in horizontal hives.
Natural Beekeeping Workshop ~ March 22-23, 2025 ~ Cabool, MO
Keeping bees can be simple, healthful, and rewarding. Dr. Leo shares time-honored methods that take the sting out of beekeeping and make it fun and accessible to all. The visually-rich presentations include step-by-step instructions, hive demonstrations, and free hive plans.
Beginner beekeepers — or those just contemplating having bees — will receive a robust working understanding of all aspects and options of the natural approach. Experienced beekeepers — from backyard hobbyists to commercial — who seek ways to keep their bees treatment-free with minimal intervention and expense will glean a swath of ideas that can be applied to their existing operations.
“Dr Leo taught a class that was totally dynamite! Amazingly awesome trouble free way to keep bees that manages them so in tune with nature.”
— unsolicited comment on Facebook. More reviews >
Dr. Leo Sharashkin is editor of Keeping Bees With a Smile: A Vision and Practice of Natural Apiculture, a comprehensive resource on keeping bees naturally in horizontal hives. He is contributor to American Bee Journal, Bee Culture, The Beekeepers Quarterly (UK), and Acres USA, and speaks internationally on sustainable beekeeping, organic growing, and Earth-friendly living. He holds a PhD in Forestry from the University of Missouri and a Master’s in Natural Resources from Indiana University. Author of world-renowned research in sustainable agriculture, he lives with his wife and four children on a forest homestead in the Ozarks in southern Missouri where they catch wild swarms and raise bees in a variety of low-maintenance, easy-to-build horizontal hives. You’ll get to see it all during the seminar!
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The program will cover all aspects of the natural beekeeping approach, including:
- Bees — How they live in nature and how to respect their ways in your apiary.
- Natural beekeeping — “Pulling honey is all I do.” – One hive visit per year. – Mistakes to avoid.
- Catching swarms — Start or increase an apiary for free by attracting local bees. – Improve bee genetics.
- Hives — Which model is best for you? – Horizontal hives and their advantages. – Design hives like a pro.
- Frames — Wax foundation vs. foundationless natural comb. – Make your own foundation.
- Management — What to do and not to do. – Keep your bees and keep your smile.
- Keep it simple — One-box hive, no feeding, no heavy lifting, no queen excluders, no requeening.
- Treatment-free — Healthy strong colonies without any drugs.
- Wintering — Help bees overwinter successfully in any climate.
- Woodworking — How to build low-maintenance bee-friendly hives. – DIY made easy. – Materials and tools.
- Honey, wax, propolis — And some hive products you never heard about! – Sell your honey for $25/lb.
- Honey plants — Enhance nectar resources for bee’s future, and ours!
- Apiary visit — See horizontal hives in action at Dr. Leo’s apiary.
- Bees and community — What we can learn from the bees about a cooperative society?
- And MUCH MORE! DOWNLOAD FULL PROGRAM
SCHEDULE
Registration opens: 8 am Saturday, March 22, 2025
Workshop begins: 9 am Saturday, March 22, 2025
Workshop ends: 5 pm Sunday, March 23, 2025
We suggest that you arrive Friday evening so you can rest from your travel before the workshop begins Saturday morning. The surrounding area has much to offer by way of outdoors (spectacular hiking, kayaking, or star-gazing), so you may also consider extending your stay.
REGISTRATION RATES
$695 for one person$545 per person for 2 people or more (save $150 each)
REGISTRATION WILL OPEN JANUARY 1, 2025 OR SOONER. Thank you!
The registration fee includes admission to the event, handouts, and healthful snacks / beverages served during breaks. It does not include accommodation or main meals.
REGISTERING BY MAIL
Unless the event is sold out, you can register by mail. Your payment must be received at least one month before the event date. No special registration form needed. Please include a note with your name, mailing address, phone number, and email if available. Make a check or money order payable to “HorizontalHive.com” and mail it to: HorizontalHive.com, HC 73 Box 470, Drury, MO 65638. Registration fee is $695 for one person or $545 per person for a party of two or more. Thank you!
CANCELLATION POLICY
Registration fees are non-refundable. You can transfer your ticket to another person if you can’t make it to this seminar. Your registration is date-specific and cannot be moved to another date; there are no rain checks. If you have to cancel altogether, email us BEFORE the seminar starts and we’ll give you a one-time discount coupon, good for any HorizontalHive.com purchase until the end of the calendar year. Coupon amount: $500 if you registered for one; or $400 per cancelled seat if you registered for two or more. Thank you!
VENUE ADDRESS
Venue: Opus/Stars Foundation, 208 Hwy 181, Cabool, MO 65689
ACCOMMODATION
Comfort Inn Mountain Grove is 10 miles away; comes highly recommended. Address: 150 E 19th, Mountain Grove, MO 65711. Phone: (417) 477-7829.
