# Pollination opportunity lavender



## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

And what happens if the bees don't make lavender honey? I have hives on lavender and get zero honey. Of course our climates are completely different, but you never know.


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

Sounds iike he is getting his pollination for free, unless you have real trouble moving your honey.... which I doubt.


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## Stanisr (Aug 25, 2010)

I believe that if he gets the premium honey he wants he should pay a premium price, not the standard going rate. I would ask for more for my special honey.


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## mgolden (Oct 26, 2011)

Sounds like you are getting a bee yard for no cost. 

No guarantee you going to get lavender honey unless the lavender is the only flowers within about 2 mile radius.

Trust the lavender owner is going to take the $3/lb wholesale honey and package and sell for ????$5 - $10/lb.

Doesn't seem like a fair deal to me if they are getting pollination and making the high end of $7/lb.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

I do the same for a strawberry guy, but he does some combine work for me, so it pans out. Never do any form of work for nothing. Seems like work to move them there. As far as yards go, I always have more yards than I need, just part of selling honey. you sell enough, and everybody and their brother wouldnt mind a yard at their graveyard or back field, etc. Ironically, Im trading honey for land rent at 4.50 a lb/50 an acre, and the guy even amended the soil ahead of me. woot. (and loaned me one of those nice air seeders).


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

EastSideBuzz said:


> Who is getting the better deal here.?


He is. In essence, he has got you stitched up every which way. 

You have a business, you are trying to make money right? Most beeks who move hives for pollination get paid. No pay, why have a business. Oh, you get to sell the honey. Premium lavendar honey for the same price you get for any old honey. Kinda wondering just how you intend to survive if this is how you will run the business?

Is he growing his lavendar for seed, oil, what? If it's just oil and he has no need for pollination then he could justify not paying for pollination, as it earns him nothing. But if he needs the pollination for seeds, or whatever, what's it worth to him? Probably a lot. And him scoring lavendar honey will be a nice little boutique addition to his business. Sales pitch - "I have rare lavendar honey produced by bees on my own lavendar. 1/2 pound of this unique, healthy, natural honey, $15.00".

He may not intentionally be ripping you off, might just be completely unaware of the value of what you are providing him. However he is obviously a negotiator, and I'd have to say, at this stage EastSideBuzz, I'd recommend you read a good book on the subject, for your own advantage. For a beekeeper these types of negations need to be handled in a friendly way that produces a win win. The beekeeper is recompensed, and the client wants you back. the client likes you and sees you as "his" beekeeper.

Re lavendar itself, there are a number of commercial varieties, yeilding various quantities of nectar, from not much, on up. I have a friend in my country who pollinates a small lavendar farm, and she does get lavendar honey, a fairly unique honey.
If you leave the situation as it is it will become "normalised", he will see no need to ever pay for pollination.


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## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

Mr. Oldtimer:

That was a very good post.


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## Island Apiaries (Aug 9, 2010)

He is definitely getting the better deal. Your hives will work the lavender and lavender seems to produce larger,more numerous blooms when regularly pollinated. Lavender honey is also a premium honey for the area and is nowhere near a guaranteed harvest. If you wholesale the honey to him, then he makes profit on that too. If all you are really wanting is a free bee yard, then it might be worth it, but if you are looking for profitable hives, then you might to go for blackberry during that time.


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## fish_stix (May 17, 2009)

Talk to the surrounding landowners and see if you can place your bees next door for a season and see what you get. If you get a good amount of lavender honey then you can negotiate from a strong position. Don't just give away your product, whether it's pollination or honey.


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## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

Actually you are in an enviable position. You have a 'customer' that is interested.

You are 'off' by the price of the honey. That is negotiable THIS YEAR, and you'll be off and running.

Try $ 8 or something, and see where you end up. Or better yet, set a minimum cost such as $ 1000. This includes the first 100 pounds of honey. Each pound thereafter $ 8. (or go to $ 6 if you had too.) The $ 1000 changes everything.


Be prepared for whatever the outcome of the negotiation is, and be ok with that for yourself.


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## pahvantpiper (Apr 25, 2006)

$3.00 per LB in bulk is a very good price. Bees generally do well on lavender. Try it out for a year, make adjustments next year if you need to.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Another option, which may or may not be of use to you is to keep the lavender honey separate, label and bottle it, mark it up to cover your costs and give you a bit extra profit, and provide it to him to retail.
Regards,
Steven


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Very good advice. I will talk to him about retaining some of the honey and maybe a bonus if he gets a good crop. I will have a better position next year I am sure. Part of this is the learning curve. I have pollinated with my mentor and not on my own. This is my first real deal on my own.


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## Brandy (Dec 3, 2005)

You didn't mention how many acres of Lavender you're talking about?? I'm curious since you're in WA if it's around some of the larger farms vs. several hundred plants etc...


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

I'm not sure that there is any need for pollination on most commercial lavender farms, To grow uniform lavender true to variety, the grower propagates by cuttings. The seeds from the same plant, if the plants produce any (some varieties are sterile) can produce a wide variety of shades and sizes. 

There are some commercial seeds available for growing but my reading leads me to believe that seed production on lavender farms (and the required pollination) is unusual.

Wayne


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## happybees (Oct 30, 2007)

Rob, you say bees generally do well on lavender. Do you know specifically what kind of variety? 
thanks. 



pahvantpiper said:


> $3.00 per LB in bulk is a very good price. Bees generally do well on lavender. Try it out for a year, make adjustments next year if you need to.


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