Robeson County Beekeeping School Accepts Registrations for Six-Week Course Starting Jan. 27

N.C. Cooperative Extension will host a 2026 Beginning Beekeeper School at the O.P. Owens Agriculture Center in Lumberton starting Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. Space is limited. Only the first 30 people who register can attend.

Classes meet on Feb. 3, 10, 24, and March 3 and 10. Experienced beekeepers will teach sessions at the center, which sits at 455 Caton Road.

The registration fee is $45. Payment is due the first night. This covers a textbook, handouts, and enrollment.

Bees matter. About 90 crops in the United States depend on them for pollination, and honeybees must gather nectar from two million flowers to make one pound of honey. One out of every three bites of food we eat comes from bee-pollinated plants. Pollinated agricultural crops bring $18 billion in value to the nation's economy.

North Carolina has about 15,000 beekeepers, which is the most per capita in the United States. Over 100,000 beekeepers live in North America, with nearly 97% classified as hobbyists who keep one to 50 hives.

Only about 1,500 make their living producing honey and beeswax or renting their bees for pollination. They may own from 600 to 60,000 colonies each. Another 1,500 are part-time beekeepers.

The Robeson County Area Beekeepers Association holds monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of every month except December at 6:30 p.m. at the O.P. Owens Agricultural Center. More information is available at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/.