Comfort Inn Willow Springs is 12 miles away; nice, clean, highly recommended. Address: 1204 E Main St, Willow Springs, MO 65793. Phone: (417) 469-0410.
Other accommodation options in the area include:
- Cabool, MO (0.2 mile away) – Highland Inn
- West Plains, MO (33 miles away) – many chain hotels
- Camper or RV: the closest camping is North Fork River Ranch (hwy AA off of 181), 25 miles south
GETTING THERE
Cabool, MO, is located on Highways 60 and 63 in Texas County, South-Central Missouri.
The nearest airport is Springfield, Missouri (SGF) – 85 miles. St. Louis, Missouri (STL) airport is 175 miles.
VIDEO / AUDIO RECORDING POLICY
No video or audio recording is allowed. Thank you for your cooperation!
EQUIPMENT DISCOUNTS
We offer special deals for workshop attendees! If you are driving, avoid shipping costs by picking up your Layens horizontal hives, swarm traps, frames, extractors, etc. at the workshop. No need to preorder – you’ll be able to place and pick up your order right here. Shipping is available, too.
MISCELLANEOUS
Dr. Leo has NEVER canceled a workshop he committed to. But in the unlikely event that we have to cancel the seminar, we shall reimburse you your registration fee in full. In case of such cancellation by us, we will not reimburse you for any other expenses (such as travel and lodging) or losses.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions, please email us at b**s@horizontalhive.com (replace b**s with the name of the insects that live in hives) or call (815) 310-0605. We look forward to meeting you at this remarkable event!
TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS
“Fantastic crash course in keeping bees naturally. Fast-paced, action-packed, and to-the-point. You’ll understand beekeeping -- and how it should be done.”
— Garl, Bozeman, Montana
“It was totally awesome!! Very comprehensive, clear and beautifully presented. I felt my soul expand with the deep knowledge and wisdom that Dr. Leo shared and imparted to me in the same way that he might expand the hive in the spring. I am deeply grateful for his work with the bees. Dr Leo’s passion and love for the bees comes through so strongly. I now have confidence to go home and catch a swarm and keep bees naturally with a smile. :) Love, love, love the handouts. I was able to listen more instead of taking notes.”
— Joanne, Hamilton, Montana
“I wholeheartedly recommend Dr Leo’s natural beekeeping workshop. He is a wealth of practical information in regards to bees, beekeeping and the importance of biodiversity. You will walk away impassioned and well prepared to keep bees in harmony with nature.”
— Chris, Bozeman, Montana
“Dr. Leo said so much that made sense to me that I finally gave up counting the ‘light bulb’ moments. I am still just in awe of the information provided to us. Simple, honest, pure and sharing. I sat in amazement that we had this caliber of teacher/teachings right here in Bozeman at our own back doors! I cannot recommend this enough for anyone with an interest or desire in bees, especially if you’re just considering them. I wish I had this knowledge 3 years ago when I decided to get bees. It would have saved me and the bees a lot of heartache. Dr. Leo is a warm and generous soul, sharing his wisdom and spreading the JOY of beekeeping with anyone who wants to learn.”
— LaVonne
“Empowering & Practical & Inspiring! I feel honored to have been able to be here. Exactly what I needed.”
“I am so excited, energized, and wish the course was actually a class which would go on and on for a period of time like a course in college. Dr Leo was very available to questions, and even though the amount of information was overwhelming at times — everything was understandable. Than you, thank you! I enjoyed your smile and enthusiasm and your peace!”
— Susan, Bozeman, Montana
“Enlightening, Enriching, Exciting. Thank you for bee-ing here! Thank you for sharing your passion, knowledge, and experiences with us! We need you, your passion, and your work — the planet needs you! So completely satisfied and so grateful for the workshop.”
— Dannette, Bozeman, Montana
“I wish everyone interested in bees could experience Dr Leo’s workshop, whether they already have bees or not. It all made so much sense.”
— LaVonne
“This was a great workshop. It answered all my questions and the combination of good pictures and explanation made things very clear to this beginner. Thank you.”
“Excellent weekend! I enjoyed every minute.”
— Jeff, Townsend, Montana
“Such an amazing practice you share with us. The principles are so simple and realistic, it makes sense. This ancient wisdom is wonderful to have. Working with a horizontal hive is the only way to go. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.”
“Thank you Leo! :) I loved how clear and fast paced your information is presented.”
“FANTASTIC! I would recommend it to anyone who has bees or is interested.”
“The course was very well organized. Dr Leo covered a lot of material during the weekend but I never felt overwhelmed. His presentation was informative, easy to follow, and inspiring.”
“Ah! This was a wonderful workshop. A tremendous amount of information and contagious enthusiasm. I believe everything was covered that I had concern over. Thank you so much!”
Brought to you by Deep Snow Press and HorizontalHive.com
