An open letter to beekeepers,

     If you charge too much you'll know it because you'll soon have a surplus. If
you charge too little ( and keep track of the money) you'll soon find more money
going out than coming in. With hobbyists it's tougher to tell when you are charging
too little. Most don't bother keeping track of costs. (I didn't know how.)
    In a capitalistic system it's your job to get as much per unit as possible.
It's the consumer's job to make you keep the price reasonable. If you don't press
for the best price ( for whatever reason) then, you artificially deflate the
market. Deflated markets do no one any good in the long run.
    Examine the current situation with beekeeping. I am a sideliner trying to keep
down the number of hives I manage. I charge a premium for honey, ( up to $6.00/ lb
US for extracted)  people still get mad when I tell them I've sold my crop. Farmers
are fighting between themselves for hives for pollination. I've turned down
contracts for twice the number of colonies that I own and have others agree to
share their orders because there are no beekeepers around willing to spend the
hours late into the night moving bees ( and they want to stay on speaking terms).
    Why is this so? Why isn't the number of beekeepers rising to meet the demand?
Ask any commercial beekeeper. They'll tell you it's a labor of love and anyone who
wants to embark on this business is crazy because you can't make any money. Why is
that? Costs are high but the prices charged are not high enough to cover the true
costs. The situation will only get worse as the older beekeepers retire ( in many
cases, again ) and there are not enough young beekeepers stepping up to take their
place and the feral honeybees continue to be lacking.
    I am at my current goal, financially and in a growth sense, with beekeeping (
it is self sufficient and covering the costs for rapid growth and equipment), I
have raised the prices for pollination, every grower has commented,  I tell them
honest answers regarding true costs and the situation. Some even have said they
expect they will be paying a little more next year to ensure they get their orders.

    Do you know your cost is for a pound of honey?  If you don't know, you can't
know how to reduce it.

Thom Bradley
Chesapeake, VA

Greg Hankins wrote:

> >I sell a dozen Ross Rounds for $27 ($2.25 per) and I'm told by some that I
> >over
> >charge.  I know some who sell for FAR less and I admonish them for giving them
> >away!
>
> Aaron,
>
> Thanks for the input. What price are your wholesale customers getting at
> retail? Under $3.00?
>
> Thanks again
>
> Greg
>
> Greg Hankins                    Happy Hank's Honey House
>