UGA Cooperative Extension is a collaboration between UGA CAES and UGA FACS.
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Our Impact
The Georgia Master Beekeeper program seeds local communities around the Southeast and nationally with knowledgeable ambassadors for the cause of honey bees, other pollinators, and science-based environmental stewardship. In 2002, the organizers of the annual Young Harris Beekeeping Institute inaugurated the Georgia Master Beekeeper program, building on models developed decades earlier by Cornell University and the Eastern Apicultural Society. Participants progress through four grades of increasing complexity and demands - Certified (entry level), Journeyman, Master, and Master Craftsman. The most difficult bottleneck is the Journeyman stage where participants must pass - with a perfect score of 100 percent - two grueling tests on insect and disease identification. The highest grade, Master Craftsman, requires an independent research project, an activity portfolio, and an oral theoretical and practical exam. It is intended to approximate the experience of a Master of Science program. Two of these Master Craftsman projects have resulted in refereed scientific publications. Popular demand has led UGA Extension and entomologists to expand Master Beekeeper training and testing sites to two deputized and vetted local beekeeping clubs - the Tri-County (Maysville area) and Metro (Atlanta) Beekeepers Associations. Additionally, in a high-visibility outreach effort the Master Beekeeper program has been extended to inmates in Georgia prisons. The addition of these multiple venues has led to a rapid increase in participation. In 2021, the 1000th participant passed her Certified exam and was inducted into the program. The Georgia Master Beekeeper program now has 1,081 participants representing 21 states, 381 zip codes, and two countries.
