Association for Butterflies Symposium

November 5 & 6

Springhill Suites – Orlando, Florida

Association for Butterflies 2011 Butterfly Symposium  is announcing…

Successful Butterfly Farming in These Hard Economic Times!  

Held at Springhill Suites in Orlando, Florida on November 5 and 6.  Hotel room rates for attendees is $69 each room.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcosa-springhill-suites-orlando-airport/

Free transportation to and from the airport

Close to Disney and other attractions – for your family and/or to extend your weekend to a week-long vacation

NO food supplied. This gives attendees a choice to purchase less expensive food and pay less for the symposium.  Several restaurants are within easy walking distance such as Tony Roma’s, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Sonny’s BBQ, TGI Friday’s, Bristol Café, and Denny’s.  Last year we chose, as a group, where to go for the evening’s meal and we ate together.  Bring in your own snacks and drinks to the symposium.  If the hotel supplies snacks, it comes to $15 per person each snack time (and most is wasted).  You can bring in your own water/soda and snack for MUCH less.  Meals from the hotel range from $15 (simple sandwich) to $35+ per meal.  You can buy your own at a local restaurant for much less.  That’s why this year’s symposium is less expensive.

Presentations:

1. Protecting computer data on-site and on-line and creating a Disaster Recovery Plan by Dan Manix

2. Microscope disease detection – proper use of a microscope, how to prepare slides, stain slides, and oil immersion slides by Stephen Smith

3. OE – lifecycle of OE, how to prevent it, how to eliminate it, how it enters a breeding operation, and more; presentation edited by Dr. Sonia Altizer and Dr. Karen Oberhauser Presented by Edith Smith

4. How to Make Plantable Paper Butterflies by Kathie Baalam

5. Butterfly Brainstorming session by everyone

1. Money saving ideas for butterfly farmers – how to cut expenses
2. Going Green –  ideas to help us touch base with the ‘green’ market
3. Sharing time – anything to do with butterfly farming/breeding
4. Challenges experienced by farmers:

i.    Lack of safe Asclepias plants for the caterpillars and growing milkweed

ii.    Mice eating stock (chrysalises and adults)

iii.    Public Relations and Marketing

iv.    Getting Monarchs to pair

v.    When to say enough yet keep genetic diversity (too many eggs make us want to reduce breeder numbers)

6. Painted Lady and Other Species Kits - examples, thoughts, how to market, diet pros/cons, etc …

7. Marketing! Presentation is based on ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ by Jay Levinson (includes a FREE Guerilla Marketing book for each farm) by Edith Smith  and Jodi Hopper

8. Live butterfly displays from a small pill box to a table top display.  Tables will be set up with displays and types of release/display containers.  PLEASE bring your ideas to share also!

9. Packing and Shipping – hands on methods to pack and ship all stages of butterflies.   Tables will be set up with packages, different package types, ice pack types, Styrofoam/foil, and more.

10. Pinning and mounting butterflies – hands on; including making your own pinning board

11. Vermiposting; composting with earthworms (Going green – enriching soil in pots and gardens)  by Helen Wood

More great topics:

• IRS
• Butterflies in Ecuador – traveling to photograph butterflies by Bill Berthet

Speakers:

Dan Manix will tell us about the different ways to protect our data, both on-site and on-line, and how to prepare a Disaster Recovery Plan.  He will recommend  websites to visit to help you prepare for the day your computer crashes and takes all its data with it.  He has spent 31 years in the business world.  10 years as the vice-president for a $75M international corporation with the data “needs” of four corporate divisions and 342 employees.  Most recently, he has spent 10 years as the Administrator for a $9M medical practice; nine doctors, 42 staff and three locations.  The practice is a high tech operation using six in-house servers to manage the highly sensitive demographic and financial information of 48,000 patients.  The practice was open for business with all computers working and online on the Monday after Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Dennis with zero data loss.

Dr. Sonia Altizeris an Associate Professor with a Ph.D. University of Minnesota and specializes in parasites of animals.

Dr. Karen Oberhauser is a Director of the Monarchs in the Classroom Program; Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota; President, Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation.  She has been studying Monarchs since 1984.

Kathie Baalamowns Chase ‘N Butterflies in California.  She has been making plantable paper for several years.

Helen Woodhas been vermiposting for several years.

Stephen Smith is a retired pharmacist who has been butterfly farming for over 10 years.

Edith Smith has owned and operated (with her husband Stephen) Shady Oak Butterfly Farm for over 10 years.

