The following are Community Partners of the Beekeepers Guild of Southeast Virginia. These businesses and firms support our goal of educating the public on the importance of honey bees and other pollinators for not only providing an invaluable service in our food chain but also for shaping the beautiful world in which we live - one flower at a time!
New Earth Farm is a 21 acre working, sustainable and educational farm started by "Farmer John" Wilson in 1995 in Virginia Beach, VA. Located in southern Virginia Beach in a convenient and fertile farming area known as "The Pungo Ridge", New Earth Farm grows and provides all-natural chemical-free produce and products! Their products are sold on the farm, through their CSA, at local retail stores and restaurants and at local farmers markets.
New Earth Farm donates not only the use of their land to support the Guild's local nucleus colony program, but also equipment to produce local bees for area beekeepers. They also host educational programs aimed at raising public awareness of the importance of bees as pollinators and sharing methods of gardening that protect pollinators and enhance their habitat.
Deep Creek Ruritan Club is a service organization whose main purpose is to create a better understanding among people and, through volunteer
community service, make the community a better place in which to live and work. The slogan of Ruritan is "Fellowship, Goodwill and Community Service." Club membership represents a cross-section of the community in which the club serves, and is not restrictive with regard to occupation, social position, or any other specific criteria.
Each Ruritan club surveys its own community as to the needs of that community and then works to meet some of those needs. Nearly all clubs work locally with FFA, 4-H, and other organizations serving youth.
The Deep Creek club has two main fundraisers each year, resulting in over $20,000 raised annually to finance their community service projects. In addition to the annual fundraisers, they also hold special fund raisers dedicated to assisting in emergency and tragic situations locally. They have raised and donated almost $20,000 since 2009 from the special fundraisers.
The Ruritan club has graciously allowed the Guild to use their facility rent-free for the past six years for our annual EXTRACTAGANZA!, waiving the $300 per day rent. This event teaches our guild members how to extract honey and demonstrates the process to the public. It is also our annual summer potluck picnic.