Author Topic: Hello from Northern Illinois  (Read 4652 times)

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Offline cpekarek

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Hello from Northern Illinois
« on: January 12, 2017, 09:37:17 am »
I've been reading this board for the past year and finally registered for the forum. I'm located in Northern Illinois 25 miles west of Chicago. I'm a golf course superintendent, caring for 290 acres of golf turf, prairie, woodlands, wetlands, and a 30 acre nature preserve. The course I manage is 50 years old. I have been employed at the golf course since 1969. The golf course is a designated Audubon Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary. We were the 1st public golf course in the USA to achieve this certification. We have always been involved in environmental enhancement on the property and have develop 40 acres of wildlife habitat over the past  25 years. I began keeping bees in the spring of 2016 to produce honey and comb honey for our restaurant to use in some menu items and specialty cocktails. For the last several years we have grown some vegetables and herbs on site for use in the restaurant.

Chris

Offline Perry

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2017, 11:16:41 am »
Hey Chris, and  :welcome: to the forum.
Wow, over 45 years with the same company, that alone is impressive. :o
I am also completely impressed that your course has been able to combine two things that most thought impossible, golf courses and good environmental stewardship! Kudos. 8)
This is a friendly place, but then if you've been browsing for a year you've probably figured that out.
Glad you joined and are open to participating.
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Offline Green bee

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2017, 11:53:35 am »
Welcome Chris, I hope you enjoy the forum, a lot of good folks here. I wish you the best with your beekeeping journey and may the honey flow well for you. ;D
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Les

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2017, 01:07:27 pm »
Would love to visit that course!  Welcome!

Offline kebee

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2017, 02:03:48 pm »
 Welcome cpekarek to the forum, glad to have you with us here.

Ken

Offline efmesch

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2017, 04:16:00 pm »
Chris, thanks for filling us in a bit about yourself.  Now when we see your posts and respond to them, you'll be an individual in our minds and not just a pictureless avatar.  Without you providing the background, it can take a long time till we get to feel that we "know you".
Having the information we know now, makes my next question seem obvious----is your beekeeping to be done on the 30 acres of nature preserve or somewhere else?

Offline neillsayers

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2017, 05:01:41 pm »
Welcome Chris,

Really cool info on the golf course! This is the first I have heard of this and a great way to involve a sports venue with responsible stewardship.
Neill Sayers
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Offline Wandering Man

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2017, 06:48:14 pm »
Welcome aboard
Never argue with drunks or crazy people

Offline CBT

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2017, 08:46:55 pm »
Welcome, you can't find a fortune in gold here but, you will find a fortune in friendship and good advice.

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2017, 03:20:40 am »
Welcome Chris.  Glad you finally signed up. 
I could quote a line from Caddyshack here, but I bet you have heard them all before.   :laugh:

Offline cpekarek

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2017, 02:26:59 pm »
Chris, thanks for filling us in a bit about yourself.  Now when we see your posts and respond to them, you'll be an individual in our minds and not just a pictureless avatar.  Without you providing the background, it can take a long time till we get to feel that we "know you".
Having the information we know now, makes my next question seem obvious----is your beekeeping to be done on the 30 acres of nature preserve or somewhere else?

The hives are adjacent to my maintenance complex. I want the bees out of sight so they don't get disturbed. It's also easier to check on them since I am at the course almost everyday from April through September. The nature preserve is 3/4 of a mile away on the other side of the golf course. It is frequented by the public and hives at that location would be subject to vandalism.

Offline efmesch

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2017, 12:04:38 pm »
Good selection of location.  An area too accessible to the public not only invites vandalism but also can invite stings for the curious visitors who venture too close.  We're not interested in either. 

Your maintenance complex should make access to the  needed equipment and tools a quick few steps, especially when the unexpected happens. 

One general rule about beekeeping is to expect the unexpected.    ;)

Offline lazy shooter

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #12 on: January 14, 2017, 12:31:53 pm »
Like Perry, I am impressed with your long work history at one place, and it is a pleasure to see a groundskeeper that is willing to keep bees.  One of my old pals kept a golf course long ago, and many of his shrubs and flowers were subject to bug infestation.  He sprayed pesticides almost daily.  It's nice to see that gold courses can be kept in sinc with nature (bees).

Welcome aboard.

lazy

Offline CBT

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2017, 08:19:03 pm »
They will be calling you when a swarm is on the property. :yes:

Offline Nugget Shooter

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2017, 09:52:43 am »
Welcome to the forum, I was raised in DeKalb, IL
Cheers, Bill

Offline Chip Euliss

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #15 on: February 05, 2017, 08:07:39 am »
Welcome
Chip

Offline Riverrat

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Re: Hello from Northern Illinois
« Reply #16 on: February 05, 2017, 01:02:35 pm »
Welcome aboard!!!     FORE!!!!!!!    :D
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