Agriplex a hive of activity as locals learn DIY beekeeping skills

Budding beekeepers got an earful of info Thursday evening at the North Alabama Agriplex, where the cacophony of hammers and drills filled the air as a local bee expert put on one honey of a hands-on how-to.

Local farmer Phillip Garrison, president of the Alabama Beekeepers Association, showed a crowd of curious learners how to build their very own beehive from scratch at the Agriplex’s Thursday event, in the process doling out useful tips on what to watch out for if you’ve caught the beekeeping buzz and plan to get in on the hobby.

“Our plan is to start our bees this summer and hopefully have something to show for it by next year,” said Jeremy Walker, who made the trip up to Cullman from his Hayden farm. “We’ve already got pigs and chickens, so now it’s bee time.”

The beekeeping class is just the latest event in the Agriplex’s busy lineup of lectures, demonstrations, and learning sessions that welcome hands-on participation in all things outdoors, crafty, and rural. Up next on the calendar is the Feb. 4 Seed Swap in the Agriplex’s Living Landscape series, where Arnold Caylor, former director of the local Auburn University Experiment Station, will give tips on which varieties of veggies blossom best in Cullman County gardens.

For more information on the Seed Swap or any of the Agriplex’s upcoming seminars, visit the nonprofit’s website at agriplex.com.