Do you try and convince farmers to sow a particular crop?

[Zante]

For those who do have hies on fields, do you try and talk farmers to sow a particular crop that would also give you a good crop?

If you do what "rules" do you follow to select a crop you might be interested in, and how do you present it to the farmer?
What kind of success do you have in convincing the farmer?

I'm not trying to convince anyone myself, I'm quite happy with the forage I have around me. I'm just curious about the relationship between farmer and beekeeper in the UK and how you interact in this scenario if you find yourself in it.

It's also just to have a chin wag

 

[Finman]

Absolutely not! Field farming is enough hard business to do.
And farmers do not have never asked advice from me.

 

[Poly Hive]

I never have because the risk to the farmer is just too big.

The input costs on a crop are staggering. Cultivation, fuel, seed, contractors, sprays, harvesting and storage amount to hundreds of pounds per acre and thousands for hectares.

Why would a business man change plans for a couple of hives of bees?

Sorry I cannot see it happening.

Currently up the lane from here they are potato harvesting. Four harvesters, some 15 tractors plus men plus a 50k tractor sitting with a toilet on a trailer. That sort of expense is enormous.

Sometimes a bit of perspective is needed.

PH

 

[Anduril]

I had a conversation with one of the farmers a couple of years ago. It was initiated by him asking me what I would like on the fields he leaves for cattle, sheep and horses, when he rotates the fields. I suggested clover and he added extra to the mix. Perhaps not really a crop, but the farmer is very pro bees.

 

[Teemore]

Any growers I know are planning years ahead in terms of their rotations. The price of fertiliser has gone up a lot over here and it is making them review how they manage their crops. I suspect that beans are going to become more popular as a rotation and you may begin to see some growers undersowing clover for the nitrogen gain. . I think there is more to be gained from chatting to farmers and land owners about the way field margins and inaccessible areas are managed. This has been launched recently: http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/p...tiative/all-ireland-pollinator-plan/farmland/

 

[Plenty of honey]

I do if it’s that time of year when we have a big dearth looming
Typically after the chestnut and bramble has finished in early July, if farmers are able to, and we get rain they sow mustard or Phacelia! My local farmer sown mustard out of preference as it’s cheaper and obviously beekeepers prefer Phacelia but it’s a little more expensive! If the field isn’t too big, I have offered to contribute towards the difference in the cost! You can’t imagine the bonus you get when Phacelia comes in to flower ( much quicker than mustard) when there is absolutely nothing around ! 50 euros is still cheaper than a load of feed, but this feed comes with pollen too!
If it’s really good I consider moving hives in from afar to benefit, but in a year that this works, we often get out apiaries that get similar benefits from an early sowing followed by rain!
It’s like a risk but most year it helps!



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