BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
William Morong <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 2 Oct 2000 10:40:54 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (25 lines)
As a part-time beekeeper, I have another occupation, carriage
harness-maker.  In the past couple of years the market for my business has
suffered from the drop-out of the middle class.  The market has become
gentrified.  Part of that gentrification has been the arrival on the scene
of Ms. Stewart.  Instead of fulfilling their responsibilities to their
mostly ordinary members, some officials of driving organizations became Ms.
Stewart's sycophants.  Ms. Stewart made herself a prime feature of one
organization's annual meeting and drive at Acadia National Park, here in
Maine.  In the last twenty years, carriage driving had become more
democratic, now that progress seems be reversed.  I now build harness
primarily for old-money families.  Ms. Stewart is not responsible for
gentrification, she is just part of what has been happening.  However, I do
not applaud her arrival as a boon for carriage driving, as her relationship
to carriage driving best serves her own purposes.

There is nothing wrong with a rich person hiring competent help them to
dabble in either carriage driving or beekeeping.  There is a long tradition
of "gentleman-farmers", and such provide gainful employment for a few
skilled practitioners of agricultural disciplines.  The entry of one such
rich person is neither the salvation or downfall of any discipline.
However, if Ms. Stewart moves toward the political and regulatory forces in
beekeeping, heads up.

Bill Morong

ATOM RSS1 RSS2