Symposium Registration

Members $70.00 Members w/ guest $120.00 Nonmember $95.00

 

Members

$70 October 1 – 21

$100 October 22 – November 5

Members (2^nd person from same farm):

$50 October 1 – 21

$75 October 22 – November 5

Non-members:

$95 October 1 – 21

$125 October 22 – November 5

 

How can each presentation help your farm/business?

Presentations:

Protecting computer data on-site and on-line and creating a Disaster Recovery Plan by Dan Manix

• Jodi Hopper’s house burned to the ground a few years ago.  She lost everything related to her business.  Her records of who owed her, who she owed, her computers, her supplies, her records of who was expecting shipments of butterflies from her, and more.  

Microscope disease detection – proper use of a microscope, how to prepare slides, stain slides, and oil immersion slides by Stephen Smith

• Using a microscope properly, maintaining a microscope, detecting diseases with a microscope; all of these will directly affect the health of your butterflies and the bottom line (financially) of your business.

OE – lifecycle of OE, how to prevent it, how to eliminate it, how it enters a breeding operation, and more; presentation edited by Dr. Sonia Altizer and Dr. Karen Oberhauser Presented by Edith Smith

• OE is a parasite that, when not eliminated from a rearing operation, can cause total loss of a breeding line, can affect your reputation as a farmer, can affect the butterfly rearing industry, and can result in crippled and dead butterflies that are needed for customers.

How to Make Plantable Paper Butterflies by Kathie Baalam

• These butterflies can be sold to increase your income, can be used as advertising/marketing tools, and can bring a positive ‘green’ image to your business.

• Butterfly Brainstorming session by everyone
  • Money saving ideas for butterfly farmers – how to cut expenses
    • Saving money increases net income
• Going Green –  ideas to help us touch base with the ‘green’ market
  • ‘Green’ creates a positive image that will encourage customers to purchase from you (besides, it’s something we should do anyway)
• Challenges experienced by farmers:
  • Beating/overcoming these challenges increases net income
  • Lack of safe Asclepias plants for the caterpillars and growing milkweed
  • Mice eating stock (chrysalises and adults)
  • Public Relations and Marketing
  • Getting Monarchs to pair
  • When to say enough yet keep genetic diversity (too many eggs make us want to reduce breeder numbers)
• Sharing time – anything to do with butterfly farming/breeding

Painted Lady and Other Species Kits - examples, thoughts, how to market, diet pros/cons, etc …

• The better our kits are for teachers, the more satisfied customers will be ordering from our farms.

Marketing! Presentation is based on ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ by Jay Levinson (includes a free Guerilla Marketing book for all attendees) by Jodi Hopper and Edith Smith

• Successful marketing increases orders/income, sometimes beyond our expectations.  There are times when farmers must order in butterflies from other farmers because they sell more than they can raise due to successful marketing.

Live butterfly displays from a small pill box to a table top display.  Tables will be set up with displays and types of release/display containers.  PLEASE bring your ideas to share also!

• Displays that are attractive and pleasing (meaning also safe for butterflies) bring delight to customers and income to our businesses.

Packing and Shipping – hands on methods to pack and ship all stages of butterflies.   Tables will be set up with packages, different package types, ice pack types, Styrofoam/foil, and more.

• Packing safely increases the number of butterflies that arrive safe and sound.  Saving money on packaging while doing so increases a farm’s net income.

Pinning and mounting butterflies – hands on; including making your own pinning board

• Winter, the down time of a butterfly farm, can be used to make displays with naturally deceased butterflies that can be sold in the winter as well as the rest of the year.

Vermiposting; composting with earthworms (Going green – enriching soil in pots and gardens)  by Helen Wood

• Rich soil and healthy plants are good for butterfly larvae.  Going green to create the rich soil is good for everyone.

• MAYBE:
• IRS (haven’t heard back – don’t know if/when we will)
  • What can you deduct that you didn’t realize you could deduct?  What do you need to know about filing your taxes that could save you money?
  • Plant Pests/Diseases by Dr. Jaret Daniels (Division of Plant Industry says he said he would do the presentation.  I just wrote him and I’m waiting for confirmation from him.)
    • Plant pests/diseases drain health and money from our farms/plants/butterflies.  Information about controlling plant pests/diseases is always profitable for a farm.
  • Butterflies in Ecuador – traveling to photograph butterflies by Bill Berthet
    • Fun time!

 

Helen Johnson - Monarch Alert, CA