organic beekeeping
TRANSCRIPT
Organic BeekeepingGrant Gillard
gillard5 @ charter . net
www . slideshare . netwww . grantgillard . weebly . com
“Organic Beekeeping”https://www.createspace.com/5273543
At the farmer’s market…
“Is your honey organic?”
What are they really asking?How do you answer?
Why do they want to know?What’s at stake here?
What’s at stake?How we treat our bees and the integrity of how our honey is produced.
Consumer confidence that they are buying a wholesome, pure product.
The health of the hiveSynthetic chemicals
“Killing a bug on a bug”Sub-lethal residues left behind in wax
Increased resistance in the bugsRequires greater potency and stronger toxicity
The “treadmill” effect
Integrity of the productResidues showing up in honeyLabel directions and restrictions
ignoredUse and abuse of legal products“Kitchen Sink” concoctions and “off-
label” treatmentsTreatments when honey supers are
on
General PrinciplesNothing poisonous goes into the hiveMinimal intrusionNo residues that accumulateMinimal disruptionHealth of the hive first and foremostHoney production distant second
Million Dollar Questions
“What does it mean to be organic?”
“On what basis can I claim my honey is organic?”
RealityUSDA - Organic Foods Production Act of
1990In 2002 – rules that define and regulate the
productionhandlinglabeling and marketing of organic products
Maintain a list of allowed and prohibited substances (subject to change)
Offer certification (not required)
CertificationThree-year transition periodExtensive record keepingOn-farm inspectionsAccountabilityThird-party verification (if one can be
found) **inconsistencies between agencies
Very expensive and time consuming
Face to face marketing“It’s more important to tell people what I do and don’t do,
rather than being certified.”
Know your beekeeperKnow what you’re buyingKnow where you honey comes from
$100,000 Dilemma
Because the definition of “organic” is now sanctioned
solely by the USDA, no one may simply claim they are
“organic.”
Certified Naturally Grownwww.cngfarming.org
“Grass roots alternative to certified organic”Simpler to administer, less cumbersomeLess expensive“Peer” driven (CNG farmers, extension
personnel)subject to random pesticide residue testing
Pioneers in the fieldDee LusbyMichael BushSam Comfort (emphasis on top bar hives)Solomon Parker (more Treatment-Free)“Organic Beekeeping” Facebook page
Organic Beekeepers Conference
Understanding the Basics“Organic” is
A philosophyA management planA practiceA long-term, wholistic unity
“Strength (production) from within”
Organic Baseball
Writing organically
OrganicsOriginates in natureWas once a living organism, plant or animal
Perceived as “safe”Not a synthetic productNot something “chemical”
OrganicsBigger pictureLarger scopeIntegration of principles
“Feed the soil, not the plant.”
Organic Beekeeping
Organic Beekeeping
Treatment-Free
Beekeeping
Organic Beekeeping
Treatment-Free
Beekeeping
Natural, orChemical-Free
Beekeeping
Organic Beekeeping
Treatment-Free
Beekeeping
Natural, orChemical-Free
Beekeeping Synthetic Chemical Treatment
s
The environmentApiary location criticalBees fly up to 2 miles to forage, but
focus on the closest sourceYou cannot control where the bees
flyYou cannot control what your
neighbor plants or sprays
Draw a mapOne is required for every apiary
locationInner circle = a radius of 1.8 miles
(3 km)Forage Zone6,511 acres
Outer circle = a radius of 2.2 miles (3.4 km)
Surveillance Zone3,215 additional acres
Su
Forage ZoneOrganic
Production
Surveillance Zone
Not necessarily organic, but may not pose a threat to the organic practices in the Forage Zone
Inventory land use and inputsPast three yearsMust be organic in Forage ZoneEvery farmer must comply to
organic standards
☻
סס☻
Hive BodiesNon-synthetic materials (wood)No BEE-MAX polystyrene hivesOld fashioned Kelley plastic
componentsNo pressure-treated wood
Exterior finishPaint is paint, once dryKelley ECO Wood TreatmentNew products every year
Cedar Shield www.cedarsiders.comNon-toxic, wood stabilizerWood can be painted
Frames and FoundationWood framesCommercial foundation, residuesPlastic foundation, dipped in organic
beeswaxFoundationless frames, bees draw
out their own cell size (you get a lot of drone cells)
Small cell (but need to regress)
Organic Bees WaxBees are “flying brooms,”
electrostatically charged.Wax was contaminatedQuestion: was “organic” wax more
contaminated than commercial foundation?
Acquiring BeesPersonally, I love feral stock“free” bees through swarm trapping
NOP = don’t care where you get themPurchased bees must be transitioned
for one year under organic protocolsSplits – ready to goOr buy from an organic producer
Mite treatmentsBees must be treated“Bond” method or neglect not
allowedTreatments allowed, provided the
treatment is not synthetic, andNot prohibited under section 205.604, and
Are allowed under section 205.603Formic acid recently approved
HarvestingBee repellants not allowed
Honey robberBee-go
New products made from essential oils not approved, but things take a long time to reach the National List
FeedingHoney bees may not be allowed to
starveSugar syrup must be made from
organic sugar
Record KeepingThe corner stone to moving ahead
with organic beekeeping
Organic production may not be mingled with non-organic production
If I want to go organic….If you gross over $5,000 per yearStart by writing an organic systems
plan (OSP) to tell how you will follow the regulations. Think of it as a conventional “business plan.”
Keep records for three years to demonstrate you are following the regulations.