Honey Bees in Afghanastan Thanks to you!

[Irsqu911]

Hello,
I have not posted here in 3-4 years. About 5-6 years ago I started in Natural, Organic beekeeping. At that time I picked this website apart trying to learn as much as possable. I have to say it has been the best resource I have found for information, thank you.

I have a very good friend who has come out and "played" with the bees and me for 2 years. Last year he deployed to Northern Afghanastan with the Nebraska National Guard as part of a Agrocultural reconstruction team. They are tasked with bringing 4 providances (about the size of a western Nebraska county) out of the stone ages. They are the first of 5 teams over 5 years and are setting the groundwork for future operations.
After making contact with the locals in each area, the number one item on everyones list was....guess what? Pollinators. They needed honey bees.
Attempts in the past by other European countrys to set up hives have failed because they cost too much. Apparently the "Standard" Hive from England fell out of favor due to the cost of maintance, and upon inspection had gone "ferel" (if there is such a thing) from lack of maintance.
The Task Force did a quick inner tally of who knew anything...ANYTHING about honey bees and the only person to raise his hand was my buddy. He was given the job and eventually the budget given to him has topped 150,000 dollars (Most from international aid, not much U.S. Dollars thank God)
First thing he did was contact me for help. Together we decided on a cheap, easyly constructed, Easy maintance hive.... The Top Bar Hive. All made with standard dementions. The hive size we chose is M. Bush's hive he has posted on his website. In fact, M. Bush's hive design is what I have here on my place in Eastern Nebraska and I really like it a lot.
This Spring He received something like "Standard" 150 hives and got the local contractors busy making the TBH's He then began spilling, splitting and catching swarms to fill them.
Then they hand them out to locals according to a formula they made. Mostly War Widows as they have no income other then making wool blankets and trinkets for export.
So, A special thanks to Beesource.com, and Dr. Ellis from the University of Nebraska for their enthusiasm for helping fellow beekeepers. And to you M. Bush, as your TBH hive design will become the stanard hive design for northern Afghanastan!

FYI, Afghanastan has lost 3 generations of farmers and they have no clue how to raise anything other then Poppies efficently. The country gets 3rd hand leftovers of all fertalizer, seeds, insecticides and anything else they import after India and Pakastan have picked it over. Most come in unmarked containers and they have no clue what they are putting on their land. Recent soil samples have found pesticides banned worldwide for many years and have on average 3-4 chemicals that are unidentifiable. Afghanastan has no large grain mill, what they do grow, they export to get milled, then buy it back...marked up of course. Unless of course your using a little hand grinder.

I dont have a bleeding heart for them but it is intresting to see how war can destroy technology and drive a whole country back basicly to below substince farming.
Oh, forgive my spelling.

[notaclue]

Wow! That is cool and depressing as well. Sounds like a good hand-up has begun.

[Bear Creek Steve]

Irsqu911,

Interestingly, when I was promoting the concept of honey, honey bees, etc. at a farmer's market yesterday I spoke with an older gentelman who had been in Afghanastan with the Peace Corps years ago. His best friend who was also in the Peace Corps was teaching the Afghanies how to keep bees for honey production. That was probably the "three generations back" to which you refer.

Bear Creek Steve

[SlickMick]

And, I think, a special thanks to your buddy and to the people who are helping him

Mick

[Irsqu911]

Yea, two tours when he was Regular Army, Now one in the National Guard. He is happy to not be infantry this time around and enjoys the new mission style. But, he is tired

I had 3 of SW. Asia. I got tired

A friend retired and had 8 tours of SW. Asia, all theaters. Worn out.....tired.

Um. Anyone see a pattern?