On Tue, 22 Jan 2002 16:32:52 -0500, Tim Arheit <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Are there any written rules to what you can call Organic Honey?  Obviously
>other livestock rules don't apply well to bees.
>
>-Tim

For the U.S., the draft standards are available at
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/nop2000/nosb%20recommedations/Livestock%20recomm
end/apicl-finldrft.htm or (if that URL is daunting) through the USDA Ag
Marketing Service National Organic Program web site.

Some key points that I've seen: In addition to locating the hives on organic
land, the organic apiculture plan must:

          (1) Contain a map of the forage zone which shows the location of
the hives, the location of organic and wild land, and the location of all
non-organic areas;

          (2) Describe the quantity of organic and/or wild forage to be
provided per colony, including the type or types of forage, approximate
bloom period, forage density, competing species density, honeybee colony
density, colony health, colony strength, topography, and climatic
conditions;

          (3) Describe the water sources available in the forage zone;

          (4) List all sanitary landfills, incinerators, sewage treatment
facilities, power plants, golf courses, towns or cities, land to which
prohibited materials are applied, and all other sources of potential
contamination located in the forage zone;

and so on.  I'm not sure how to estimate some of these....

Adrian Barta
Mt. Horeb, WI