Treatment-free label

[Finman]

.
Best on all this is, that if you do not give to bees sugar, you are a good human.

So easy to be good. But if you ask from bees, they really want sugar. And wasps too.
.

 

[olriley]

Where are you planning to sell your raw/untreated/not fed sugar bees honey?
Markets? Deli? Corner shop? Garden Gate?

Maybe all but currently 1 and 4.

As Jenkins rightly points out you saying that YOUR bees are not fed sugar immediately implies that other beekeepers ARE feeding sugar to produce honey...like the Chinese.

I've defended this point partially upthread:

My label makes a simple statement, referring solely to my own methods, which is entirely factual.

If I’m asked why people feed sugar, I explain: it’s either to build up a weak colony or to provide winter stores after taking the honey. That’s largely an economic decision by the beekeeper and doesn’t affect the quality of the honey produced. I don’t say it’s wrong, worse for the bees or anything else. I definitely do not slur other beeks. It’s just a choice.

I should have added: when asked I always clarify that the sugar doesn't end up in the honey (unless its a dodgy import)! I am at pains to point this out!

But the burden of clarifying how others do things need not rest with my label. All that information is out there for people to access. When Tesco sells hand-cut oven chips for instance, it doesn't have to write a disclaimer on the label about the quality of machine-cut oven chips does it? Okay, crap analogy but there are loads out there, especially in food and drink.

Let me turn the issue around - open question ...
Would you rather it be withheld from the public that you feed sugar to bees?
No, of course not, because you can easily and rationally explain why. You have nothing to hide! So why has this touched such a nerve? I'm just trying to do something simple and small-scale. Something that embodies my own ethos towards beekeeping. Unfortunately that has been interpreted variously as puerile, smug and childish!

But given the small amount of honey you have to sell I doubt it will affect others sales.

I quite agree. I would love to scale up. I love bees and beekeeping, for I imagine the same reasons you all do - so definitely not for the money! But I can imagine as a commercial beek I would probably have to abandon the no-sugar notion. I like to think myself a pragmatist, not precious.

 

[Beefriendly]

Maybe all but currently 1 and 4.


.

Garden gate is easy few rules and regs, low sales generally. You can use honesty box I(depends where you live) or expect rings at doorbell at odd hours.
Farmers markets you will need a hygiene rating from your local authorities 5 star hygiene rating system which won't be issued until you have your level 2 food hygiene certificate (easy but costs money), plus public liability insurance. And then you have to find a Farmers market that will allow you on to trade. Many will already have honey seller and it is not easy getting on. If it is, it's a crap market with few customers....that was where I started many moons ago
I'd concentrate on the pragmatic issues of being able to sell your honey legally, rather than esoteric advertising.
The points you make are fine but will wash over most customers heads and confuse them. As I mentioned previously you need to get rid of your beekeepers head and put on a customers head when selling.

 

[olriley]

Thanks Beefriendly. I appreciate the helpful advice. Another post which has really made me think.

 

[Finman]

.
When customers ask, why bees make honey, I tell that it is bee colonies' winter food and the beekeeper changes the storage to cheap sugar. Bees generate heat during wintering. Other insects over winter as frozen.

 

[Madge]

Sorry, but I take umbrage at the accusation of being misleading.
...
I can see this upsets you and others, but there is really no need to feel threatened and it would be nice to see some respect for one another. I wonder if we had met in a pub or at the local BKA you would say the same things.

And why not? Of course I'd have mentioned it to you face to face - and you might have been more inclined to heed what we're saying. Disagreeing with somebody is not a sign of disrespect - or do you really want a free hand to just say what you wish without any scrutiny?

In an earlier post you said you're not stupid. In that case, try and understand why your label is misleading, disingenuous, and a slur to other beekeepers (regardless of its size).

 

[olriley]

Disagreeing with somebody is not a sign of disrespect -

No, but what you wrote went a bit beyond that.

do you really want a free hand to just say what you wish without any scrutiny?

Of course not - if I did, then joining an Internet forum and volunteering information is hardly the way to go about it.

In that case, try and understand why your label is misleading, disingenuous, and a slur to other beekeepers (regardless of its size).

How, by making a factual statement about my own methods, can I mislead someone about yours (or anybody else)? Such an accusation would be laughed out of any court in the land. You do feed sugar to bees, don't you? And have your answer well prepared when someone asks why? So be a grown up about it.

