Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => RAPID BEEYARD GROWTH => Topic started by: hooyaman on September 21, 2007, 11:16:51 pm
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where do you sell honey by the drum? is there a market for it, if so where do i find it on the net?
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http://www.honeylocator.com/ http://www.honeylocator.com/signup.asp how many drums do you have to sell 8-) RDY-B
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Can you update your profile to show where you live it makes it easier to answer these type of questions.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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I was just wondering, because i was looking at the ag page and honey was going for .58 cents a pound selling a minium of 10000 lbs. I just wanted to see if that was correct. because if it was, i dont see how anyone could make any money selling honey.
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now your catching on costs money to be big time ;) RDY-B
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Most of the smaller hobbyists I know (like myself) try to seek out venues where you can sell honey for full retail. Admittedly it's hard to find and takes some luck. I've been fortunate - I sell all I can harvest and want to part with through my girlfriend's stores (women's clothing, housewares, etc). We keep a couple of dozen 1 lb bottles on her counter to sell as an "impulse" item. I sell it as organic since I don't medicate and feed very little. In August I raised the price to $8.00 per bottle and no one has blinked an eye at it. Still, I end up giving most away as presents, charitable donations, etc.
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Well, I was just thinking that a person would have to be out of their mind to sell their honey for .58 cents a pound. i thought it would be more than that. 10000 lbs of honey would be a tractor trl load for a little over 5000.00 dollars. Thats crazy. guess you would have to find a different way to market your product. I will have 100 hives going next spring. I think I can book the hives for polination, but trying to figure out the best way to move the honey. Selling a couple hundred pounds over the winter isnt hard, but trying to sell several thousand lbs will be a trick, or a miracle.
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you will be able to find whole sale buyers no problem if you bottle it you can charge 4 bucks or so jar and label run about a buck (for easy figuring ) thats 3 bucks a pound profit. 100 hives average year could be 5-6 thousand pounds give or take. you could sell it by the drum to other beeks to supplement there crop one or two drums goes for a buck to a buck twenty per pound. you can sell it at the farmers market for any where from 5 to 6 bucks (thats my venue) so you can make something remember 100 colonies is still a hobby but you cant beat this hobby if you do it right ;) RDY-B
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that sounds a lot better. 3.00 was what i was figuring. I will be happy to get 2000 the first season. Thanks for the input. I feel a lot better about it now. Have a good one.
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Check with:
http://missourifarmersunion.org/coop/fmarkets.htm (http://missourifarmersunion.org/coop/fmarkets.htm)
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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I sell it as organic since I don't medicate and feed very little.
if your sales exceed $5,000 per year you are required to be certified to sell your product as organic. either way it is misleading unless you research the requirements for doing so and adhere to them. i believe that one of the requirements for organic honey is that the bees are foraging on certified organic nectar sources. if you are feeding syrup then the sugar needed to make the syrup needs to be certified organic. to some consumers this is very important and not following the rules is dishonest.
you could just sell your product as honey from unmedicated bees and be more honest.
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I sell it as organic since I don't medicate and feed very little.
Unless you are able to guarentee that no one within two miles is using chemicals you may not label it organic. You may label it chemical free but not organic.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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I direct you to the NOSB APICULTURE TASK FORCE REPORT
DRAFT ORGANIC APICULTURE STANDARDS
COMPILED BY JAMES A RIDDLE ATF CHAIR
If you follow these standards you will be able to register as organic and under the $5000 dollar exemption sell organic
if you use one location not all location it is not difficult. if you only sell one of your products as organic (not the hole shooting match ) such as your COMB HONEY it is not difficult. if you provide managed land in accordance with 205.207 your bees may also forage on NON ORGANICALYMANAGED LAND ( i have done my home work on tis matter) if i have more time i will try to get up the links. like i said you cant beat this hobby if you do it right ;) RDY-B (doing it right in cali. 8-)
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latest report keep in mind if you want to go past the $500 exemption which you should be able to find on your own.
