David Eyre wrote:
 
Our's must be the only business where the middle man sets the
buying price.
 Normally the seller sets the price, but in our case we are told what
price 'they' will pay, regardless of quality or quantity.
        Until that trend is changed low prices will be the norm. Perhaps
the time has come to cut the ties to 'them'.
 
Yo David:
 
Unless you are including agriculture in general, artists, authors, and now that portion of the medical community (US) operating under the HMO approach, etc., under your heading of "Our's," I suggest you go back and retake Economics 101 one more time.
 
Please don't misinterpret what I am attempting to say.  You have a good point in that the honey business is being attacked from a new front. However, it's known as the free enterprise system.  Like all those who have gone before, we will either have to learn to beat the competition or move on to another line of work.
 
See your fellow countryman Bob Darrell's post on this same subject.  I realize this is out of the realm of the large commerical beekeeper, but the theory is the same...
 
Skip
 
 
Skip & Christy Hensler
THE ROCK GARDEN 
Newport, Wash.
http://www.povn.com/rock