>A friend who 'started with nothing', and now has some 3,000 hives that run

> to Calif. for almonds and Maine for blueberries and make a fair amount of
> honey, says that today Beekeeping is 'one of the most lucrative
> agricultural pursuits', and I suspect he is right.


I agree, Lloyd!  A friend of mine in Oregon was an immigrant with nothing
when he purchased his first nucs from me about 30 years ago.  Built to 1500
hives, and only recently to 3000.  Last year I visited him at his new home,
which looked like it came out of an architectural magazine, saw his new
boats and trucks, and his new farmland that he purchased simply to supply
his bees with forage in the off season.  He is doing very well!  But he has
worked his butt off for those years, and is making money while those around
him are complaining about being able to stay alive.

In answer to the original question, do the math.  A colony is worth at
least $200 at almond pollination time.  That means that any beekeeper with
5000 hives could sell off his hives alone at pollination time for $1
million.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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