you will have to be CERTIFIED which is other than REGISTERED. the CERTIFYING AGENSY will cost big bucks and you have to met there standards :( also the paper work will bury you :-\ like i said it cost money to be big time
this link will let you se some light on the subject look at 205.240 part F section (1)
these rules are to let the small farmer compete with large corporations and is supported by LAW ;) :) :lol: 8-) RDY-B
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Iguse the link would help :-D http://www.beesource.com/pov/organic/nosb.htm
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i think oregon tilth is the only certifier certifying bees. they have inspectors all over though...not just in oregon.
most retail outlets require certification if they are buying from you. and it cost about $500-$800.
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to get certified you have keep paying the agency to write the reports and keep with in the plan of the agency so you are on the hook and have to keep there services which means you pay them to come out and stand around ( which is how most inspections are) after it is all said and done you are several thousand dollars the poorer the essayist way is to do the whole farm and include the bees. then you can justify the expense or you will need to be a mega operation which is not where you want to go ;) remember being registered allows you to advertise and promote the O word.selling to retail is permitted but you can not pass the exemption mark of $5000 for your total sales of organic why waste it on a retailer when the money looks better in your pocket :loll: RDY-B
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I sell my honey to friends of friends, and they tell two people, and so on and so on.
I sell it for 1 cent per gram. The bottles are 500 grams (375 ml). There are 453.59 grams in a pound, so I am getting a little over $5.00 a pound. This has been my price always, it does not waiver. People are happy. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi
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what kind of bottle are you using -you know of course if those are liquid measurements for the bottle your honey weight will not be the same- honey weight is more than volume-I also find i cant get three pounds in a quart -but 4 quarts make a gallon so the tell me ;) and a gallon of honey weighs 12-pounds go figure (i guess the quart would be a liquid or volume measurement makes a difference) still tastes just as good though RDY-B
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now I see it if you are getting 1 cent per gram- and there are 453 grams in a pound you can not get $5.00 a pound you can only get $4.53 -took me a second look Im a little slow today been selling honey and talking bees at the farmers market many people love to talk about bees and honey - always keep a open mind about sales technique :lol: still would like to know what kind of bottle you use RDY-B
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what kind of bottle are you using -you know of course if those are liquid measurements for the bottle your honey weight will not be the same- honey weight is more than volume-I also find i cant get three pounds in a quart -but 4 quarts make a gallon so the tell me ;) and a gallon of honey weighs 12-pounds go figure (i guess the quart would be a liquid or volume measurement makes a difference) still tastes just as good though RDY-B
RDY-B, ooooooh you make me laugh. I get a kick out of the things that you say and it brings a smile to my face.
You are 100% bang on with me getting actually $4.53 a pound, not $5.00. I have no clue why I said I was getting a little over $5.00 a pound, that doesn't make any sense whatsoever, now does it? I am a strange breed :) :)
There is 11.8 pounds to a gallon of honey, that is the exact amount.
Honey weights 1/2 times again the weight of water (trivia) 1.5 specific gravity to be exact (trivia)
I use jars that hold by weight 500 grams, I know this for a fact. I have a supermarket scale that hangs up, it is very exact, right down to the gram, and I have used it for many years when weighing stuff. I know the exact spot to stop when I am filling the jars :) :)
I have never actually measured the liquid volume of the honey, only go by the weight. I think that if I measured the 500 gram bottle honey in ml, it would probably be 375 ml, but I could certainly be wrong, I have known to be wrong now and then :roll: ;) :)
RDY-B, I hope you had fun at your farmers' market. I think that is so very cool that you go and sell your produce there, that is a wonderful way to give to humans some good quality, home grown food. Yeah!!!! Good for you. We have a farmers' market in our area and I think that next spring my Sister and I are going to join and have some fun, taking any extra produce/eggs/honey there to have others enjoy with what we can grow and enjoy here too. You have a wonderful and beautiful day. Cindi
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I suppose there is a market for honey that has "certified", "registered", "organic", "unmedicated", "chemical free" and the like on a label. I would feel badly if the public at large came to feel that all honey is garbage if these phrases are not found on the label. It would be my hope that most local beeks that sell honest raw honey to local consumers would not have to place any such alarming words as chemical free on a honey label. I have sold most of my 300 pounds as "Pure Raw Honey" at farmers market and from my home, and folks have not required these rather alarming disclaimers from me. I do understand that to some folks, these assurances in print are important. However I feel that to most purchasing honey produced locally, the basic idea is that it is inherently different in these ways from big time honey.
