Honey Bee Health: A Vital Component of Prairie Farming

Speaker: Geoff Wilson, Government of Saskatchewan (Ministry of Agriculture), Provincial Specialist – Apiculture

If you grow crops, this is a talk for you! Bees play a vital role in agriculture on the prairies. Their role is often understated, but they can be a critical part of many production systems, for example, every hybrid canola seed planted is the result of bee pollination. The honey beekeeping industry is at a critical point. This session will explore the current health of the beekeeping industry and the difficulties and opportunities that beekeepers are facing keeping diseases and pests under control with the development of resistant diseases. The impacts of keeping a healthy beekeeping industry are immense and affects every farmer on the prairies.

About the Speaker

Geoff grew up in rural Ontario, helping out with the families mixed farm while growing up. He started beekeeping at the age of 15 and has been involved with the bee industry ever since. Geoff obtained his B.Sc. (Agr.) and M.Sc. from the University of Guelph where he studied agrology as an undergraduate and bee health and genetics in graduate school. After a few years of commercial beekeeping in Eastern Ontario, Geoff moved to Saskatchewan to work with the Ministry of Agriculture. Geoff has been Saskatchewan Provincial Specialist, Apiculture since 2009, where helping beekeepers to maintain bee health is a primary goal.