>
> Date:    Mon, 20 May 1996 16:27:29 -0400
> From:    Tim Peters <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Decisions! Decisions!
>....
> When I rotated deeps I filled the 2nd deep w/foundation frames. As of
> the 15th, none of the frames had been drawn out. I'm not too concerned
> at this point because these girls got started slowly last year. I'm
> not very impressed with Walter Kelley Italians at this point. Bees
> working some days..but not as much as #1.
>
Whoa!  Tim, this is a world wide forum and you have just slandered
Walter Kelley for a trait of Italian bees!  Originally from a
Mediterranean climate, Italian bees are not known for their rapid spring
buildup, but they will catch up as the season gets warmer.  If this
is not to your liking, a statement like "I don't care for Italian bees
in Vermont" is appropriate.  But you should be careful not to blame (or
defame) Walter Kelley or his livelihood based on the genetic traits of
the bees he supplied!
>...
> Be advised that I don't want to reduce the number of hives by
> combining or increase the number of hives (beyond 5). 4-5 hives will
> yield a honey crop that I can handle with the resources I have now.
> I have financial limitations that prevent me from growing larger at
> this time.
>
> For my commercial beekeeping friends...what information is available
> to someone who wants to know more about becoming a commercial
> beekeeper?  I have turned the idea over in my head from time to time...
> but I don't have any info to help me take the next step.
>
It seems to me that the above two paragraphs are somewhat mutually
exclusive, although I don't know and would be interested in the answer.
I too have pondered the commercial possibilities, but have never spent
too much gray matter on it as I have a slim wallet and see a
commercial venture as placing an extreme demand on a tight budget.  I
always figured that I'd need some sort of outside funding.  Small
Business Association?  Rich Uncle?  Lotto?  Hey, you never know!
Kelley Rosenlund went from a never ever to a commercial operation very
quickly, perhaps she has some tips?  Or Perhaps David Goble from down
under?  I would be interested in knowing minimal start up costs,
equipment required (beyond what a hobby beekeeper needs), sources of
funding, minimal number of hives required to make a go at it (an
estimate given on this forum was 200), ways to find beeyards, employee
requirements, hesitancy of established operations to give hints to
potential competitors, and whatever else I may have overlooked.  I'm
sure there's a lot more to making the jump from hobby to livelihood
than meets the eye.  This is indeed an interesting topic Tim has raised!
 
Sincerely,
Aaron Morris - I think, therefore I bee!