Timothy C. Eisele wrote:
>
> A major cost item that I don't see on your list, is labor.  My 
> understanding is that "organic" is expensive because is more 
> labor-intensive than standard commercial practice.  

You have to add another factor which is yield. Most commercial outfits 
out produce their organic counterpart. Interesting to see if the same 
goes for beekeeping. Seems it should since you limit the forage area and 
type of forage. Plus, just about every organic beekeeper in my area no 
longer keeps bees. That tends to decrease the yields.

There is nothing wrong with organic farming. I practice it, but as a 
gardener, not a make-your-living-from-it farmer.  I enjoy pulling weeds 
by hand in the garden and listen to the Red Sox beat the Yankees. Or 
pick off the Japanese beetles, Hornworms and Potato beetles. That is 
labor intensive and just what happens in most third world counties where 
"millions" are starving. (Actually, most countries can feed their 
people, just some choose not to do it so they can eliminate the 
opposition. Just look at Rhodesia and the Sudan. Or the USSR before WWII 
and the Cossacks- a friend of ours lived through that but lost her parents.)

Did you know that the over-all environmental impact of a Prius is 
greater than a Hummer, the most evil of the SUVs - a death spawn of 
Satan? But you feel better in your Prius since you think you are green. 
I toot along in my VW Diesel with better mileage and less impact than both.

That has a lot to do with the organic movement. You feel good about 
yourself even if the impact may be worse.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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