Contracts with landowners

[nicholaskeene]

I've been offered the use of a new patch to set up small 3-4 hive apiary.
Can anyone point me to a brief and simple contract that we can use?

 

[pargyle]

I've been offered the use of a new patch to set up small 3-4 hive apiary.
Can anyone point me to a brief and simple contract that we can use?

You could start here:

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/apiary-agreement.32787/#post-464363

 

[thorn]

I wouldn't bother with a contract. If you need to start quoting a contractual term the relationship has broken down and you should simply pack up and go.

 

[JamezF]

We're still on a pound of honey per hive here, though as I'm using 12oz jars I'm a bit more generous than that.

James

 

[rolande]

I've been offered the use of a new patch to set up small 3-4 hive apiary.
Can anyone point me to a brief and simple contract that we can use?

I've seen a few apiary site contracts over the years, invariably written by land agents, never brief or simple.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I suspect if we presented this to any of our landowners, we would lose a lot of acreage.
One thing farmers Do not like are contracts, mutual respect is worth more than a piece of paper.

Stockists are a different matter, most of them we are signing contracts with, as generally if they are not willing there is no loyalty anyway.

 

[steve1958]

You are a guest on their land.
If it looks to be a good site then be grateful
If it appears to have issues then say no thank you.

Make sure you have a back up plan in case it doesn't work out and you need to move the hives.
It's much better to accept their friendship and freely give them a small portion of your harvest to say thank you.

As far as contracts are concerned I wouldn't think that you would be entitled to one as a non paying guest.
Whereas the landowner would be in case he wants to remove you should you or your bees become a nuisance.

 

[user 11159]

I've been offered the use of a new patch to set up small 3-4 hive apiary.
Can anyone point me to a brief and simple contract that we can use?

i had to go and have a long chat with the estate owner .on what i wanted and is plans for keeping bees on the estate.
i have felt more at ease at a job interview. i give 12... 8oz jars.this gos to him is family .and the few staff.farm hands who work the estate...

 

[ericbeaumont]

offered the use of a new patch

Who owns the land?

I have an informal but written Land Licence that lays out mutual departure, respect to the property, use for beekeeping and a few other basics.

Rent is about £200 for the sole use of an overgrown orchard (quarter of a mile from a regular & vast borage field) and I guess that sum covers the owner's property insurance (he works in property rental).

Another big property company wanted bees on their A13 satellite container site, but when the lawyers sent a legal document obliging me to cover costs of underground services and a pile of other oddities, I declined.

Rural use is best done on trust.

 

[nicholaskeene]

Thanks for the different perspectives!!
I'm going to talk on site to landowner tomorrow.
I've found a draft contract on BBKA website (in WORD) which I've cut down and will keep in my back pocket in case he wants one. As regards rent I may offer £50 or 10 jars of honey!

 

[Newbeeneil]

Of the dozen plus out apiaries I have I only have one written contract and that is where my main apiary is. The land owner allowed me to erect a 10x7 shed which stores the bulk of my equipment but when the felt roof started leaking I covered with castellated metal sheets 10' long which gives me an addition 3' area to store all my supers undercover overwinter. I pay £50pa for this facility but the most important bit of the contract is we both have to give 6 months notice to quit which would give me plenty of time to make arrangements to move hives and kit.

 

[steve1958]

I may offer £50 or 10 jars of honey!

Honey is probably more interesting and valuable than money.

 

[user 11159]

Thanks for the different perspectives!!
I'm going to talk on site to landowner tomorrow.
I've found a draft contract on BBKA website (in WORD) which I've cut down and will keep in my back pocket in case he wants one. As regards rent I may offer £50 or 10 jars of honey!

just ask how many jars would you like to cover it.dont offer cash unless he puts a price to you..then say you normally pay in jars .

 

[Ian123]

Realistically few offering sites are doing so for any financial gain what so ever I’ve only ever heard of a few. If they did I’d imagine it would be considerably more than the jar of honey per hive often quoted!
Many ask or expect little I ensure they get plenty of honey wine/whiskey at Christmas. Keep an eye out on the premises be useful and certainly don’t be a pain in the arse. You are there at their discretion, unless paying a proper fee or providing some pollination services they are very much doing you a favour.

 

[Wingy]

I have a farm where I keep my more nasty bees, last season he had OSR on 3 sites and I had hives on all 3. This season he has wheat on 2 of the sites so I asked yesterday about bringing another couple of hives to the site with OSR, just coming into flower now. His reply, yes as many as you like, there are 2 areas of hard standing so put as many as you like at either or both locations.
That’s next weeks job sorted. And he doesn’t ask for anything he is happy with a couple of jars of honey and the increased crop yield from all the extra pollinators there.

 

[user 6228]

Who owns the land?

I have an informal but written Land Licence that lays out mutual departure, respect to the property, use for beekeeping and a few other basics.

Rent is about £200 for the sole use of an overgrown orchard (quarter of a mile from a regular & vast borage field) and I guess that sum covers the owner's property insurance (he works in property rental).

Another big property company wanted bees on their A13 satellite container site, but when the lawyers sent a legal document obliging me to cover costs of underground services and a pile of other oddities, I declined.

Rural use is best done on trust.

underground services?

 

[ericbeaumont]

underground services?

Electricity, water, waste (might even have included moles).

Standard property caveats, I imagine, developed by crusty Dickensian property lawyers and unquestioned ever since.

 

[user 6228]

Electricity, water, waste (might even have included moles).

Standard property caveats, I imagine, developed by crusty Dickensian property lawyers and unquestioned ever since.

I know I say hives are just another "built environment" occupied by another species but that is taking it a bit far.