For those interested in enhancing their gardens and local ecosystem, Virginia Webb has some sweet advice: try beekeeping.
Webb, a honeybee expert and third-generation beekeeper, will teach a community beekeeping class at North Georgia Technical College this month.
"Honeybees are essential to agriculture," said Webb, who raises honeybees at her Clarkesville home. "They pollinate two-thirds of our fruits and vegetables in Georgia and it's a $70 million industry here."
The class will introduce beginners to beekeeping, the equipment needed to get started, how to assemble equipment, seasonal management of colonies and other topics. At the end of the course, students will travel to a local bee production yard to see the process firsthand.
"They'll have the knowledge they need to do beekeeping as a hobby or if they want to get into the business," Webb said.
Beekeeping is fun, but it takes time and commitment, Webb added.
Webb has been a part of the beekeeping industry for 13 years, and is a full-time beekeeper and queen producer. She and her husband, Carl, manage more than 400 colonies.
The obvious reward for the practice is honey.
"The North Georgia area has some of the best honey in the world. The flavor and color of the honey depends on the nectar source and in Georgia we have over 21 varieties including cotton, blackberry, clover and sourwood honey," Webb said.
Students will learn the method to extract honey and about honey production. They will also study ways to prevent or treat bee pests and diseases that have decimated America's wild bee population.
Leslie Foster, Continuing Education director for North Georgia Tech, said beekeeping will be the first agriculture-related course offered at the school.
"This is the first time we're offering something like this. We've offered cake decorating, commercial truck driving; it's all over the board. But something like this is unique," she said.
"We hope to turn it into a program at the school in the future. There's a lot of interest in the community," Foster added.
The beginner's beekeeping course will run weekly from Feb. 15 to March 15. For more information visit northgatech.edu/coned.