Ken Basterfield, NDB
Ken was first introduced to bees at 6 years old, but began beekeeping upon graduating in 1971. He increased in numbers until running 150 colonies by 1979, running these as a semi-commercial outfit in parallel with his day job. Ken took his BBKA Preliminary, Intermediate, Senior, and Senior Practical certificates, before obtaining his National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB) in 1996. During that time, he completed a wide range of beekeeping including stock selection and breeding from the best locally-adapted performers & extensive queen raising. Ken has tried out most of the management techniques on large scale trials leading to ‘best fit’ tools and techniques for his own beekeeping environment.
Ken is a member of Devon BKA, and has held various positions such as Apiary Manager, Branch Secretary, and County Show Chairman. He was a founder member of the Devon Apicultural Research Group (DARG) in 1979, and for many years has been an examiner for BBKA Basic, General & Advanced Husbandry, and for the National Diploma in Beekeeping. He has been a member of the BBKA Examination board, a BBKA Trustee, and a member of the NDB board since 1998.
As NDB Course Director, Ken has run the well respected annual residential NDB Advanced Course since 1997. He also sought the funding for and created the NDB's Short Course programme, which ran 2-day beekeeping courses around the UK from 2011-2019.
Dan Basterfield, NDB
Dan grew up with beekeeping around him, earning pocket money by clipping and marking queens. Having spent 15 years working in large companies, he returned to the family beekeeping business in Devon in 2005, and with his father expanded the business and built a brand new Honey Farm as the centre of their honey production, queen raising, and teaching activities.
Dan holds the National Diploma in Beekeeping (NDB), is a BBKA Master Beekeeper, and is an examiner for the BBKA and NDB examinations. He is a regular lecturer around the UK on practical beekeeping topics. Daniel wrote some of the BBKA's Course in a Case training courses, and contributed to the BBKA's Liquid Gold and Swarming videos. He co-authored the BBKA's Healthy Hive Guide book, and has just published Using Apideas, an extensive and lavishly-illustrated guide to running these mini mating nucs.
He is a member of the Bee Farmers Association, and has been a Trustee and Chairman of the International Bee Research Association (IBRA), and Chairman of the NDB Examination Board.