FYI, I use integrated pest management . . . sbb's, strong Texas queens every other year, and a powdered sugar spritz late summer and fall. Yeah, I have mites to count, but not so many as to cause stress on the hives. No meds, but I cannot speak to the nectar sources near by. I have been fortunate, I know. I sell honey (link to my site is in my profile if one is interested) the old fashion way, in gussied up pint and quart mason jars for around $4.50 a pound, labeled as pure raw honey. When I extract, the temps still in the 80's and honey flows well without heat.
Guess what I am saying is I saw a lot of words that, if included on honey lables, could cast a cloud generally on a pretty wholesome product. What I did not see here is any discussion on just plain raw honey and trusting your producer. Granted in this the 21st century trust in our foods and food manufacturers is not what it used to be. My small market here is content with what we sell. I hope it is always so with me and you! JP
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I like what i see on your site I dont have a web site- Dont want to ship- dont want pay pal -I want to sell in person met and greet -talk bees and honey. see the smile on a kids face when i give them a FREE honey stick. dont know much about mail order honey through the internet.one thing puzzles me is the low number you threw out for your yield. are you in the process of a expansion. I wish you luck with your endeavors RDY-B
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Thanks for the "flowers" re my web pages. I only had two hives online for most of season and they did very well. My inner city location right next to the Millcreek provides something for the bees from late April until September. They really pack it in. Yes, I have added a third hive, and that will be it. Perhaps a real bee yard out west when I retire in 4 years, but maybe not. The photo and web design biz keeps me as busy and I really want to be.
I sell very little honey that is shipped. Most is as you enjoy . . . face to face with friends, co-workers and at Farmer's Market. The web site makes me appear bigger. Thanks again, rdy-b JP
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I love your site.My first bees I had up in Fruit Heights not to far from Ogden this was in the 70's.Keep up the good work
kirko
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Seems we have gotten a little off topic. The question is what honey processor ior buyer or what ever is buying bulk honey by the pail or barrell that I can ship to via UPS?
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You can only send pails UPS-how much honey do you have to sell? RDY-B
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I have none to sell. I produce it in the comb and my wife barters with it. Maybe some day i will have so much that I can sell some to packers.
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OK Im gonna drive yall crazy with questions. I want to ask and learn as much about beekeeping as I can before I dive in and begin beekeeping.
I am not expecting to make it rich selling honey, that is not my main intention for wanting to beekeep. But I was thinking that if my hives
( which I dont have yet) were to make an extra amount of honey that perhaps selling some would bring in some extra spending money for my family. So here are my questions:
-in order to sell honey to others and at farmers markets and places like garage sales do I need to be liciensed and or do I have to do anything to the honey to make it legal to sell?
- do you sell the honey freshly poured from the hive just like that?
-Is there a large desire out there in people to have fresh honey?
-About how long will honey last when stored? And where/how is the best places to store excess honey to sell/use later one?
Ty for answering my questions. :)
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OK Im gonna drive yall crazy with questions. I want to ask and learn as much about beekeeping as I can before I dive in and begin beekeeping.
