New VGCC classes offer instruction in Beekeeping and Raising Chickens
Vance-Granville Community College is offering two new Personal Enrichment courses to help area residents learn how to begin raising bees and chickens. Both are taught by local farmer Mike Holland and will be held in part at the Holland Farm on Lickskillet Road in Warren County.
The one-day “Backyard Chicken Craft” class is scheduled for Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (including a one-hour lunch break), with a classroom component at VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County and a hands-on component on the farm. Holland will help participants understand if keeping chickens in their own backyards is right for them. “In this course, I will teach first-time chicken-keepers about how many and what breed of chicken to raise, and how to house and care for your chickens,” Holland said. The cost of the class is $25 per person. The class is scheduled to be offered again in April in two sessions.
In “Beekeeping Basics,” students will learn about bees, honey and how to set up their own colonies. Holland will discuss reasons for beekeeping, selecting equipment, caring for bees, harvesting honey, troubleshooting and maintenance. This course will be held on Thursdays from 6 until 9 p.m., Feb. 28 through March 21, followed by one Saturday class at Holland’s farm on March 23 from 9 a.m. until noon. The cost of the course is $42 per person.
Holland noted that both types of agriculture are important to his own philosophy of sustainability and self-sufficient living. “Beekeeping obviously supports and sustains other plants on the farm because of bees’ role in pollination, and honey is not only popular and nutritious but is also used for medicinal purposes,” Holland said. “Also, raising backyard chicken is increasingly appealing to people who want to grow their own nutritious, hormone-free meat or fresh eggs for their families.”
For more information and to register for one or both of these classes, contact Theresa Somerville at (252) 738-3427 or SomervilleT@vgcc.edu .
