I think this is one of the coolest things about being a beekeeper in Virginia. When I was moving here 6 years ago, this program encouraged me to connect with the beekeeping scene in the area (Southeastern Virginian for me). I read through some of the other comments, and 2 hives per household does sound like more people could participate. I agree with the principle of educational requirements, the concern is how would that be verified? Weighing people who have been in the queue for several years may have real merit. I think the question is whether VDACS is trying to encourage novice hobby beekeepers or folks with massive apiaries. There are people in our club who have 10+ hives and seem to benefit from the distribution every other year. Should they wait a turn?
The main reason I wanted to comment. I have been unable to apply for the VDACS program, although I have tried the last several years. The instructions have been quite mysterious. My plea is that the application process becomes more user friendly. Having 2 weeks to figure it out will help. Knowing that you have a 5-minute window at midnight has not worked.