I am not expecting to make it rich selling honey, that is not my main intention for wanting to beekeep. But I was thinking that if my hives
( which I dont have yet) were to make an extra amount of honey that perhaps selling some would bring in some extra spending money for my family. So here are my questions:
-in order to sell honey to others and at farmers markets and places like garage sales do I need to be liciensed and or do I have to do anything to the honey to make it legal to sell?
In some yes in others no. You may have to have a food bottlers license also.
- do you sell the honey freshly poured from the hive just like that?
Yes, that's raw honey.
-Is there a large desire out there in people to have fresh honey?
Yes
-About how long will honey last when stored? And where/how is the best places to store excess honey to sell/use later one?
In a large clean sealable container
Ty for answering my questions. :)
No worries.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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[author=BJ_BOBBI]
OK Im gonna drive yall crazy with questions. >> no you won't.
-in order to sell honey to others and at farmers markets and places like garage sales do I need to be liciensed and or do I have to do anything to the honey to make it legal to sell? >> You will need to check your area on specific regulations. I know in some states you don't have to have any special permits or even report your earnings as long as your sales are less or equal to $5,000.00
- do you sell the honey freshly poured from the hive just like that? >> yes.
-Is there a large desire out there in people to have fresh honey? >> God, yes!
-About how long will honey last when stored? And where/how is the best places to store excess honey to sell/use later on?
>> Some have honey houses that they keep warm yr round to keep the honey from granulating prematurely. The warmer the environment the longer it'll stay liquid. Honey can be kept for an extremely long time, yrs, as long as it is bottled properly.
Ty for answering my questions. >> you are quite welcome.
Sincerely, JP
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-About how long will honey last when stored?
They have found good honey in ancient tombs. It last awhile.
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-About how long will honey last when stored?
They have found good honey in ancient tombs. It last awhile.
Even the Pharoahs believed it was the nectar of the Gods.
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If "last" means stay liquid, that could be as short as a few weeks or as long as several years depending on many factors including how finely you filter it, what temperature it's stored at, what kind of nectar it's made from, if and how much you heated it, how much it was already crystallizing before you harvested it.
But crystallizing doesn't hurt it any.
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I have 5 (500 gram) bottles of honey left over from the year 2006 harvest. It is just starting to crystalize now, getting the kind of murky unclear look. Until then, nodda. I have compared the colour of that years honey to the first of the crush and strain that I did this year (about a week ago), the colour was identical. But I think the second part of the crush and strain may be darker, haven't taken a picture of it yet, but will. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, love our lives we live. Cindi
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Creaming is a great work-around w/the crystalization issues. Here I am luck as I keep my bees inside at 5°C (35-36°F) and keep my honey at that temp too. The lower the temp. the smaller the crystals and at just above freezing (or in a fridge) it turns a lovely creamy consistency and then can store at room temp. If honey is correct moisture (from capped cells) it will stay like that indefinitely.
If a customer wants liquid honey just tell them to put in pan of hot water on low till is liquid again.
One of the many benefits of living off the well beaten track, sell off the highway, farmers market, newspaper anywhere you can pretty well think of w/no licenses no fuss. This year which was my first I asked/got $5 for a pint (500ml) jar that weighs m.o.l. 650 grams or (calculator please) 1.444 lbs. This season will sell for $6 pint (500 ml) or $4.15/lb. what w/price of fuel etc. climbing almost hourly.
W/no prev. exper. w/bees-honey etc. was AMAZED at the popularity as well as all the homeopathic sort that rave it.
cheers
peter
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W/no prev. exper. w/bees-honey etc. was AMAZED at the popularity as well as all the homeopathic sort that rave it.
