On Sep 11, 2013, at 7:47 AM, Karla Eisen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I rarely post on this list as I see it as mostly for commercials- but on this issue I have felt a bit compelled.
This is hardly the case. This discussion group is read all over the world by people from many fields. But my research has led me to discover there are far more non-professional beekeepers than I had supposed
This was written in 1990 but things haven't changed drastically
There are about 212,000 beekeepers in the United States, 95
percent of whom are hobbyists with fewer than 25 colonies.
Another 10,000 part-time beekeepers operate 25-299 colonies.
Commercial beekeepers, those owning 300 or more colonies, are
estimated to number about 2,000. Hobbyists and part-time
beekeepers combined account for 99 percent of the beekeepers, 50
percent of the colonies, and 40 percent of the honey production.
Hobbyist Beekeepers
The beekeeping industry has a preponderance of small operators
who keep honeybees as a hobby or for small-scale pollination of
orchard and field crops. The industry generally considers
hobbyists as beekeepers owning fewer than 25 colonies. There are
about 200,000 active hobbyists in the Nation, 90-95 percent of
all beekeepers.
Part-Time Beekeepers (Sideliners)
Part-time beekeepers or sideliners are classified as owners of
25-299 colonies. Units of this size are usually not large enough
to employ a beekeeper full time and beekeeping generally does not
serve as the principal source of income. However, since parttime
beekeepers sell the majority of their honey, they are more
concerned with honey prices and production costs than are the
hobbyists.
Honey: Background for 1990 Parm Legislation. By Frederic L. Hoff, and Jane K. Phillips.
Commodity Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Peter Loring Borst
Ithaca, NY 14853
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