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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
James Fischer <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 10 Mar 2015 07:07:11 -0400
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I am familiar with this issue, as I must periodically go through a review
process to keep the certification of Fischer's Bee-Quick as "certified for
use in organic beekeeping".  The only place in the USA that can comply with
the draconian requirements in regard to forage area is Hawaii, as they have
extensive unmanaged national forest area and state forest area.   There used
to be HOFA, the Hawaii Organic Farmers Association doing the certifying, but
now it is ICS International, working as a "certifier" under the USDA rules.

Organic Beekeeping regs are still very much up-in-the air, and there is no
USDA "rule" yet. This is mostly due to the unique nonsense requirement that
a beekeeper somehow know the organic status of land in a radius of several
miles from his hives, so there is not a lot of consistency in the
certification of organic honey.  The different certifiers each take the
rumored "future USDA rule", and/or different bits of the organic rules for
other types of food and apply them to honey.  This can lead to extensive
"forum shopping" by the large conglomerates who have the money to keep
paying fees until someone approves their products. 

As a general rule, I'd be very suspicious of any organic certification from
a country exporting honey to the USA, that said, there are clearly some
folks who are trying very hard to observe the correct practices and
protocols, as I track geo-locations for those who go to the trouble to
download my organic-certification paperwork.  The paperwork required to
maintain theses certifications is a constant headache, so a true organic
beekeeper has a stack of 3-ring binders, or he is not worthy of the
designation "organic".

For a time, I thought I could obtain organic certification for my bees, as I
kept bees in the VA national forests along the Blue Ridge mountains, but it
turned out that the USDA itself, through the Forest Service, was using
pesticides to fight the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and the Gyspy Moth in both
the George Washington and the Jefferson National Forests.   Since I've left,
the Emerald Ash Borer has also in invaded from VW and MD.

None of the pesticides did much, I lost all the Hemlocks in my own woodlot,
even one in my front yard.
Not much you can do except cut them down and sell to timber-framer artisans,
as there was no saving a tree once it was infested.

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