Hello everyone, “Wine - A beverage made of the fermented juice of any of various kinds of grapes, usually containing from 10 to 15 percent alcohol by volume.” I guess this definition covers most of the wine that is sold today. Given this, why when I go to the Liquor Store (PA does not permit sales of alcoholic beverages in grocery stores) should I not purchase the biggest and cheapest bottle I can find? It’s all the same, right? “Honey - A sweet yellowish or brownish viscid fluid produced by various bees from the nectar of flowers and used as food.” This is a basic dictionary definition of honey. I would venture a guess that 95% of the global honey crop will fall into that definition. Again, why would I not buy the biggest and cheapest jar I can find? It’s all the same, right? Much to the disappointment of the true connoisseur, there are individuals who will answer yes to all the above questions and they are quite happy knowing they got a good price. However, there are also a great number of individuals who would strongly disagree and do so every day by paying more for one type of wine/honey over another. It is a matter of “taste”, and QUALITY of the product. I totally agree with others on this list (Bill’s post should be placed in the special archives) that the Organic Honey label is quite misleading. You cannot use standards for one part of agriculture and try to equally apply them to another. I think a lot of it is, as Bob said, “all about the money”. I really don’t want to debate the organic argument. My point is about the quality of the honey we put in the jar and how it should be valued. I believe that, just like wine, there can be a great difference in the honey on the shelf and it should be priced accordingly. If a beekeeper works for one floral variety of honey, and keeps it as separated as possible from other varieties, and keeps the processing to a minimal, he/she can end up with a product that tastes different than something mass produced. If consumers agree, they will pay more for it, as they should. I am really bothered by someone marketing honey using some buzz words, (organic, raw, unheated), knowing full well it all comes from the same process as the stuff they sell to the packers. That is truly about the money. Quality honey should be something we all strive to produce. Some beekeepers are really into honey contests. For some it is fun to compete, but I don’t usually enter them for the same reason I am not into beauty pageants or showing animals. The competition is fun, but in most cases it is not real world. It is the best of the best and there is merit there and again it is fun to compete. I think a more realistic contest would be for the judges to get samples of whatever is being judged by buying them unannounced. Then if you win it really says something about your product. What you put up for sale is truly the “best of the best”. Comb honey is the way honey should be eaten. Obviously, most consumers don’t want it that way so it is extracted and put in a jar. In a lot of cases the honey that finally ends up in the jar is significantly different from where it started in the comb. It’s been spun out, heated, filtered and blended with other honey. I am not saying this is bad, just different. Some folks will argue there is no difference. Maybe, but it does not really matter because there consumers at every level. What I am really opposed to is someone trashing the other guy’s product. If I think I have a better product I tell the customer what is good about my honey not what is wrong with someone else’s. Consumers are fickle. They want, what they want, when they want it. The farmer’s market where I sell my honey is run by the State Dept of Ag. It is advertised as having PA farmers. Yet there is at least one complaint every week because no one is selling bananas. I have folks who buy unheated honey from me and then use it for baking, or tell me they put it in the microwave when it crystallizes, yet they still insist on unheated honey. The best one happened a few weeks ago. I had a customer stop by the house to pick up some honey. They were not from the area and had purchased our honey during a festival in the Fall. People will return for something they like. However, they were really disappointed because we don’t live in a hundred year old farm house and my wife is not a “little old lady”. They came right out and said this. I think we have to strive to put out a quality product, be honest in what we say we are selling, and don’t try to make your product better by trashing another beekeeper’s product. Just give the facts and let the consumer be the judge. Ron Ron Bogansky Kutztown, PA _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---