Honeybees and the Small FarmJanuary 27 & 28, 2016

Ozark Small Farm Conference, West Plains, MO

Grant F.C. Gillardgillard5 @ charter . net

www . grantgillard . weebly . Comwww . slideshare . net

Integrating honey bees as a complimentary enterprise

Why? Cash flow Honey for personal and home use Pollination of your own crops Honey as a complimentary product for an

on-farm store, possibly farmer’s market ** Specialty marketing: pollen, bees wax,

comb honey Value-added products: soaps and lotions

Pollen

Other Considerations Wholesale bottled honey to retail stores Bulk sales to other beekeepers – 5 gallons Consult county health codes (vary widely) Sell honey bees: splits and “nucs” $150 Sell queen honey bees: $35 - $50 Pollination/rental services: $50 per hive Sell beekeeping equipment as a dealer Teach beekeeping classes

Honey Bee Removal Service

Advantages and Benefits Limited seasonal work managing hives Bees (themselves) do not need attention Non-seasonal cash flow Perfect for including younger family labor Does not need a lot of land Bees fly two miles = 8,038 acres, your

bees basically trespass onto your neighbor’s land and steal their nectar

Challenges Some heavy lifting Seasonal work is hot and humid Reactions/tolerance to stings = need

protective clothing, i.e. veil, suit, gloves Understanding honey bee biology and the

appropriate timing of your management --Unproductive queens --Swarm prevention

Other Thoughts Hive placement: if you have an on-site

farm store, agri-tourism, pick-ur-own operations

Neighbors who spray pesticides and the potential for drift

Tremendous potential to start small and expand internally

Much of the equipment can be made from scrap lumber with a table saw

So what else does it take? A place/room to extract the honey A place to store the extracted honey A place to store empty equipment A place to market your honey Tolerance to pain from stings Attention to details and awareness of

timing

My Operation (at the present) 1/10 of an acre – residential lot

You don’t need a lot of land to keep bees 35 different locations

People want bees on their property 200 hives, more or less, part-time Sell honey at farmer’s markets, wholesale to

health food store, stand in the driveway My purpose is to produce honey and make

money (no apologies)

Economics Equipment for one hive $250 Bees for one hive $150 Per hive $400

Personal equipment, tools $500 Extracting, harvesting $500

Hypothetical Model Ten hives $4,000 Equipment $1,000 Total $5,000 Average production 60 – 100 pounds Average price per pound $4 per pound Gross $2,400 - $4,000 annually Annual upkeep, replacements $1000

Biggest Discouragements Swarming Wax moths Mites (varroa and tracheal) Small Hive Beetle Pesticides Winter kills Procrastination

Market Outlook

Incredibly StrongWe are a net importer of honey.

Consumer awareness is high.Locally produced is desired.

We need bees, and beekeepers.

Secrets to Success: (with just about anything)

Identify your purposeWhat do I want?

Make appropriate plansHow am I going to get there?

Rearrange your prioritiesWhere do I invest my energy?

Pursue it with passionHow much do I want it? (Hunger Factor)