"Too many beekeepers fail to realize that the selling of a crop is fully as important as its production. The business part of beekeeping has been sadly neglected. No set rule can be given as to how a man shall dispose of his crop, but it does seem like very poor business management to send away a crop of honey to some commission merchant, and then sit around all Winter, when good wages might be made selling honey direct to consumers, or to retail dealers." W.Z. Hutchinson Advanced Bee Culture (1905) One of the more fruitful approaches that we have taken with our honey production is offering varietals. Since our farm employs only myself and my wife Ella, we must obtain the highest return on investment (ROI) possible to compensate for the long, hot days spent in the outyards in addition to the toll that all of the heavy lifting takes on our backs. Many of you are likely in a similar situation, launching your beekeeping enterprise while still working an off-farm job, and paying for your startup with revenue generated from the latter. Since the first several years of any agricultural enterprise typically operates in the red, as you scrape together the funds to purchase equipment and supplies, you are likely not in a position to take on a crew of workers. Although it is more labor intensive, the demand for varietal honey is most certainly there and commands a premium price. Saaaawwweeeeeett, right?
展开▼
