Andy,
 
I saw your post. I have been working for ten years on developing a local
market for my crudely filtered, unheated, nonchemically treated honey. I
know of the following link to a great article on organic certification.
 
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~entweb/apis/APFEB96.HTM#T1
 
 
It is almost impossible for me to get organic certification with all the
dairy farms, fruit crops surrounding my area.  Certification requires a
three mile buffer between bees and nearest source of
insecticide/herbicide/fungicide user.  I can manage bees without
insecticides and market my honey at approximately $3/lb.  As a small time
beekeeper <20 hives I can write off varroa/mite/PMS losses to exceptional
profit margin.
 
I originally got my ideas from traditional beekeeping standards in rural
areas of Tunisia, N. Africa.  I have seen info on a company called "Really
Raw???" in bee culture from the mid to late 80's.  This guy is in maryland
and while he started as a beekeeper he now buys honey from producers with
very strict standards controled with testing to insure quality and then
bottles and sells the product at very lucrative prices to organic stores
around the country
 
Hope This is useful.
 
 Mike
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               (   (__)_)_/  )\ \> Mike Griggs [log in to unmask]
                \__/\__/      Entomologist/Support Scientist
 
               HTTP://www.ppru.cornell.edu/biocontrol/griggs.html