cheers
For the record I am not real big into a lot of the medicinal items I hear about it in regards to beekeeping. However I am not opposed to having them hand me their cash because they want pollen (which I think tastes like sand), propolis(which has the consistancy of bad chewing gum and a taste of bark), or something else they think will cure their aliment. And if it works for them even better.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
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One of the many benefits of living off the well beaten track, sell off the highway, farmers market, newspaper anywhere you can pretty well think of w/no licenses no fuss. This year which was my first I asked/got $5 for a pint (500ml) jar that weighs m.o.l. 650 grams or (calculator please) 1.444 lbs. This season will sell for $6 pint (500 ml) or $4.15/lb. what w/price of fuel etc. climbing almost hourly.
peter
Eeks, Peter. My jars hold 350 ml of liquid, by weight, they are 500 grams. I tell all my clients, it is 1 cent per gram. A fellow beekeeper locally that sells his honey charges $6.00 for 350 ml (500 grams). I am undercharging, obviously, and I think that you are too, you need to rethink this. There is 454.3 grams to one pound. That would be $4.54 a pound. I think that would be the standard price in Canada for the product that is not sold wholesale. If you want to talk more about this, give me a PM, or we could discuss here. Have a great and wonderful day, love our space on our earth, Cindi
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Don't I know it's too cheap.......
I've never been accused of undercutting lol but have 2 beekeep's in other farm mark and now saw one in an IGA (grocery store) yest. They are selling their honey for $6.75 a Kg. if you can believe that.
I got the $5 by going to stupor-store (superstore) and comparing what was on the shelf and picked not the lowest but in the middle.
But no-one had said a word about the price last season so I don' anticipate they will say anything about the $6 price tag for this season. Also have the edge that a lot bring up the relief from pollen allergies w/local (within a couple of KM) honey being good for that and as my 2 hives are in the back yard in the middle of the city I think I have the edge on that too.
I pack in 500ml (1 pint) glass Mason jars w/the top and ring so as to be 100% recyclable except for label and they use those generic plastic containers that most of the bee supply catalogues have.
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Hi Everyone Ive been pretty busy so I haven't been here in a while.
I have been slowly working on my Beekeeping business and I sell My Honey for $10.00 a pound. I Package My Honey in Jelly jars That you can get at Wal-mart. My 4 OZ. jars go for $3.00 dollars, My 8 oz. jars go for $5.00 and I can fit a lb of honey in 12 oz. jars selling them for $8.00. The funny thing is that nobody bought the 1 lb. I had to rebottle them in 8 OZ jars. Customers would buy 2 or three of these at a time. I usaully give away the 4 oz jars and the customers have always come back with cash for more. I feel that if I keep the prices in the "pocket change" area that the customer has no problem paying a premium price. I sell every bit that I harvest and usually have to go buy honey From a friend for $6.00 lb for our own use. I let my customers know that I don't use chemicals and I feed my bees honey during the winter. I also express that there is a limited amount and the Jars give it an quality look. We are currently getting ready to go from 4 hives to 14 hives this year. I had the Wal-mart Manager ask me to put honey on their shelves but I declined. I feel that it would "cheapen" my Honeys image. Because my 3 acre "farm" is in a somewhat residential district, I locate some of My hives on 3 Farmers properties. All three have noticed an increase in produce and asked for as many hives as I can put there. One guy even Made a road for Me. I charge Nothing and give them Honey in Exchange.They also sell some of my honey at their farms. I already have advance orders for about 350 lbs. next year and I am also starting to look into growing Mushrooms ( i Own and acre Of Cedar swamp.) I hope this helps and Good luck to everyone. Here Is to a SWEET season this year.
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Thom
Are your buyers local or part of a vacation crowd?
Just curious.
Hi Everyone Ive been pretty busy so I haven't been here in a while.
