Hi Al and the rest of ya'll;
 
>From your thread on the National Honey Board
 
On Fri, 17 Oct 1997 09:04:22 -0400 Al Welk <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>Walter Patton wrote:
>> Is everyone ready for the national honey board to start collecting
>.01
>> cents/lb from the producer as well as the first handler. Thats whats
>go=
>ing to
>> happen.
 
The current proposal is to collect an additional .01 cents/lb from the
packers.  Now some believe that all assessments come from the pockets of
the producers in lower prices paid for their honey, but others say all
costs are passed on to the consumer ... your call.
 
> I don't produce enough honey but I work with a
>man who yielded about 5600lbs this year.  At .01=A2/lb he would putt
>out
>$56.00US. If he get his asking $3.00/lb he grosses $16,800.  He would
>invest 0.3%, that's three tenths of one percent of his gross towards
>advertising, access to marketing information. That's less than what he
>has to pay for his business license.
 
Your friend doesn't produce enough honey either.  Exemptions are freely
granted to anyone producing less than 6000lbs/yr.  So until you are
producing ten+ barrels a year or are selling in bulk to a "first handler"
you responsibility ends with the request for exemption.
 
>OK I'm naive on this but I was willing to pay the NHB just to get some
>of the free to members information that they have.  It'a a great
>sourse
>of educational material for when I go to schools and things.
 
It is clear that I fully support the National Honey Board in their
efforts to "increase the demand for honey and honey products".  My wife
and I manage about fifty hives, package and retail in the local market
less than 6000 lbs/yr.  I put myself in the category of
"hobbyist/producer/packer/retailer" and extensively use the resources of
the National Honey Board in my marketing plans.  The dollars are just not
there in my small operation to support a developmental
advertising/educational budget.
 
Next time you call the Honey Board ask for a copy of  26 Ways to Say
"Honey, I Love You!"
 
>I agree with you that the more you can keep big brother out the better.
 
"Big Brother" did establish the National Honey Board, but only at the
request of the beekeeping industry.  The Board consists of 13 members
including producers (7), packers (2), and importers (2) as well as a
representative of a cooperative honey marketing association and a
representative of the general public.  All Board members represent the
honey industry of the United States and Puerto Rico and serve without
compensation for their time.  Candidates to fill vacancies on the Board
are selected from a list provided by the National Honey Board Nominations
Committee.  Each state association submits the names of two potential
committee members to the Department of Agriculture.  The Secretary of
Agriculture then appoints one of the candidates to be that state's
Nominations Committee representative.
 
Two other items you can request from the Honey Board are "Everything You
Ever Wanted To Know About The National Honey Nominations Committee" and
"National Honey Board - The Official Handbook".
 
Two additional resources that are available in your backyard:
 
Georgia Beekeepers Association, Inc.
P.N. Williams, President
528 Bridge Avenue
Forest Park, Georgia  30297
 
Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association
Telephone (770) 424-0076
Meetings the second Tuesday of each month at the North Fulton County
Annex at 7741 Roswell Road, Beginning at 7:00 p.m.
 
Best of Beekeeping
 
Rick & Nancy Leber, Beekeeping Since 1987
Mobile, Alabama
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