There are a lot of good comments coming through on this thread, but we all
need to beware of wanting to use 'Organic' to differentiate 'our' honey from
the 'big guys'.

I sell lots of honey through our local food coop.  An upscale market that
just grew out of a storefront founded in the 60's by a few hippies.  Money
doesn't seem to be an factor for anything that is (1) local or (2) organic.
The manager of the produce area, where my honey is placed, tells me that (2)
is far LESS important than (1)!

Case in point.  I had been casually aware that the vast US garlic farms in
California had been vanquished by garlic from China, but I was unaware of
the full extent of this.  This past fall I was lamenting the scarcity and
small size of local garlic with the manager of the area.  She agreed and
said that the scarcity and size was causing her to buy the Chinese stuff and
pointed out that even that labeled Organic was from China!   I was
astounded.  Not as good looking as the 'big white stuff', but clearly
labeled as both 'from China' and 'Organic'.  She told me that her customers
will always buy local first, but when they want Organic they don't care if
it is from China or Nebraska.

Mark my words, we will see Organic Honey from China (and from New Zeland,
Argentina, etc.).  Are there Organic Police?  If not, who knows?

Protect your brand...label by variety (if possible) and by all means label
as LOCAL.  If you can justify it, also label as 'no pesticides or
antibiotics', etc.  BTW, I know of one large regional packer who is now
testing samples from every supplier for fluvalinate, coumaphous,
terramyacin, Tylosin, and (I forget the name...the ingredient in sheep dip
used for mites).  I understand that it is not unusual to reject honey
from beekeepers because of detecting one of the latter two ingredients.  (I
do not know the levels detected.)

Lloyd

--
Lloyd Spear
Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacture of equipment for round comb honey sections,
Sundance Pollen Traps, and producer of Sundance custom labels.
Contact your dealer or www.RossRounds.com

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