| SOUTHERN OREGON BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION Southern Oregon Beekeepers Association is a non-profit organization committed to education about honeybees and beekeeping and sharing this passion with our community in Southern Oregon's Jackson County and Josephine County. |
BEE SWARM? Did you find a swarm? SOBA Swarm Team members are ready to assist you. Click the button below to report a swarm. LESLIE LUNDGREN'S PRESENTATION Honey Competition Presentation.pptx.pdf Honey Competition Video Presentation |
MONTHLY MEETINGS:
SOBA meets at 5:00 PM on the first Monday of each month at SOREC Extension Auditorium at 569 Hanley Rd. Central Point, OR 97502
Meetings are open to the public. To learn more about upcoming meetings or events, click the button below for more information. DR. CARON'S MARCH PRESENTATION | Next Meeting: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2026 SOBA monthly meetings are open to the public. Due to a schedule conflict, the September meeting will take place at the Rogue River Library in the Community Meeting Room. The address is 412 E. Main St in Rogue River, OR. The building is open at 5:00PM and some attendees bring a meal to eat onsite, or bring potluck to share. This is an informal time to socialize and engage with experienced beekeepers. The main meeting begins at 6:00pm with a presentation by Jan Lohman of Project Apis M. There have been several chapters in Jan’s life prior to becoming a commercial beekeeper; beginning with building and teaching pottery for a Blue Mountain College, then owning and operating a bookstore, Hermiston Book Company in Eastern Oregon for fifteen years. She began beekeeping in 1991 as partner to Vincent Vazza at Vazza Farms where they ran 2500 colonies, pollinating almonds in California, and cherries, pears, blueberries, melons, vegetable seed crops and buckwheat in the Pacific Northwest, until their retirement in 2017. They missed bees and their associations with beekeepers, so in 2019 began a sideliner outfit with a semi load of bees for five more years before getting out of pollination completely in 2023. Jan has been part of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association Board for over 25 years, as President for three years, Secretary for four years and currently as Grant and Foundation Chair. She also has been part of the Oregon Master Beekeeper Program since inception as an advisor, teaching a beekeeping class in Eastern Oregon and mentoring hobby beekeepers, and is still currently serving on the Oregon Master Beekeeper advisory committee, and on the executive board for Save the Bee. |
MEMBERSHIP:
Membership in the Southern Oregon Beekeepers Association (SOBA) is $20 per person per year for basic membership or $40 per year for shared email accounts (partners or adult and child). Membership dues are for the calendar year and are renewed each January.
Join fellow beekeepers and aspiring beekeepers at monthly meetings with guest speakers, hands-on workshops in season, and beekeeping classes. Each meeting has an education portion followed by club business meeting. Questions are always welcome, especially at the beginning of the meeting.
SOUTHERN OREGON COMMUNITY
SOBA volunteers in our Educational Outreach love to share our love for honeybees with our local community. Our volunteers have a variety of offerings for schools, clubs, festivals, fairs, and more! You can find us at:
SOUTHERN OREGON BEEKEEPING COMMUNITY
There's a steep learning curve with beekeeping and it's less daunting when you can get a little help from your beekeeping friends. SOBA offers hobbyists, sideliners, and commercial beekeepers an opportunity to connect with others outside of the monthly meetings. Here are some options for fellow beekeepers:
- SOBA Member Mentors
- OSU Oregon Master Beekeeping Program
- Resources & Info Page
Contact SOBA: Email: sobavolunteers35@gmail.com Mail: P.O. Box 711 Grants Pass, OR 97528 | SOBA is an affiliate of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association |
