How to Expand into Sideline or Commercial Beekeeping

[honeyedham]

Thanks for another great resource Allen, I've learnt more from your sites than anywhere else I guess. Can anyone give me advice on getting over hobby level (30 hives) to pro (say 300 hives)? How do you end up with 1000s of hives whilst young enough to work them??

S&h

[Allen Dick]

My best advice is to find a nearby beekeeper who wants to cut back and arrange to take over some or all of the operation, gradually or immediately as the circumstances warrant.

Although you may pay a premium price, you will have a very high probability of success and much less work than trying to build up yourself. additionally, you will have expert advice and maybe some help, assuming that you get along with the former owner -- and don't try to change everything the first year

A working operation is worth much more than the sum of its parts in terms of earning potential and manageable workload, and it is worth driving some distance to work on the bees for the first year or two if necessary. Later you can make changes and move yards if you still think it is advisable.

allen

[JA]

For myself and my wife, we ran 50-60 hives for a couple of years, while working for other beekeepers, and selling a modest amount of honey to a limited number of customers. We toyed with the idea of building up our stock on our own and trying to wedge our way into the local market, as limited as it is. However after we spent some time talking to others and mulling it over ourselves, the best bet was to buy out an established operation, contracts and all. It was the smartest move we could have made. The operation was the perfect size for us and came complete with pollination contracts, honey customers (private and grocery) and well established bee yards. All we did was step into it and maintain the business as it was for the first year. Now we're in our second year, with one successful year behind us and are beginning to mold it to what we want it to be. To take the other route, building up, would likely have taken a while and the liklihood of success would have been slim. Of course this is what worked best for us, in the area we live in (Okanagan), others may find building from the ground up more appropriate.

~Jim

[Steakandhoney]

Thanks for replies. I have been trying to do just that, so it really helps to hear I'm not totally stupid. Just slow...and I'm not exactly rolling in cash to invest.
s&h

(couldn't login right for 'ham'nhoney' post...but it's working ok now)