Mark B. asks $8.00 to produce a lb of honey?  Yes!
I live on a small 'hobby farm' growing vegetables, plants, selling eggs and 
honey all to local folks.  I do it because I love the lifestyle and I work 
long hours off the farm to be able to support it and all the usual 
expences.  We are all organic and I have not treated any of my hives though 
I have certainly lost hives as a result.  When I do I start again with a 
package, a nuc or a split. Their are all kinds of profit in what I do but 
not any finacial gain.
You are absolutely correct that my problem is one of scale.  If I produced 
more honey it would cost me less to produce. But that would feel a lot like 
a job and I have one of those already.
I have a lot of respect as well as concern for commercial beekeepers-I 
don't know how you do it!  I am certainly glad that I don't have to.  
My 'big' contribution to beekeeping is all the money I spend each year on 
supplies, books and magazines, and bees.  my best, Howard 

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