What is sustainable beekeeping

[Finman]

Tupla

 

[Finman]

We can very well cultivate maize here, last summer for example there was a farmer in the neighbouring town cultivating maize. .

I know so much about botany and farming, that what you say are rare cases.

Last summer was very bad to all field plants.

IT is cultivated as green silage and amount is about 800 hectares. Sweet corn is cultivated as delicacy, but not to feed pigs.

 

[Finman]

summer, this is why corn maize is easier the cultivate there.

Why I do not see those maize fields ?

 

[Anduril]

I know so much about botany and farming, that what you say are rare cases.

Last summer was very bad to all field plants.

IT is cultivated as green silage and amount is about 800 hectares. Sweet corn is cultivated as delicacy, but not to feed pigs.

I know so much about botany and farming, that what you say is not true.

Last summer was very bad to all field plants.

Do you mean Tupla

 

[Finman]

.
Even if the winter is as long as we have, the altitude of Vermont is about same as Hungary. IT means that sun angle is steeper and light energy is much higher towards ground surface .

We use the term "heat sum" which tells how good summer is to plants and how fast crops ripen.
.

During 10 years I have seen perhaps 3 maize fields.

.the area where I spend summers, is warmest area in Finland. It is east south corner of country.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Do you mean Tupla

No - he just means he knows twice as much as himself

 

[Michael Palmer]

.
Even if the winter is as long as we have, the altitude of Vermont is about same as Hungary.

The lake, in the Champlain Valley where I keep most of my bees, is 100 feet above sea level. My apiaries are 150' to 800'...a good enough guess.

 

[Finman]

The lake, in the Champlain Valley where I keep most of my bees, is 100 feet above sea level. My apiaries are 150' to 800'...a good enough guess.

Oh dear. I meant latitude.

.

 

[Fusion_power]

Sustainable to me means keeping bees that pay for their upkeep with a crop of honey that is sold to purchase goods and services necessary to maintain the colonies.

There are a few implications re diseases and pests. I consider it important that my bees are varroa resistant to a high degree. I also have concerns with inbreeding which would eventually become a problem even for a beekeeper with 1500 hives. It helps if there is a bit of profit so I can purchase something to eat. Here are a few of the inputs I think even MP has to have.

1. Woodenware may grow on trees, but those trees cost money to turn into beehives for the beekeeper to purchase
2. Fuel to run the vehicles used in maintaining the bees plus the sunk costs of the vehicle
3. Any outside queens brought in to maintain or improve the stock
4. Any medications or devices used to treat the bees
5. Foundation if purchased, though a beekeeper can make foundation from surplus wax
6. Processing equipment to turn the honey crop into something marketable
7. I think jars/tins are important for a beekeeper retailing honey

My point is that all of the definitions put forward so far still rely on external inputs to run a successful business.

 

[Finman]

.
I have only 3 principles: Big hives, good queens, good pastures.

.

 

[Beefriendly]

Sustainable to me means keeping bees that pay for their upkeep with a crop of honey that is sold to purchase goods and services necessary to maintain the colonies.

I'd go along with that, although you professionals might want to add in a living wage as well. For me it's having a hobby that is self financing through selling my excess honey. Although whether I can ever pay myself back the start up costs is a different matter.
Where I draw the line is defining sustainable as breeding all your own queens if the local stock is rubbish.....fine if you have some decent local mongrels to work with. Some have.
For me buying in exotic breeder queens to raise a generation of F1 queens is what works and these girls daughters bring in more honey per hive than half a dozen of the local mongrel queens, so financially it's a no brainier to import decent stock.

 

[Stiffy]

I'd go along with that, although you professionals might want to add in a living wage as well. For me it's having a hobby that is self financing through selling my excess honey. Although whether I can ever pay myself back the start up costs is a different matter.
Where I draw the line is defining sustainable as breeding all your own queens if the local stock is rubbish.....fine if you have some decent local mongrels to work with. Some have.
For me buying in exotic breeder queens to raise a generation of F1 queens is what works and these girls daughters bring in more honey per hive than half a dozen of the local mongrel queens, so financially it's a no brainier to import decent stock.

I should add, I have found there are some decent queen breeders in the UK, just need to sort wheat from chafe.
S

 

[Martin Bee]

.
Even if the winter is as long as we have, the altitude of Vermont is about same as Hungary. IT means that sun angle is steeper and light energy is much higher towards ground surface .

We use the term "heat sum" which tells how good summer is to plants and how fast crops ripen.
.

During 10 years I have seen perhaps 3 maize fields.

.the area where I spend summers, is warmest area in Finland. It is east south corner of country.

In the early '70s I was part of a maize breeding program using American and Hungarian varieties to produce crops for grain and silage in UK conditions. We also had varieties from more northern "Iron Curtain" areas for crops needing shorter summer times but they did not like UK wet summers and suffered neck-rot. Sorry this is totally off topic.

 

[Finman]

.
Yes, the difference of summers.

Last July temp went up to 20 C in 3 days. Even natural plants bloomed 3 weeks late.

Field beans rottened to fields almost all. Rain every day.

My friend harvested summer rape at the temp of -10C. Water content was 140%.

The worst summer in 30 years to farmers.

 

[Michael Palmer]

My point is that all of the definitions put forward so far still rely on external inputs to run a successful business.

Which is why I said there is a difference between sustainable and self sufficient.

 

[B+.]

Which is why I said there is a difference between sustainable and self sufficient.

"sustain - Cause to continue for an extended period or without interruption"
"self sufficient - Someone who is self-sufficient is able to live happily without anyone else."

Is it so hard to understand?.

 

[Finman]

"sustain - Cause to continue for an extended period or without interruption"
"self sufficient - Someone who is self-sufficient is able to live happily without anyone else."

Is it so hard to understand?.

You may be self-sufficient with fire wood but not with potatoes. Some love to nurse onions more than they can eate.

 

[For want of a better word]

You may be self-sufficient with fire wood but not with potatoes. Some love to nurse onions more than they can eate.

Not to forget the Finnish Vodka lake or the French butter mountain!

Nadelik Lowen

 

[Finman]

Not to forget the Finnish Vodka lake or :

Nadelik Lowen

It is against the law. State has monopol in it.
And it is a river. Not lake.

 

[For want of a better word]

It is against the law. State has monopol in it.
And it is a river. Not lake.

As long as it flows!




Yeghes da