Bioscience USA
Swanson, Alex with Sen. Van Hollen
U.S. Senators ~ Chris Van Hollen & Angela Alsobrooks
U.S. Representatives ~ Glenn Ivey, Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin
Ohio Support Letter to the USDA
To Whom It May Concern,
As a member or stakeholder of the Ohio State Beekeepers Association, we are in full support of keeping the USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) part of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, MD. In conjunction with other proposed apiary law changes in Ohio, we are incredibly concerned about possibly losing the USDA Bee Lab. While we understand that, as a part of the USDA reorganization, other lab locations will be performing diagnostics for other agricultural needs, the purpose of this letter is to ensure the services of the Bee Lab continue. At the time of this writing, we have been informed that no provisions for apiary diagnostics are in place at the alternative locations.
Knowing how important this lab is to our Ohio apiary program, Dr. Mohamed Alburaki (USDA Beltsville Lab Researcher) stated, “Ohio is the leading state for samples given to them each year”, thereby helping to save colonies from diseases such as Nosema, AFB, EFB, and a prevalence of antibiotic resistance. From 1984 to 2022, the BRL processed 23,066 samples for Ohio. These facts were also published in Bee Culture magazine, May 2024. The Ohio Department of Agriculture does not have the staffing or funding to manage the samples within our own state. We estimate 607 bee samples per year ($40 per sample) is a cost savings of $24,280.00. The BARC presently provides these to the Ohio apiary inspectors free of charge. This important lab is an example of the support necessary to maintain the health of the bee industry. The BRL will be our only line of research and defense, not if, but when the Trophilalalps mite comes to the United States.
In 2025, an estimated 1.6 million honey bee colonies were lost in California between June 2024 and March 2025, representing an average loss of 62% of commercial colonies during that period, a record-high decline. These catastrophic losses significantly impacted the state’s agricultural economy and have raised concerns about future pollinator supplies and crop availability. The honey bees that survived this onslaught of diseases now become our supply of packages and queens that arrive in Ohio in early April/May for early colony build-ups. This impacts our food security, the overall decline of pollinators, and the essential pollination of crops throughout Ohio and our nation. In Ohio alone, it’s estimated that $3.875 billion worth of work that our “bee farming” contributes to.
These efforts are not only scientifically critical but also economically vital: honey bees contribute more than $20 billion annually to the U.S. economy by pollinating nearly one-third of the food we eat—including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Closure or relocation of the BRL would severely disrupt ongoing research and undermine its indispensable Bee Disease Diagnostic Service, which supports beekeepers nationwide.
Thank you for your time and consideration.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting feedback on its Department Reorganization Plan, and the public comment period has been extended to September 30, 2025.
Video of USDA “Closing of Labs”
YouTube https://youtu.be/Jz8PDXfddwQ?si=-ynpJiwXQlpj0q9_
News Articles
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Representatives Glenn Ivey, Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Sarah Elfreth, April McClain Delaney, and Johnny Olszewski (all D-Md.) warned U.S. Department of Agriculture leadership that closing the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Prince George’s County, as proposed in its reorganization plan announced last month, would irreparably undermine U.S. agricultural innovation and harm the countless farmers who depend on BARC’s research.
Press Release 08.28.2025
Proposed Amendment Transcript
The Effects on Ohio
Knowing how vital this lab is to our Ohio apiary program, they test our samples for free each year. Dr. Mohamed Alburaki (USDA Beltsville Bee Lab Researcher) states, “Ohio is the leading state of samples given to them each year. From 1984 to 2022, the BRL processed 23,066 samples for Ohio”. These facts are also published in the Bee Culture magazine, May 2024. Helping identify colonies with nosema, AFB, EFB, and the prevalence of resistance to antibiotics. The Ohio Department of Agriculture lacks the staffing and funding to manage this number of samples within our own state. Giving an estimate of 607 bee samples per year, times $40 per sample, at a cost of $24,280.00, which BARC provides Ohio apiary inspectors and Ohio beekeepers for free. This important lab is an example of true support to help to keep our healthy bee industry safe. We must contact our State Representatives, USDA, and others about the importance of this crucial lab.
Critical Information
USDA is downsizing its operations by condensing and closing its labs. The Bee Research Lab (BRL) in Beltsville, MD is on the butcher’s block. We are asking all beekeepers/stakeholders of our beloved bee industry to participate in support of keeping Beltsville open. Ohio is the #1 state in having samples tested to keep our honey bees healthy. All of the Ohio County Apiary Inspectors use this facility to test apiary samples at no cost to us. This would be a critical loss in monitoring brood disease and pests. They will be our front line of defense, not if but when Tropilaelaps arrives too.
How to Submit CommentsAll stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress, and agricultural and nutrition partners, are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov. The comment period is extended through September 30, 2025.
(Washington, D.C., August 1, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced today the opening of a 30-day public comment period for stakeholders to provide feedback on the Department’s reorganization plan, as outlined in the Secretary’s memorandum (PDF, 2.6 MB) issued on July 24, 2025.
“As committed, we are continuing to hear stakeholder feedback on the USDA Reorganization. All stakeholders – including Capitol Hill offices, USDA employees, and members of the agricultural community – are encouraged to share their input during the open comment period. We value your perspective as we work to ensure that USDA is best positioned to serve America’s farmers, ranchers, producers, and rural communities,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins.
“President Trump made clear his second term would include relocating the sprawling federal bureaucracy to locations outside the National Capital Region,” Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden said in his Capitol Hill testimony on July 30, 2025. “The department’s July 24 memorandum begins to deliver on this promise and does so in a way that right-sizes the USDA footprint, eliminates unnecessary management layers, consolidates redundant or duplicative functions, and, most importantly, allows USDA to deliver on its mission to the American people within the bounds of its available financial resources.”
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This article was originally published on the USDA’s website on August 1, 2025.
Click here for the full article.
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Official OSBA Mailbox
Our official address is Ohio State Beekeepers Association, 99 N High Street, P.O. Box 15026, Columbus, OH 43215. Please use this address for mailing membership, affiliate documents, or any other statements in the future. You can still send documents through email; we are just providing options to everyone.
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