Where is the shortage?

[Acebird]

Just up on Craigslist in nearby town.

http://utica.craigslist.org/for/2213189434.html

Doesn’t seem to be a shortage of honey in NY.

[G3farms]

Sure is a dirty looking honey house.

I would not want to jump to conclusions but can you say "import"

[Acebird]

I called them (trading company right in Utica NY).  I am told it comes from Upstate NY except for the orange that comes from Florida.  The Apiarist is going to contact me by email and we will see what his spiel is.  If he is local someone will know of him.

[VolunteerK9]

Probably a friend of a friend of a friend that is currently out of town. (Sorry, my skeptic side came out)

[G3farms]

Not sure of the NY laws but if he was selling FL honey here in TN then the apiary's would have to be registered.

Also the containers do not look to be properly labeled from the pics.

[Acebird]

It is looking like a scam of some sort.  The brand name that they are using has got the owner in a tither.  It will be interesting to see if he goes after them.

[Countryboy]

Sure is a dirty looking honey house.

That does not appear to be a honey house.  I saw no extraction or bottling equipment.  It appeared to be a storage area.  The buckets were very clean, and I've seen honey stored in a lot dirtier areas.

I would not want to jump to conclusions but can you say "import"

You're jumping to conclusions.  I would say the likelihood of it being an import is slim and none, and slim just left town.

Run the numbers.  The numbers are not there for it to be imported honey.  How many pounds do they have for sale?  (Do NOT tell me 'thousands', because they tell you EXACTLY how many pounds they are offering - count the buckets.)

Also the containers do not look to be properly labeled from the pics.

When selling wholesale, often the label is stuck to the shrink wrap on the pallet, or you use the bill of lading as the labeling.  Or they might stick a small label on the bucket before it leaves the door.

Probably a friend of a friend of a friend that is currently out of town. (Sorry, my skeptic side came out)

My guess would be a small-time sideliner who had the best honey crop in 25 years like we had here, and has more honey than they know what to do with.  They are still small enough that they haven't developed a market for that much honey, but are just big enough to be able to produce a couple tons.

[deknow]

we can guess all we want, but what we know from the craigslist posting is that the seller is advertising that you "can sell it as your own".

certainly, this is pretty standard practice (unfortunately), but it doesn't indicate the most honest person on the planet.

unfortunately, the beekeeper that buys honey to "sell as their own" are the most vulnerable (along with their customers), as they never have the honey tested...larger buyers do.  we've tested honey off the shelf labeled as coming from local beekeepers (even from "organic farms) that were 30% beet sugar....and no one believes that it was local to begin with.  one beekeeper that bought this honey (from another country) certainly thought he was buying local honey to sell as local honey.....not imported honey that was 30% beet sugar.  but of course, by the time he learns this, he's already gained the trust of customers with his "incredible honey"....he can't tell them that he bought it and didn't produce it...he can't tell them it is far less than pure...because they trusted him, and he has already lied to them (by saying he produced it).

wrt the cragslist posting, i have no idea who this is, where there honey comes from or what their businesss scruples are...but i'm wary that anyone that sells me something to resell and even suggests that i should lie to my customers about the origin could perhaps be a little fast and loose with the truth when talking to me about where they got it.

deknow

[hankdog1]

I have heard of import honey and it normally comes in 55 gallon drums.  Think this guy just has honey running out his rear wish i had that problem.