Graduate Student looking to do research on beekeeping

[bud1]

naa ken the lanky boy in the cowboy hat.  now I gotcha girl will sure be looking fo you and yo old pappy. she is cute and sassy.  ken her daddy a real cowboy; not the drugstore variety.

[nadine_9454]

See you then!!!

[buzzbee]

Bud,
That must be fellow in  the video you shot that I had to fix for you.

[bud1]

yep and she the little darling doing the filming

[nadine_9454]

I wanted to thank Bud for hosting the bee gathering this past weekend. It was very helpful and helped me make new contacts as well as gain new ideas. Sorry for leaving, but I started to feel under the weather (maybe due to the crazy weather and pollen). Thank you again everyone who helped me. It meant a lot.

Nadine

[nadine_9454]

Hello everyone!
I know I have not posted anything in months, but I was busy last semester with seminar classes and studying for comps (a comprehensive exam tells if you know what the hell you're doing and if you can write a thesis). I've been pretty busy, but have finally begun working on narrowing down my thesis topic. I know when I originally posted in the spring, I seemed pretty vague, this being because:
1. I could not (and still cannot) meet contacts to interview or begin research until I have gone through the procedures of writing/defending my thesis and filling out paper work.
2. I had no clue what I wanted to study.
Luckily though, I am in the process of working on my thesis proposal and will soon be out in the field gathering data. The thing is I will need contacts when I go out into the field and people to talk to/watch. People seemed very eager to help the last time I posted on this forum and so now I will try to be more helpful in describing what I'm doing.
For my research, I will be examining the partnership between honeybees and beekeepers and how the two affect and benefit each other. From research and going to the gathering at Mr. Bud's this spring, what I have really found fascinating is the variety of perspectives and methods beekeepers have and how everyone has their own way of beekeeping, this often being linked to their perspective/relationship with the honeybee. I want to compare and contrasts these methods by looking at the broad spectrum of beekeeping and the reasons people do it, whether it for economic, environmental, health or other reasons. I want to look at the diversity of beekeepers from large to small-scale, commercial to hobbyist. If you've got some knowledge you want to share, I'm all ears. And please don't worry about if you have anything to offer. (People worry about this a lot actually.) If you're a beekeeper, you're helpful. Feel free to email me at kori.armstrong@eagles.usm.edu or just message me on here.

Sincerely,
Nadine Armstrong
Cultural Anthropology Grad Student,
University of Southern Mississippi

[nadine_9454]

Also, just a note: I'm in South Mississippi and being in Graduate School means that I'm broke so I can only travel to areas in or near Mississippi, preferable South MS. Luckily, my parents live in Brookesville, MS and I have family in Hammond, LA along with a place to stay in Slidell or New Orleans. If you're near any of these places, we're doing great, but don't let that deter you from contacting me.

Hyped up on coffee,
Nadine Armstrong
Cultural Anthropology Grad Student

[GSF]

Nadine - I still have your daddy's roll of duck tape he loaned us for the targets. I tried to find yall back at Bud's house but yall had done r-u-n-n-o-f-t. We are hoping to make it back over to Buds this spring if he has a gathering next year. I'll either bring that one or replace it with another one because I'll probably misplace it the day before we leave.

I'll email you with some of my thoughts about my girls (bees). (my wife gets a kick out of it when I use that term. I can hear her now, "Yeah go on out there and spend your time with your girls.")

[Dallasbeek]

I'm along way from southern MS and can't contribute anything to this conversation except to say I'm happy to see an academic interest in this subject.  And I'm glad the string got brought up so all us newer members of the forum could read it.  Good luck on your work, Nadine.

[nadine_9454]

GSF, can I ask your name? My dad had to go pick up dogs that afternoon so we skedaddled. We should be at Mr. Bud's in the spring so my dad and I will see you there! Also to Dallasbeek, thank you for the kind words!

Sincerely,
Nadine Armstrong
Cultural Anthropologist
University of Southern Mississippi

[GSF]

Nadine, My name is Gary Farmer, my wife Diane was with me. I think I mentioned to you over by the pond, if they get in your face to stop breathing because your breath will make them sting you when going through a hive. I also invited anyone to correct me since it was my first year with bees. Bunch of dang good folks over there, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again.

[DavidD]

I'm along way from southern MS and can't contribute anything to this conversation except to say I'm happy to see an academic interest in this subject.  And I'm glad the string got brought up so all us newer members of the forum could read it.  Good luck on your work, Nadine.

I'll  Second that Dallasbeek Nice to see her interest and the replys here

[nadine_9454]

Mr. Gary, I do remember you. I'm just a little bad with names. Haha Thanks for the advice.
And again, thank you all for the support. I am actually going to the Mississippi Beekeepers Association Annual Convention in Philadelphia, MS this Friday. I hope to see some of you there.

Sincerely,
Nadine Armstrong
Cultural Anthropologist
University of Southern Mississippi

[mikebrg]

Good luck Nadine, from my experience talking to beeks at our meetings (not having my own hives going yet) is there is a passion and pride for there hives and a nurturing nature towards the bees. For me, just starting its a bit of the thrill of taming the wild beast, be it behind a veil and puff of smoke. As you can already tell from this forum there is oceans of knowledge on here all willing to help each other out. again good luck

[schawee]

Nadine,looking forward in  seeing you at buds this spring.     schawee

[nadine_9454]

Thank you mikebrg and schawee! I'll definitely be there! And yes, there is a definite passion and pride in beekeeping. That's what makes it so fascinating from a cultural perspective.

[GSF]

Hey Nadine,

I sent you a pm about the info you've requested on this thread (or was it another thread). Anywho I hope it helps you in your studies.

Hopefully others will contribute their experiences as well. That'd be something if you got and "A" and I was the only one who shared my bee keeping story with you. That'd mean I's smart, wouldn't it?

 :yippiechick:

Seriously my fellow beeks, lets help her out, her daddy is a good friend of Bud's. Plus she's trying to make something out of herself.

[nadine_9454]

Haha. Thanks GSF. Yes, you could possibly be the reason for the "A" on my thesis, but it'd be pretty sad if my thesis on the ethnography of beekeepers discussed only one beekeeper. My comparisons might be a little weak. Hehe.  Thanks for the encouragement and enjoy your Thanksgiving. Beeee safe.

Nadine