I have been slowly working on my Beekeeping business and I sell My Honey for $10.00 a pound. I Package My Honey in Jelly jars That you can get at Wal-mart. My 4 OZ. jars go for $3.00 dollars, My 8 oz. jars go for $5.00 and I can fit a lb of honey in 12 oz. jars selling them for $8.00. The funny thing is that nobody bought the 1 lb. I had to rebottle them in 8 OZ jars. Customers would buy 2 or three of these at a time. I usaully give away the 4 oz jars and the customers have always come back with cash for more. I feel that if I keep the prices in the "pocket change" area that the customer has no problem paying a premium price. I sell every bit that I harvest and usually have to go buy honey From a friend for $6.00 lb for our own use. I let my customers know that I don't use chemicals and I feed my bees honey during the winter. I also express that there is a limited amount and the Jars give it an quality look. We are currently getting ready to go from 4 hives to 14 hives this year. I had the Wal-mart Manager ask me to put honey on their shelves but I declined. I feel that it would "cheapen" my Honeys image. Because my 3 acre "farm" is in a somewhat residential district, I locate some of My hives on 3 Farmers properties. All three have noticed an increase in produce and asked for as many hives as I can put there. One guy even Made a road for Me. I charge Nothing and give them Honey in Exchange.They also sell some of my honey at their farms. I already have advance orders for about 350 lbs. next year and I am also starting to look into growing Mushrooms ( i Own and acre Of Cedar swamp.) I hope this helps and Good luck to everyone. Here Is to a SWEET season this year.
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Hi,
My customers are local. I get lots of repeat customers, all from giving away that small jar or taking a jar to work and leaving it in the break room. I also found that alot of people appreciate the natural, no chemicals idea. We will be living on our property and I plan on putting out some signs by the highway on the weekends. Iam sure that will bring in the tourist crowd. Also I was surprise when the local health inspector (for my new septic) bought some and the zoning board official also bought some.
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Speaking of 'sign by the highway' how many of you-all's locations is it a custom to leave a table w/some honey (produce, whatever) on it w/a small lock box and the price on a sign for 'honor system' sales??
I've seen it a couple of places here in Canada and thought what a good idea.
Wonder if it works?? I'd guess yes..... but I've been wrong before lol
cheers
peter
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I was wondering the same thing. I have bought honey and produce from farms in wisconsin whom used the honor system, But I am afraid that some local kids would clean me out the first day. I would like to trust people but Its hard.
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Maybe try just putting a half doz. jars out and see??
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I have been selling mine for 6 dollars a pound.
ThomBee I have had the opposite. I bottled a whole lot into little jars and right off the bat everybody wanted the biggest jars I had. I guess I reached the limit with one gallon at $45.00. And she said she wanted the biggest I had. So she bought all the rest of my small stuff.
Here are other sizes I had
4 oz jars @ $1.50
8 oz jars @ $3.00
16 oz jars @ $ 6.00
20 oz jars @ $ 7.50
2 pound jars @ $12.00
2 lb 12 oz jar @ $16.50
4 pound jar @ $24.00
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Customers are confusing sometimes. I know that One of My customers runs a daycare. She is working toward an all natural diet for the kids. Honey is part of that and she "reserved" a years worth of honey for her daycare. (All from giving her a small 4 oz. jar.) Next year my Marketing is going to be more aggressive than in the past. Mainly because I hope to have more honey available and We officially became a business This year. Our Product is marketed under the name "Yooper Honey" The picture under my user name is our logo. I also might do a price adjustment this year.
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ThomBee. That is pretty cool and I love the picture of the bee you use for your logo, good job!!! Have an awesome and wonderful day, love earth. Cindi
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Thanks Cindi,
The logo was designed because of the number one Question I am asked, "What do the bees do during the winter". So the logical answer is Snowshoe, sledding and ice fishing. I have Sub-logos for all of them. I plan on using one for comb and one for extracted etc. We also had one designed telling of the three reasons to buy local, "Better Quality, More Healthier and better for the Enviroment".
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Beauty. Cindi
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I have a design I want to use that was drawn by my late father. My mother's given name was Bee and Dad used to amuse her by drawing different pictures of bees on her lunch sacks when she brown bagged it. It is a cartoon of a bee carrying a bucket--that will be the basis for any label I might develop. My house is full of glass skeps for serving honey plus glasses, plates, cups, night lights, windchims, and garden pinwheels with bees on them because of my mother--so the label design would honor them both.
