Dear,
Issue #036, March 11, 2011
Beekeeping as a Business and
Leaving the Cubicle
This is the third in a series of articles on how you can earn a living off the land. This month's article discusses earning an income through beekeeping.
Beekeeping as a business is a fun and relaxing way to get out of the cubicle. There's something magical about working with bees and watching them pollinate your garden and orchard.
And while you might not be able to make a full-time salary keeping bees, you can certainly earn a respectable part-time income as well as having your own healthy source of local raw honey and beeswax. Here are some different ways to earn an income with your bees.
Sell Raw Honey and Beeswax
When thinking of beekeeping as a business, it's only natural to think of selling honey. And once you’ve kept bees for awhile, you’ll find that locally produced, raw honey is even easier to sell than fresh eggs.
Just mention that you keep bees, and many people you know will want to buy honey from you. Keep a top-bar beehive and you can sell in-comb honey, a rare treat that many people would be happy to purchase from you.
Start a Bee Removal Service
Once you have had practice catching a swarm or two, mention to friends, family members and neighbors that you would be happy to remove swarms from their homes. If you get a pest-control license, you can charge people to remove the bees from their property and then sell the honeybee swarms you capture to beekeepers.
Provide a Pollination Service
Because of Colony Collapse Disorder, the number of wild bees has virtually disappeared, making it even more crucial for farmers and orchard owners to rent bee hives from beekeepers during pollination season. Farmers in your area may be happy to borrow your bees for a few weeks, for a rental fee.
Once you start keeping bees, you'll find that beekeeping as a business is a very possible way to earn some extra cash while you pursue your goal of getting out of the cubicle and onto your homestead.
What's New?
How to Dehydrate Food
Learn how to dehydrate food. It's one of the easiest and low-cost ways of preserving food as well as one of the best ways to retain a food's nutrients. Learn more.
First Time Making Bread
A dad of four kids talks about his first attempt at making bread. Read on.
Vacuum Sealer Tips
Vacuum sealer tips are helpful when you have just bought or are considering buying your first vacuum sealer. Learn more.
Mugwort and Goats
A reader writes in to ask how much mugwort does it take to get rid of worms in a goat? Read more.
Homeopathy Medicine Information
Homeopathy medicine information to promote safe healing at home is crucial especially these days when a trip to the doctor is more than many of us can afford, and we want a more natural form of healing without dangerous side effects. Read more.
And as always, happy homesteading!
You Can Build a Chicken Tractor
If you’ve ever thought of keeping free range chickens in a chicken tractor, this book is for you! In addition to providing full plans and giving you step by step instructions on how to build your own chicken tractor, this handy guide gives tons of great tips, including great sources of free wood, how to recover your costs by selling chicks, chicken care and egg recipes. Click here to purchase.
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