On Thu, 8 Feb 2007 18:27:26 -0600, Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Why do you dislike Sioux Honey Brian? Sioux is a coop of the U.S. largest
>beekeepers. True the coop still has to buy some honey to keep up with demand
>but for  the most part U.S. beekeepers honey.
>
>Sure its processed but so is ALL larger packers honey.
>
>bob


I would not say I have any particular feelings toward just Sioux as an organizartion or as a packer 
other then indifference....you're right they are probably the more ethical of the packers at least in 
our region.

I just don't see the path that commercial beekeeping is on as being sustainable so I don't support 
the packer industry. I sell what they are not.....so they are quite useful as a comparative product. 
We do not share many of the same goals or objectives

With the interstate movements of bees and the chemical treadmill the big guys are on its just one 
cluster after another. For all we know today they could be bringing the fall dwindle disorder or 
whatever we call it this week to my and your back yard in the coming months. This is lunacy!

The packers are part of this problem too as the low price of honey (which they help sustain) makes 
interstate movement more appealing.

I'm pissed off too that the Mn state bee regs have been disbanded so I cannot even find out where 
the small hive beetle keepers are near me, nor will there be any oversight for any beekeepers to 
contend with anymore. 

When I asked the MN Honey Producers Associations' president at the winter meeting if they would 
consider requiring their members to provide bee yard locations to other members like myself they 
were not interested  (they were behind the disbanding of state regs). What a self serving position 
eh?  I guess the message was go big or stay home chump.

BTW, Marla Spivak got a fresh load of beetles last spring from a Mn hive beetle keeper who sells 
packages from his TX location and now has them in her research colonies at the U/M campus in 
St. Paul. What's wrong with this picture? 

I see the commericial bee industry as the equivalent to a feedlot type of industrial food production 
system where often ethics take the back seat to profits at anyones expense. 

Its just not my cup o tea... 

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