2027 Beginner Beekeeping Class — Ashland Beekeepers Association — Ashland, VA learning

Category: Learning Also called: ABA 2027 Beekeeping Class; Ashland Beekeepers Getting Started in Beekeeping class; Ashland Beekeepers beginner course (Ashland, Virginia); ashlandvabeekeepers.org

What it is

The 2027 Beginner Beekeeping Class is the annual beginner course of the Ashland Beekeepers Association (ABA), a Central Virginia beekeeping club just north of Richmond. The official page lists four Saturdays, 9 AM to about 4 PM: February 27, March 6 and March 13, 2027 at First Baptist Church in Ashland, Virginia, and March 20, 2027 at Winn’s Baptist Church in nearby Glen Allen. Tuition is $120, including two books, a USB drive of presentations and reference documents, and 2027 ABA membership. The class uses the Virginia Beekeeping Teaching Consortium’s standardized curriculum. On the check date the page said “2027 Beekeeping Class registration is now open!” with class size limited to 25.

Official URL

Official course page: https://ashlandvabeekeepers.org/https-ashlandvabeekeepers-org-classes/

Education: https://ashlandvabeekeepers.org/education/

“Before you sign up” page (2027 Beekeeping Class in Ashland, VA): https://ashlandvabeekeepers.org/beekeeping-class-registration/

Ashland Beekeepers Association home page: https://ashlandvabeekeepers.org/

About Us: https://ashlandvabeekeepers.org/about-us/

Membership: https://ashlandvabeekeepers.org/membership/

Last checked

2026-10-20. All URLs above returned HTTP 200 with a desktop Chrome user agent on that date.

Who it’s for

New and prospective beekeepers in Hanover County and the Richmond area of Central Virginia. The club’s “fine print” page says the course is meant to give “a strong foundation” and warns that beekeeping has a steep learning curve, real costs and physical demands. It is a club-run course, not a university program and not a store.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party course page from an established local club, with dates, venues, price, class size, refund policy and curriculum source printed.

Dates and venues (course page, checked 2026-10-20): Saturdays February 27, March 6 and March 13, 2027 at First Baptist Church Ashland, 800 Thompson Street (Route 54), Ashland, VA 23005, and Saturday March 20, 2027 at Winn’s Baptist Church, 12320 Winns Church Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059. Each session runs from 9 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. with an hour for lunch (lunch not provided).
Cost (course page, checked 2026-10-20): $120 tuition, including 2 books, a USB thumb drive with all presentations and additional reference documents, and Ashland Beekeepers membership for 2027. One additional family member from the same household may attend at no extra fee, sharing one set of materials. Minors must be at least 12 and come with a paying adult.
Registration (course page and home page, checked 2026-10-20): open, with class size limited to 25. The page links to an online registration page and also offers a mail-in form by email or sign-up at a regular club meeting. The registration link was not followed.
Refunds (course page, checked 2026-10-20): a refund is available with notice at least one day before class starts; after classes start, refunds for someone who has not attended are at the club’s discretion; no refunds once any session has been attended.
Curriculum (course and “Before you sign up” pages, checked 2026-10-20): the class is part of the Virginia Beekeeping Teaching Consortium’s standardized curriculum. The pre-registration page describes “four 8-hour sessions” and covers time commitment, pests and diseases such as Varroa mites, colony loss, heat and heavy lifting, stings and allergies, and local zoning. It estimates startup costs of $700–$800 for equipment and $300–$450 for bees, and recommends starting with two colonies.
Club context (About Us, home and Membership pages, checked 2026-10-20): ABA began in August 1981 as the Central Virginia Beekeepers Association and took its current name in 2011. It meets the first Thursday of the month at First Baptist Church Ashland (doors 6:30 PM, meeting 7 PM); the next regular meeting listed was November 5. Family membership is $20, and the club says it has over 100 members.

Dates, price and policies above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change.

Location

Sessions 1–3: First Baptist Church Ashland, 800 Thompson Street (Route 54), Ashland, Virginia 23005, also the club’s regular meeting place. Session 4: Winn’s Baptist Church, 12320 Winns Church Road, Glen Allen, Virginia 23059 (the page calls it the “nearby Elmont area”). Club mailing address: P.O. Box 1351, Ashland, VA 23005.

Notes

Category is Learning. This is the site’s first Virginia Learning listing; Virginia already has one club listing (Richmond Beekeepers Association in Glen Allen), a separate organization.
The course page sets each Saturday at 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m. with an hour lunch break, while the pre-registration page says “four 8-hour sessions.” Use the course page times.
Registration runs through a third-party ticketing page linked from the club’s site; that page is not cited here, and no registration was started.
The class email address on the official page is not repeated here, and no one was contacted.
First-party image saved beside this listing as ashland-beekeepers-beginner-class.png: the club’s official ABA logo from the site header (a bee inside a black-and-yellow hexagon above “Ashland Beekeepers Association”), 512×512, unedited.
Not affiliated with Beekeeping Plaza. No form, sign-up, checkout or email was started.

FAQ

Q: When is the Ashland Beekeepers 2027 beginner class?
A: According to the official page checked 2026-10-20: four Saturdays, February 27, March 6, March 13 and March 20, 2027, from 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: $120, including two books, a USB drive of presentations and references, and 2027 Ashland Beekeepers membership. One more family member from the same household may attend free, sharing materials.

Q: Where are the classes held?
A: The first three Saturdays are at First Baptist Church Ashland, 800 Thompson Street (Route 54), Ashland, VA 23005. The last class, March 20, is at Winn’s Baptist Church, 12320 Winns Church Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059.

Q: Is registration open?
A: Yes, on 2026-10-20 the page said 2027 registration was open, with class size limited to 25.

Q: Can I get a refund?
A: Yes, if you notify the club at least one day before the class starts. After classes begin, a refund for someone who has not attended is at the club’s discretion, and there are no refunds once you have attended any session.