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

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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

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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.