On Sat, 3 Dec 1994, Andy Nachbaur wrote:
 
>    ______________________
>   (//////////////////////)   I have been looking at these prices
>   (//////////////////////)   and reporting them for many years and
>   /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\   it finally dawned on me that what
>  |     Wild Flower!       |  producers are getting for their Honey
>  |                        |  does not amount to much. Our industry
>  |  _   _          \    / |  is close to the point of parity with
>  | | |_| | __      _ \/   |  other 3rd world commodity producers.
>  | | |-| |:  :|\ |:_ ::   |
>  | |_| |_|:__:| \|:_ ||   |  It boggles my mind that any producer
>  |                        |  can really call this a business with
>  |  Product of USA..16oz  |  these kind of returns.
 
No, Andy, this is NOT a business - it's an obsession :[
 
We are running a third world business in a first world (are we in the
*first* world?  - I never quite figured out this first, second, third
thing - where exactly does it originate???) country(s).
 
According to the free market guys(gals), production should go where there
is competetive advantage.  We shouldn't be here at all running labour
intensive businesses - all the beekeeping should be where labour is CHEAP.
We should be producing information (or something).
 
(Pollinate your crops with info, you orchard guys)
 
The only way we survive is by adapting technology, using recycled
equipment and taking advantage of the superior infastructure (especially,
but not exclusively roads) in the developed countries.  Management has to
be razor sharp, and marketing, wise.
 
Many beekeepers are on the canvas or have been recently.
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                      VE6CFK
Rural Route One, Swalwell,  Alberta  Canada  T0M 1Y0
Phone/Fax: 403 546 2588      Email: [log in to unmask]