Courtesy photos.
LOMPOC — Lompoc Valley Beekeepers Association will celebrate National Honey Bee Day on August 19 from 11am-4pm at Flying Goat Cellars Tasting & Art Salon, located at 1520 East Chestnut Court in Lompoc. LVBA members will be on hand to offer local expertise and education on beekeeping, a peek into the life of bees with an observation hive and honey tasting. There is no charge and children of all ages are welcome. Local raw unfiltered honey will be available for purchase in several sizes.
The National Honey Bee Day celebration coincides with Sta. Rita Hills AVA annual “Wine & Fire” weekend. Flying Goat embraces the opportunity to share the role of pollinators, especially honey bees, in agriculture. Although wine grapes are self pollinating and therefore do not need bees for pollination, honey bees and other pollinators are very important for supporting biodiversity and regenerative agriculture.
National Honey Bee Day is an awareness day started by beekeepers in the United States to build community awareness of the bee industry, through education and promotion. The event was started in 2009, by a small group of beekeepers who petitioned for and obtained a formal proclamation by the USDA honoring honey bees and beekeeping. The date of observation is the third Saturday of August.
Lompoc Valley Beekeepers Association seeks the promotion and advancement of beekeeping through best management practices, the education and mentoring of people about honey bees and beekeeping and increasing public awareness of environmental concerns affecting honey bees. LVBA meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at Flying Goat Cellars Tasting & Art Salon, 1520 E. Chestnut Ct. in Lompoc. The association is involved in community education programs, swarm removal and mentoring new beekeepers. The annual membership fee of $10/family is an option but not a requirement for participation. For more details visit lvbka.org.
A tasting flight or glass of Flying Goat Cellars Pinots or sparkling wines will be available for purchase. Flying Goat Cellars has been handcrafting vineyard designated Pinot Noir since 2000 and sparkling wine since 2005. Visit flyinggoatcellars.com to learn more.
ABOUT LOMPOC
Located on scenic Pacific Coast Highway 1, just 155 miles northwest from Los Angeles with close proximity to Santa Barbara and Solvang, Lompoc takes on a world of its own. Its valley setting, surrounded by spectacular rolling hills and vineyards, creates an invitation for visitors to detour off the main road, and explore what’s around the bend.Lompoc is a destination for wine tasting, golf, cycling, hiking, skydiving, birding, and surfing at nearby Jalama Beach. It is home to La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, the most fully restored and furnished of the 21 California missions, and adjacent to Vandenberg Air Force Base, where rockets are launched throughout the year by such entities as NASA, SpaceX, and ULA, to name a few. Lompoc has 12 hotels to welcome visitors. To discover more about the Lompoc Valley, and other things to see and do, visit: www.explorelompoc.com