I do see your concerns, but I've explained my POV in the above posts so no point repeating. I heed some of the helpful/civil advice offered, and am grateful for it.

 

[Madge]

No, but what you wrote went a bit beyond that. ...

Really! How? Look again at post 25.

 

[olriley]

Really! How? Look again at post 25.

Well I don't disagree it started well enough, but post 41 I had an issue with. The sh*t had already started flying by then though.

 

[Beefriendly]

Well I don't disagree it started well enough, but post 41 I had an issue with. The sh*t had already started flying by then though.

Post 41

Nothing. You’re making a misleading claim and, by implication, as Jenkins have said, slurring other beekeepers.

Olriley you are getting a bit out of order, or have you referenced the wrong post.
A polite suggestion.... concentrate on beekeeping, your advertising stinks.

 

[olriley]

Post 41


Olriley you are getting a bit out of order, or have you referenced the wrong post.
A polite suggestion.... concentrate on beekeeping, your advertising stinks.

That is the post of MC's I took offence to, because I don't like the accusation of mislead and slur. As explained ad nauseum!

Anyway c'mon I am trying to be lighthearted. (universal code is a winky smiley, no)?
I am not offended, I have thick skin and I am sure MC does too.

 

[Beefriendly]

I'll try to add a bit of background as to why your "no added sugar" is misleading.
Currently the world sells more honey per year that the bees could ever produce. Adulteration of honey by high fructose syrups and rice syrups moves the profitability up for many of the far eastern producers. Much of what comes into the UK is unchecked.
Check your local supermarket,. Used to be product of EU and non EU countries. Almost exclusively non EU now.
Honey consumers are after the real McCoy as they are suspicious of the supermarket stuff.
You claiming YOUR's doesn't have added sugar doesn't do anyone any favours as you are suggesting that other genuine UK producers are adding sugar.
It might be factually correct for your honey but overall it is misleading consumers into thinking that other UK honeys may be sugar honey.

There is lack of consumer confidence in honey as a food due to all the reporting of the fake stuff. They are after the real stuff .
If you can't understand why people are concerned about this type of advertising then you will do when you get on a market and get questioned about it...

 

[olriley]

Thanks for the info Beefriendly.

I'll try to add a bit of background as to why your "no added sugar" is misleading

But be careful with the quotation marks! That’s not what I wrote on the label or in my posts.

 

[SDM]

Splitting hairs really. Sentence reads fine like this: Our bees [meaning those which are currently alive and produced this honey] are never fed sugar... but it’s not so snappy for a little label is it?

I’ve already said if I do feed I’ll stop using the labels (obviously).

Well that's ok then, you'll only be conning any return business the label was designed to attract. "Our bees" to the reader just means those that are ever in your hives.
Since the statement is an absolute and false, it simply shouldn't be there. It attempts to give you moral high ground that you have no right to.
Stick to facts on your labels.

 

[olriley]

Well that's ok then, you'll only be conning any return business the label was designed to attract. "Our bees" to the reader just means those that are ever in your hives.
Since the statement is an absolute and false, it simply shouldn't be there. It attempts to give you moral high ground that you have no right to.
Stick to facts on your labels.

Am I still allowed to say I’m a non-smoker, even though I dabbled in the 1990s?

Come on... I don’t feed my bees sugar. I don’t intend to. Label claims nothing else.

 

[Finman]

.
In thread you claimed that your customers become wiser when they read your label. How is it possible? And they read it every morning when they drink their tea. Is that fun to wake up in the and first read your strange text?

 

[Finman]

.
A sustainable advice: Extract your Winter honey, donate it to poor families, and replace winter food with cheap sugar. So you teach even poor shildren to use honey. Everyone will remember you with love from generation to generation..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This thread is going to run on and on until the OP gets the answer he wants - he's obviously not interested in any other opinion - or of having a 'debate' on the subject, just obfuscation and constant twisting of 'facts' whenever challenged.
He's just waiting for everyone to agree with him and give him a big pat on the back.

 

[Hivemaker.]

This thread is going to run on and on until the OP gets the answer he wants

The OP is a she, Dani.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The OP is a she, Dani.

Aaaarrgh
Don’t blame me
I just put up the original label about TF
Now we are discussing feeding bees sugar.