News & Events
Winter seems real this year! Snow on the ground for the holidays, pond skating,... Speaking of which, there's some awesome pond skating out there. Don't miss out!
The Agricultural Hall maple syrup evaporator will boil again at the Boston Nature Center on March 1st & 2nd! Register here to attend this fun, educational, and tasty event: https://tinyurl.com/jpumnkhk (March 1), and https://tinyurl.com/5ek3y2rm (March 2)
For upcoming Ag Hall workshops & happenings, check the Workshops calendar here.
Agricultural Hall?
In 1818, the Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture built the original Agricultural Hall on Dighton Street in Brighton. It served as the hub of the Brighton Fair and Cattle Show, one of the earliest and largest such fairs in the country. In 1829, "a 17-pound turnip, a 19-pound radish, and a bough on which pears hung like a cluster of grapes were among the outstanding exhibits of that year." In 1844 the building was moved to its present location at the corner of Chestnut Hill Avenue and Washington Street.
Dr. William P. Marchione &
The Bostonian Society
Agricultural Hall
245 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-388-7378 / e-mail Ag Hall
Open daily by appt. Calling ahead is always a good idea.
New Block
2025 BEES!
Prices are identical to last year's! And, like last year, Agricultural Hall is only selling packages. Ag Hall sold 5-frame nucleus colonies (nucs) for two years, but not this year. Nevertheless, if your heart is set on a nuc, call or send an email and I will share names of local beekeepers selling local nucs.
Bee packages sold by Agricultural Hall are supplied by local dealers (Autumn Morning Farm & Summer Beez) who drive south every spring, pick up 3lb packages from bee-breeder farms (most of which are in Georgia), and hurry back within 24 hours, usually with about 400 - 800 packages in tow! I pick them up within a few hours of their arrival in New England and bring them to Agricultural Hall where you can meet and take home your new bees!
Here's this year's list of available packages:
| Variety | Marked Queen ? | Arrival Date (est.) | Price |
| Buckfast | Yes | March 31 (Monday) | $180 |
| Buckfast | No | March 31 (Monday) | $175 |
| Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) | Yes | March 31 (Monday) | $180 |
| Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) | No | March 31 (Monday) | $175 |
| Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) | Yes | April 14 (Monday) | $160 |
| Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) | No | April 14 (Monday) | $155 |
| Buckfast | Yes | April 21 (Monday) | $180 |
| Buckfast | No | April 21 (Monday) | $175 |
To order bees:
Follow this link here or send an email to 2025Bees(at)AgHall.com, and please tell me:
1) How many packages you'd like; and2) Whether you want a marked or unmarked queen.
3) Please also include a phone number where I can reach you in a pinch. (Sometimes things move quickly when the bees come to town.)
I will respond with a confirmation email, along with payment instructions.
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| Some characteristics of VSH & Buckfast stocks: |
VSH: Selective breeding of Varroa Sensitive Hygienic bees by the USDA (Pol-line) and independent breeders encourage hygienic/anti-mite behavior; the workers are more likely to remove varroa-infested pupae from capped brood cells before the mite reproductive cycle is complete. They are not guaranteed to survive varroa infestations and, in fact (like all Apis mellifera varieties) they will very likely succumb to mites and/or the many diseases they vector if not managed properly, but VSH bees are generally better at suppressing varroa population growth.
Buckfast: Originally bred over 105 years ago by Brother Adam at Buckfast Abbey in Britain, Buckfasts proved resistant to tracheal mites, then ravaging Britain's honeybee populations. Buckfast are desirable on almost all fronts; brood and honey production are high, swarming drive is low, and continuing breeding programs have also produced Varroa mite-resistant progeny. Little wonder it is sometimes called the "Beekeeper's Bee."
Again, there are always variations from colony to colony, even within varieties.
For more details, see;
https://www.beesource.com/resources/usda/the-different-types-of-honey-bees/
...or do a Web search. There's a lot of info out there!!
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Ordering notes & tips:
> Aim for early bees. It's not unusual to hive packages with snow still on the ground. And if you successfully hive a package by early April, you could be taking honey in June. Later packages seem to merely survive, but not always thrive, ...until year two.
> Dates are estimates. We can hope and cross our fingers, but they'll come when they come. Most arrive on time or, frequently, a day early. Weather is the biggest determinant.
> In general, I will replace dead queens as long as you report them to me within four days of their arrival at Ag Hall. I will try to always offer replacement queens for virgin and poorly mated queens, but they must be reported to me within 10 days.
> I cannot replace packages -- there is no instance where a supplier will replace a package. The 10-14 days after hiving a package are critical, and it is important that you monitor your queen's behavior thoroughly and keep them well fed and protected from extreme weather. Please feel free to call with any questions -- I can usually help you through any rough patches.