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Brian, how wonderful! I'm trying to come up with a label design myself, but I'm no artist - what I want is a sketch of maybe the corner of a barn with a nice hive set up just off that corner, something farmy and homey looking. I keep looking....
Such a nice legacy to draw from, I wish my father had lived long enough to share beekeeping with us - he kept bees for a few years before he died.
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Brian, oh what a beautiful picture you have painted in my mind's eye. Your Father must have loved your Mother very much, love.....what more could we ask for...I say this with many things, but indeed, love....
Those jar labels will be pieces of beautiful memories and art work, what a wonderful and beautiful thought.
I am going to make some new labels this year. Well, actually, I am going to have some made. There are some pretty stringent rules and regulations with honey labelling that is coming into effect, and being a member of the B.C. Honey Producers Association, I must comply. There are many companies locally that offer their services to create beautiful and unique honey labels. I just have to find the appropriate picture/logo that I want on it and then it shall be done. I still have labels that I created myself and had printed at a local print shop, but I need something new.....beautiful day, oh, brother, just a thought, that darn little pittie of my Daughter's, Titan, is laying beside me on the loveseat and decided he needed a pat, so I patted him. That was it. Now he tried to stop me from typing, he kept putting his paw on my left hand and stopping me from typing, I start to laugh and he starts to push my hand even more, I couldn't type, and the more he did this the harder I laughed and the harder he pushed my hand with his paw. Whew, he did finally stop when I pushed him off the couch. Oh these pooches make me wanna laugh!!!! Kooder and Kobie (the other pittie and dalmation/rottwheiller cross) are well behaved. They are laying on the other couch just watching Titan and his antics, knowing that sooner or later he is gonna get in trouble from me.....I can see them smiling that secret smile, just waiting for Titan to get it. Oh dear, where was I, right, the sign off. Have a wonderful and best day in our wonderful place on earth. Cindi
Remember to watch for the lunar eclipse tonight. Our moon will be hidden from 7:00 PM to 7:52 PM, is that the same time as everywhere else? Hee, hee, C.
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What about health dept laws? I make homemade cheese and at one time thought about going more big time but the laws(at least here) are really strict. You cant sell it out of your kitchen, you have to have a building dedicated to just that. There are time limits on how quickly you must process the milk. You cant sell any raw milk or raw milk products yada yada yada.... Are there restrictions like that on honey? I realize the laws are probably different all over I was just wondering generally.
Do you have to bottle the honey with in a certain time frame? keep it a certain temperature? can you bottle it from home??
Do most backyard beek sell their excess or give it away?
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What about health dept laws? I make homemade cheese and at one time thought about going more big time but the laws(at least here) are really strict. You cant sell it out of your kitchen, you have to have a building dedicated to just that. There are time limits on how quickly you must process the milk. You cant sell any raw milk or raw milk products yada yada yada.... Are there restrictions like that on honey? I realize the laws are probably different all over I was just wondering generally.
Do you have to bottle the honey with in a certain time frame? keep it a certain temperature? can you bottle it from home??
Do most backyard beek sell their excess or give it away?
Check with your local health department for those answers. If you're selling just a few jars at a Farmers maket there's usually not a problem other than common sense canning/bottling rules to avoid contamination. If you're going commercial it can be more involved.
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Here in Michigan the laws says that I can sell honey from my farm with no liscense. But if I sell it off location I need a liscense. I plan on building a dedicated honey house. Just a shed with cement floor and running water. I figure that the health laws are their to protect me just as much as to protect the consumer. I know that selling a Raw product such as honey comb, honey or produce is different from selling process foods such as cheese, smoked or dryed jalapenos, creamed honey. So check with the laws. Most of the time they are glad to help you because you are bring a much needed local product to the consumer.