> What are the REAL objections to an Organic Certified Honey.??
 
Let me try to be brief- Myself, I'd like to be able to tell people
that I do take some care in producing my honey. I don't use Apistan,
for example (at least not for now)- I'm using Mineral Oil.
 
Given the area that my bees forage- I know that what surrounds me is
only pastureland, but becuase I live on only 10 acres, I can't control
what everyone in the forage area is doing. It's definitely *not* doable
for me.
 
I don't understand how using foundation affects the honey in any way.
I don't heat or filter the honey.
I just can't get any more organic than this, given where I live.
It strikes me as a bit similar to telling anyone who uses irrigation
that they can't certify their produce as organic because they can't
assure that the water underground is entirely free of contaminants- yet
nobody suggests that.
 
Just my reaction to this. - I think there should be gradations of
"organic" After all, we shouldn't be designing agricultural policy to
drive out the small producer.
 
Phil Wood
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>
> #1. You don't HAVE to do it if you don't want to.  So if people don't want
> to provide it - they should get out of the discussion.  Flaming the issue
> is no help.
>
> #2. There IS a need for it.  Even on this list I see discussion on the
> different possibilities of contamination.  Thru apistan, thru forage, thru
> HFCS especially!  There are real humans who desire that their food is
> clean.  I am one.
>
> #3. It is do-able.  Organic farmers can provide clean forage.  Allowing the
> bees to make their own foundation is possible.  Treatment options exist.
> Perhaps what isn't possible is to continue taking everything from the bees
> without giving back.  Factory production mentality doesn't work with
> organic approaches.
>
> The only thing I don't understand is the tax issue.  Is it set up so that
> "organic" honey is taxed and the honey with contaminants and god knows what
> is not???
>
>    Jim Jensen         Atlanta, GA         [log in to unmask]