In all of the posts that dealt with the question, one thing has been
missing, which is the answer to the comment

> I'm talking about somebody with a payroll of 50 or so who does his
> beekeeping from an office
>
> I cannot see any beekeeper ever in an office. That was brought home to me
recently. A friend is a manager of a couple of local McDonalds. You can
find him behind the counter, at the fryer, at any place he is needed. Same
with beekeepers. They will be in the field not in an office. That has been
my experience and doubt if you will find it different anywhere in the
country. Most of the reason is that the owner has to be where the action is
because they are the only ones who are personally invested in the outcome.
They also have the experience, compared to the workers, to quickly identify
problem colonies and take action. Typically it is the boss who is first in
and last out, so if you want a comfortable life, be a worker but if you
want a fulfilling life, be the boss. Life suddenly has texture. They would
be stressed to the limit stuck in an office. Management by walking around
is the most successful management. (That is what the show "Undercover Boss"
is all about and what they should have been doing all along.)

Agriculture is a bit topsy-turvy. The producers, namely the
farmer/beekeeper, are the ones who are on the low end of the profit chain.
So if you want to make money, get into distribution (as my son in Hollywood
is). Sue Bee is classic smart beekeeping. Great oligopoly.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm