Author Topic: Club Meeting (Read 6688 times)

brooksbeefarm · « **on:** November 26, 2014, 10:35:51 pm »

I was one of 6 members ask to set at a table in front of the members and asked questions about how we got into beekeeping and what we do when we find problems, and took questions from from the members

. One question i was ask, How many miles from my home that i consider Local Honey? My answer was 100 mile radius, because i think the plants, trees, bushes, ect. that the bees work doesn't change much within a 100 mile circle? Was wondering some of your thoughts??? Jack
PS. there was other questions i would like to ask what forum members think, I had some different opinions on this one.

Riverrat · « **Reply #1 on:** November 26, 2014, 10:51:55 pm »

I think 100 miles is a good answer. It all depends on why they are wanting the honey. If they want raw honey just to have honey it doesn't matter how far away you are. If they are wanting it for allergies. It depends on what they are allergic to. If its dust mites local honey will do them no good. If its for pollen it doesn't matter if your in Kansas or California if the bees are foraging on the same plant species as your allergies it may help. However its best to find the honey as close to home as possible. Theres my answer what do I win

Lburou · « **Reply #2 on:** November 26, 2014, 11:27:03 pm »

FWIW, I've read (don't know where) that 20 miles was considered local for allergies. Prevailing winds should be a factor too.

Slowmodem · « **Reply #3 on:** November 26, 2014, 11:38:17 pm »

Quote from: Lburou on November 26, 2014, 11:27:03 pm

FWIW, I've read (don't know where) that 20 miles was considered local for allergies. Prevailing winds should be a factor too.

If you live close to mountains, the vegetation can vary greatly, too.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #4 on:** November 27, 2014, 12:06:05 am »

Maybe they were thinking how many miles from field to table. They might have been a locavore.
I don't really have an answer, I just wanted to sound like I'm a thinker.

Zweefer · « **Reply #5 on:** November 27, 2014, 01:09:46 am »

I would say 60 miles. If I have to drive more than an hour, I'm no longer local

Jen · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2014, 01:16:49 am »

I think I like that one Zweef. Even, 35 miles in our area. We leave our town which is high desert and go 35 miles to our home town ending up in dense alpine terrain.

iddee · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2014, 06:33:13 am »

The common consensus is 25 mile, but I would answer with the question, "How many people are there in a small town"?

GLOCK · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2014, 01:01:57 pm »

Quote from: Lburou on November 26, 2014, 11:27:03 pm

FWIW, I've read (don't know where) that 20 miles was considered local for allergies. Prevailing winds should be a factor too.

My wife has allergies and are only sweetener we use is my raw honey and after 3 years still has allergies so I don't know if it really works $:-\$

iddee · « **Reply #9 on:** November 27, 2014, 02:22:44 pm »

There are thousands of allergies. The only ones that honey will help are the ones to pollen contained in the honey that is used.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #10 on:** November 27, 2014, 02:33:00 pm »

I have customers that swear that the only thing that has helped there allergies is local honey, and some that say they can't tell a difference? I don't tell them it help their allergies, but do have more people who say that it does. The answers i'm seeing on local honey is much like at the club meeting, there was one member (a commercial beekeeper who sells honey) that said 150 miles circle would be considered local honey ( his business is within the 150 mile range, in Kansas)

. and it could be? I have outyards 65 miles north of my home, and i don't see any different pollen or nectar producing plants in that area that i don't have around my home area. Jack

Perry · « **Reply #11 on:** November 27, 2014, 02:57:24 pm »

Quote from: GLOCK on November 27, 2014, 01:01:57 pm

My wife has allergies and are only sweetener we use is my raw honey and after 3 years still has allergies so I don't know if it really works $:-\$

Maybe it's you?

(Sorry, couldn't help myself)

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2014, 04:42:26 am »

Ask 10 beekeepers the same question and you will get 9 different answers.

Zweefer · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2014, 08:01:18 am »

Which is amazing, because that means two may actually agree!

riverbee · « **Reply #14 on:** November 28, 2014, 05:38:42 pm »

local honey?

not sure, but i think in part, it's primarily a 'buzz' word 'jazz word' marketing thing. buy local honey and label it as such. (it does sell well with that local honey label on it). as far as the qualities of honey helping with a particular allergy, like jack, i don't say that it can or will, but if a customer believes that it does, i will just keep making them happy by selling them my honey.......

as far as miles, 30-60 would be my guess?

i'll mix it up a little........

....... local honey is where your hives sit and where your bees collect it from, not far, they fly 1-3 miles? that's local honey......

having said that, the plants, trees, and bushes that similarly grow in that 30-60 mile radius. i sell it from less than a mile up to a 1,000 miles or more away........that honey is not 'local' to folks out of where my bees collect it from. 'local' or not, folks like to buy honey from a beekeeper when they find you and won't go back to store bought honey.

when someone asks me about local honey, i say it's where my bees collected it. as far as pollen allergies, somewhere i read within a 60 mile radius.
as far as 'local' where you sell it and the distance someone wants to drive to get it or pay shipping charges..........

again, i think folks like to buy honey from a beekeeper.

know this doesn't really help you jack, but my thought is local honey is where my bees get it.

Riverrat · « **Reply #15 on:** November 28, 2014, 08:52:42 pm »

Quote from: Bakersdozen on November 28, 2014, 04:42:26 am

Ask 10 beekeepers the same question and you will get 9 different answers.

and 12 arguments whose right

kebee · « **Reply #16 on:** November 29, 2014, 06:07:24 am »

You are right there Riverrat.

Ken

Woody Roberts · « **Reply #17 on:** December 01, 2014, 10:53:45 pm »

Quote from: iddee on November 27, 2014, 06:33:13 am

The common consensus is 25 mile, but I would answer with the question, "How many people are there in a small town"?

In the words of my 4 yr old granddaughter, all of them silly.

tecumseh · « **Reply #18 on:** December 02, 2014, 05:40:40 am »

I think any well reasoned guess will do. This supposed benefit is about the kind of plants and this may be something impossible to describe with something as simple as milage..... something similar to describing the life span of a bee with something as simple as time. We have 7 bio regions here in Texas and I would think that as long as you are producing and selling honey within that region that your honey does qualify as being local. There is of course a lot of cheating when it come to the word local since even the slow learners have now discovered this new marketing gimmick.

iddee · « **Reply #19 on:** December 02, 2014, 05:57:47 am »

You're right there, tec. Local to them means,"I'm selling it "right here".