People wanting free honey

[kazmcc]

I didn't forsee this being such a problem! so many people assume that just because they know me well(ish) they expect to get some honey free when it gets bottled! A lot of people are going to be muttering under their breath I think.

Does anyone else have this problem?

 

[beeboybee]

i had to use smaller jars to appease everyone...

 

[Blue Spinnaker]

I don't expect to get any this year, being a late starter, but I've still had people asking. If I do ever get any, I think I will give these people taster jars in smaller sizes and tell them that the 1lb jars are only for sale.

I'm a hard woman lol

 

[madasafish]

I use 4oz jars - or smaller - for freebies.

 

[Silly Bee]

Everybody loves a freebie. I gave a few small taster jars, they said how good it was. They haven't come back to pay for one.

 

[Juststarting]

Be tough "ITS NOT YOUR HONEY!" There's got to be an upside to not having control of the budget/owning hive. You're selling it for a reason - to raise fund for more hives/school things etc. If you think it might be too difficult to sell directly them ask for donations towards funds.

Make it very clear what the money is going towards and then be blatent about asking.. Most people only joke about getting a free jar but I doubt they ALL really expect it so by asking those who you think do expect to be free for a donation no-one can accuse you of favouritism and they wont tell anyone else they got it for free.

 

[RoseCottage]

Karen,
Yes we get a lot of expectation too. We had 165lb last year and about 70 was taken up with family and friends. Linn's family is big and whenever her mum and dad travel North (just by you I think) to visit them they take a few jars (6 here 6 there ...ouch).

This year the girls are now producing stores at a fair pace and I thought we could think up a few new strategies...

1. No honey unless I have slept with you before - That should cut the circle down to myself and Linn only (just thought I should make that clear!)
2. We are not expecting honey due to the recession
3. What little surplus we expect is being held back to use in our Christmas cooking
4. We are only making candles this year not honey

and any other daft ones...

Seriously though we have instigated a ceiling of 20 jars for immediate family and the rest we are planning to put into the local shops and to sell from the gate.

The idea of small jars is a good one we used this strategy at our wedding last year so that everyone could have a honey wedding favour.

You could always argue that you are part of a larger community effort and so cannot promise what others have a right to first,

All the best,
Sam

 

[milkermel]

my first crop last year was only 15 jars, out of that 2 went to my landlord who kindly let me keep bees and anything else i want on the ground. 2 jars to my farmer who gave me a swarm and is really worth it and one to a very very close friend. But the rest was for me! too valuable to sell. People always want something for nothing, none of the people asked for my honey they offered to buy it. but from now on its only for sale!

 

[oliver90owner]

The simple reply is they are not your bees and you are only looking after them for the benefit of the children in the school and surrounding area and could not possibly give away their return on all that investment to 'all and sundry' (perhaps be a bit more diplomatic in how you refer to these people). You could back this up by telling them that most hobby beekepers do not show a positive balance sheet come the end of the year and often need to sell some of the harvest to simply offset running costs.

Regards, RAB

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

(with Mel)

We had a very small quanitity last year, and it has gone mainly into the stomachs of our bed & breakfast guests - which is fine by us.

One jar each to siblings and nieces/nephews.

Others seeking to benefit are told that all the proceeds will go to charity - and that we are therefore expecting a donation of £10 per lb. Astonishing how that reduces the demand! (And yet, proceeds will go to charity: The DeadDiplomat's Beekeeping Fund)

 

[Vergilius]

You could back this up by telling them that most hobby beekepers do not show a positive balance sheet come the end of the year and often need to sell some of the harvest to simply offset running costs.

Regards, RAB

, then they'll feel a bit more sympathetic. On the other hand, you could possibly do a possibly do a "mate's rate" for those who you think really deserve a jar of you and your bees' hard labour, and family of course...


Ben P

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks for the ideas. There is one woman in particular who thinks because she knows me and lives on my street, she can help herself to the school garden, even though she doesn't contribute to it at all, and she doesn't work so she could put a few hours in to help. She's number one, and will expect it for nothing. She sort of fell out with me last week because she was in the strawberries ( yet again ) and I had to tell her to stop, that the children pick the produce and if anyone should benefit it should be the kids. The way i do it is, try and grow enough for the whole school to have tasters. If it's not possible, then the kids who took part in gardening club get it. If it's the holidays, and it's stuff that won't keep, me and my kids get it.

So. First jar I get. End of. Then anyone who asks at all, I tell that as the head teacher owns the honey, seeing as she has bought the jars etc, and I am selling it on her behalf. I could not possible give it away, as she is expecting a set amount of money back as she knows how many jars we've produced. We will probably be doing a little tasting session anyway when our first crop comes in, so everyone will get to taste it at least.

All these things I didn't foresee when I began these projects. Seems some people will forcefully try and get what they can for nowt. I wouldn't have the cheek to be honest.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Just be selective about who you give freebies to.
I always make sure that certain helpful individuals get a jar or two (i.e - people who can do me a favour in the future). So, the guy who shears my sheep gets a few, the neighbours who feed my hens if I'm away, my friend who's a plumber etc etc.

 

[Alabamaeee]

If you don't want to give any jars to someone tell them the crazy weather left the bees starving and you got hardly any crop this year!

 

[kazmcc]

Suppose this is the beauty of doing it for school, I don't have to upset anyone, I can just blame it on the head teacher haha.

I think me and the teacher who assists should get a freebie. Then any that's left gets sold, especially with our current predicament. Maybe when we are more established we can afford to give little jars away, but right now we are desperate. Maybe a jar or two for the tasting, keep the pictures from the bee information board I'm doing for Monday, and invite parents in and give them a brief introduction to bee keeping, maybe take them in groups for a inspection after if the weather is favourable.

If the teacher that does the cooking wants to do something with the kids then she can take some, after all, these bees are supposed to be benefitting the kids, not their parents. The children were going to do a honey cookbook, at least there was talk of it earlier in the year, and letting them design labels, just give them sticky blank labels and let each child design it. I can't wait to show them exactly what goes on with the bees.

 

[user 6228]

Yes, Kaz we've got the same issue, but we have the solution..

We obtained a number of glass vials used in gas chromatography ,so we can give every one we know a tiny glass jar of honey...


(about 10cc each They came as part junk pile buy on Ebay some time ago)

 

[pipewrench36]

Tell them that when Tesco give it away, so will you. Can't say fairer than that.

 

[Poly Hive]

Would they expect free money if you took a job in Loyds?

PH

 

[thurrock bees]

i give a few jars to the farmer and some farm workers who help me and keep a eye on the hives, 18 to the farmer, and 6 each to the workers ( 2) once they run out they ask to buy some, but i do it at mate rates.
When one of the workers done some welding on my trailer, i asked what i owed him, thinking of money, and he asked for a jar of honey, so i gave him two.
The rest i sell via shops or mates rates to friends.

 

[victor meldrew]

Over 48 years ago ,my brother in law attached some plastic sheeting to the side of his garage , forming a temporary green house ,in which he grew some tomatoes !
Whilst my wife and I were visiting , my sister proudly showed off her tomatoes !
" would you like some ?" she invited , "Oh! yes please" my wife replied .
After placing a few in a small paper bag ,my sister said " That'll be 1s 6d !

Salutary lesson learned

VM