Forty-two years ago, a group of beekeeping hobbyists with a passion for educating the public united to form the Collin County Hobby Beekeepers Association.

The organization’s president, John “Skip” Talbert, 54, operates Sabine Creek Honey Farm in Royse City with his father, John Talbert III, 84. After a career in the U.S. Army, Skip transitioned to beekeeping fulltime in 2014.

The group has since grown to include commercial operators, such as his farm, and a youth program as well. It is also the second largest club in the state, said Skip.

Skip, a second-generation beekeeper, first jumped into the hobby because he found himself writing about it while studying for his business degree.

He said his father has been a beekeeper since 1985 and plays an important role in educating future generations of beekeepers through a program organized by the Collin County Hobby Beekeepers Association.

Previously, the club has met at the Heard Museum in McKinney but now meets at Collin College’s main campus in McKinney. It had 55 attendees show up to its July meeting, the first in-person meeting in two years.

“Beekeeping is a networking thing,” Skip said. “It’s one of those deals where it’s good to be able to talk on the phone but an in-person talk or view to someone’s hives is a lot better.”

Because of the virtual meetings, the club’s strong youth program has seen some diminished enrollment as well as caps to participation, said Skip. Despite the challenges, there is still a strong foundation for the program he and his father teach.

“A lot of the influences from our club have helped generate programs, like our youth program,” Skip said. “We had a student, Blake Shook, who went on to start a big commercial production and became an ambassador for our youth program.”

For the full story, see the July 28 issue of The Farmersville Times.