Foundations of Biodynamic Beekeeping

Course Content

This six-month online course is an opportunity for those who want to explore in-depth the nature and life of the honeybee from the biodynamic perspective—an understanding which gives rise to appropriate beekeeping practices that allow the bees to thrive. Lectures on the principles of colony health will be paired with practical guidance in beekeeping through the arch of a season.

Special thanks to our friends at Supracor (link is external) for sponsoring this year's course! 

Course Format

The Foundations of Biodynamic Beekeeping includes nine live video sessions, held over select Thursday evenings 7-9:00pm ET, 6-8:00pm CT, 4-6:00pm PT, beginning on March 5 and ending on August 27. 

Alex and course participants meet through live, interactive video classes that include:

• Lectures from Alex to illuminate and clarify the topics of study
• Readings with study questions from Towards Saving the Honeybee and Bees
• Question and answer sessions
• Small-group and full-group facilitated conversation and discussion

In addition to the monthly class sessions, we will also have a three dedicated discussion session for participants to discuss questions and reflections with each other and Alex. 

To fully participate in the live video sessions, you need to have a reliable internet connection and a computer, tablet, or smartphone with a camera and microphone. If you don’t have a device that supports this video technology, you may access the course via telephone. Video recordings of each weekly session will be available to participants to review content or make up for a missed class. 

To ensure continuity and high-quality educational experience, participants are asked to commit to the full six months.

Registration

Registration for the 2020 cohort is now open!

Registration for the course is $300 for the general public. $270 for Soil Builder Members, $240 for Seed Sower and above members. Join to get the discount automatically! Partial scholarships are available through the Biodynamic Scholarship Fund. 

Presenter

Alex Tuchman is a beekeeper, educator, farmer, and writer.  Alex is a Co-Director at Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary (link is external), founded by Gunther Hauk and Vivian Struve-Hauk, and carries a wide variety of responsibilities on the farm, with the bees, and in the administration. He has been beekeeping for twelve years and arrived at Spikenard in March of 2014 after three years as the Farm Manager of Loyola University Chicago’s Student Farm in Woodstock, Illinois.  He is also an active member of the Agriculture Section of the Anthroposophical Society and the Council of Biodynamic Organizations.