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You've probably met Fred and Ann at a beekeeper meeting. There's a lot of history, and great people standing behind that table.
The U.S. beekeeping community is relatively small when you look at the numbers. Roughly there are 1200 full-time commercial operations, 5000 part-time sideliners and between 120,000 and 150,000 backyard beekeepers. If you read the journals, magazines, newsletters or attend meetings you are bound to become familiar with certain names, especially those that have been in the business for sometime now. One of those names is Rossman Apiaries located in Moultrie, Georgia. Fred Rossman, owner and operator of Rossman Apiaries, is well known and respected by beekeepers from coast-to-coast for his ability to provide quality bees and beekeeping equipment, but there's a lot more to him than that. Fred is one of those rare souls whom, when you meet him, you instantly feel at ease because he tells it like it is, and, when he says he's going to do something, you can bank on it.
But, Fred's also known for reinvesting in both his community and the beekeeping industry through public speaking, education, and his various leadership roles. He's been Director of the American Bee Breeders Association, a Board Member for several terms for the American Beekeeping Federation. Locally, he has served as President for the Civic Club, and Board of Deacons and Elders for the First Presbyterian Church. He has also served several terms as President and Board Member for the Georgia Beekeepers Association who, by the way, recently recognized Fred with their highest award: Georgia "Beekeeper of the Year" for 2011. Recently, I was fortunate enough to have a private audience with Fred and queried him about his life and business. Fred is a quiet fellow and is somewhat reluctant to talk about himself. But, he was generous with his time and energy, and eventually shared a good bit of history about Rossman Apiaries, his family and his philosophy that I believe beekeepers would enjoy hearing (reading) as much as I did! Let's start from the beginning.
Fred's Father, Joseph "Joe" Grey Rossman, oldest of nine children, grew up on a dairy farm. Each day he milked the cows, fed the cows, cleaned up after the cows, and delivered milk...