Satisfying the Master Subspecialties requires demonstrating competence in at least 6 of the subspecialties. Seven additional subspecialties required for Master Craftsman.
Materials demonstrating competence may be submitted electronically as pdfs or physically mailed.
MBP Physical and Electronic Addresses
The available subspecialties are:
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Demonstrate expertise in the production of the below classes by winning a first or second place in an authorized honey competition: (note 1)
- Liquid Extracted Honey
- Comb, Cut-comb or Chunk Honey
- Crystallized (Spun or Creamed) Honey
- Beeswax (Your beeswax entry may include either processed beeswax or beeswax figures/candles.)
- Mead & Beverages
- Cosmetics, Lotions & Potions
- Cooking with Honey (Food Classes)
- Photography & Paintings
- Art Work & Crafts
- Any sanctioned competition class that does not fit in one of the above.
- Published Article in a Beekeeping Publication: Prepare an article on beekeeping or related subject and have it published in a beekeeping publication such as the “American Bee Journal,” “Bee Culture”, or a similar journal. Articles in beekeeping newsletters will not be credited towards this sub-specialty.
- Published Article in a non-beekeeping publication: Prepare an article on beekeeping or a related subject and have it published in a non-beekeeping publication. Acceptable publication sources are those with at least a state-wide distribution, but you may submit publications with limited distribution for consideration by MBP coordinator.
- Recognition as a Local Beekeeping Authority: Be recognized as a beekeeping authority in your local areas by appearing on a radio or television broadcast. Consideration will also be given to appearing in a newspaper article if you are quoted or referenced as a major contributor to the article and acknowledged as a beekeeping authority.
- Certification to administer lifesaving treatment for allergic reactions to insect stings: Submit documentation that you have undergone training for life saving treatment of persons suffering from allergic reactions to insect stings, and that you have been certified to administer such treatment. Suitable documentation would include such things as a certificate from you state department of health that you may administer epinephrine to persons suffering from allergic reactions.
- Attendance at Major Beekeeping Meetings/Conventions: Attend at least three state, national, or international beekeeping meetings or conventions. The minimum total of three meetings may not include repeat meetings of the same organizations and the NC/SC or SC/NC joint meeting is considered an NC State Meeting.
- Conducting a program at a state-wide or major beekeeping meeting: Conduct/present a program, workshop, or similar activity at a state, national, or international beekeeping meeting or convention.
- Basic Queen Rearing: Be certified by a commercial queen breeder approved by the MBP coordinator that you are competent in the production and marketing of queens, including the ability to graft larvae into queen cups, using a starter/finisher to produce queen cells and producing viable, marketable, healthy NC queens.
- Advanced Queen Rearing: Successfully complete a hands-on class on Instrumental Insemination including gathering and everting drones for the collection of semen, setting up and utilizing your own (be it yours, borrowed or rented) insemination instrument and the associated equipment, handling and inseminating virgin queens, and all aspect of sterilization of the equipment and the work area. Classes offered by Sue Colby and Tim Lawrence of Washington State University or J. Krispn Given at Purdue University are examples of approved curriculum.
- Pesticide usage expertise: Present proof that you have been certified by an appropriate authority, such as a state department of agriculture or the agriculture extension service, that you are qualified to use restricted use pesticides.
- Establishment of a beekeeping enterprise: Submit documentation that you have successfully established a beekeeping enterprise that is legally licensed to do business in your locality. Beekeeping enterprises may include wholesale or retail sales of bee products, sales of bees or queen bees, rental of bees for pollination services or similar activities. Any business enterprise submitted for approval must meet local/state licensing requirements and also be reflected on your tax returns.
- Collaborate in a university research or extension project: Participate in a beekeeping research or extension project at an approved institution. The participation must reflect a significant commitment of time/effort by the individual and does not include such things as merely responding to requests for information by completing a questionnaire. A minimum of 10 hours of service is required and must be documented and confirmed by the head of the department under whose supervision the research is being performed.
- Completion of a training session in some specialized area of beekeeping: Satisfactorily complete an approved training session relating to some special skill or technical expertise in beekeeping. Such training sessions must be in some depth and will not normally include such things as the general workshops conducted at state or national beekeeping conventions. Examples of specialized training would include but are not limited to attendance at a full day “Born and Bred” workshop plus the “Born and Bred” grafting workshop, or American Honey Show Training Council Honey Judge Training. Approval of training sessions is at the discretion of the MBP Coordinator. We recommend discussing such sessions with the MBP Coordinator before enrolling to ensure that they will count toward your sub-specialties. See note below about the number of times this sub-specialty may be submitted.
- Participate as a Judge, Secretary or Steward in four honey competitions. Be involved as a honey judge, secretary or steward in four separate honey competitions. Events would include, but are not limited to, county fairs, a local honey show (such as the Granville County Bee Jubilee), the Tobacco Road Honey Classic sponsored by the Orange and Durham County Beekeepers Associations, and the NCSBA Summer Conference honey show. One event must be the NCSBA Summer Conference honey show. We recommend contacting the MBP Coordinator with any questions concerning an event qualification.
- Service to a major beekeeping organization: Option one, service for two or more years as an officer of a State, national or international beekeeping organization. The two years’ service need not be consecutive or in the same organization. Option two, serve for three or more consecutive years in an approved organization wide administrative role with a State, national or international beekeeping organization. Serving as a Local chapter officer will be credited as a Public Service Credit, not a Sub-Specialty.
- Volunteer hours at the NC Zoo Honey Bee Habitat: Volunteers may work 40 hours in a single year or 50 hours in two consecutive years. Fewer hours can still be used as a Public Service Credit.
- Participation in a BEES Academy: Attend one of the ‘Intermediate’ or ‘Advanced’ beekeeper trainings provided by the NC State Apiculture Program and receive their official Certificate of Completion. These are programs developed and delivered by NC Cooperative Extension personnel throughout the state on a non-regular basis, so check for upcoming offerings and topics. The online BEES courses are not a substitute for attending an in-person BEES Academy, and only copies of named certificates can be used as documented evidence. We recommend contacting the MBP Coordinator before enrolling to ensure that there is no overlap of acceptable courses in your portfolio, either within the BEES Academy curriculum or with respect to training sessions in Sub-Specialty #13. Approval of training sessions is at the discretion of the MBP Coordinator. See note below about the number of times this subspecialty may be submitted.
Note (1): An “Authorized honey competition” is defined by NCSBA as a sanctioned Honey Show, NC State Managed Honey Show (i.e. Mountain State Fair, Raleigh State Fair, etc.) or any Honey Show judged by the American Honey Show Training Council or a similar standardized judging process, including EAS, ABF, Apimondia, or Welsh Standard. Other Honey Shows may be allowed with approval by the NCSBA MBP Coordinator.
Note (2):You may include up to three subspecialty credits from item 1 on this list when submitting documentation for satisfaction of the Master or Master Craftsman Sub-Specialties. The three credits must be won in three different classes of competition. Documentation regarding the level of competition at certain venues may be required.
Note (3):You may submit no more than three subspecialties, total, from items #13 and #17 for each MBP achievement level, and each subspecialty must be in a different skill/expertise/ training category.