Beginning Beekeeping

With Phil Craft

Kentucky State Beekeepers Association through funding from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund is proud to host Beginning Beekeeping with Phil Craft.

Phil served as the Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture’s State Apiarist from 1999 through 2011. He is a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, and the University of Kentucky. He is a past president and past chairman of the Heartland Apicultural Society, past program chairman of Eastern Apicultural Society, and past president of the Apiary Inspectors of America.

While state apiarist, working with beekeepers and cooperative extension agents, Phil helped establish a statewide network of regional beekeeping schools and helped foster the growth of local beekeeper associations in Kentucky. During his tenure as state apiarist, the number of local associations grew from about 15 to well over 40. During this time Phil was a regular speaker at beekeeping meetings in Kentucky and surrounding states. In retirement he has stayed busy serving as the North American technical adviser for Veto-pharma, a French company that manufactures Apivar as well as other products. In this capacity Phil has traveled throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Europe, working and instructing beekeepers. Phil has also worked with beekeepers, and their hives in Asia and Africa. He has been stung by bees on five continents.

A native of the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, he now lives in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky near Lexington with his family, a very old dog, and some beehives.