# How much honey sales to be considered a fail?



## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

This is somewhat difficult for me to illustrate, but ill give it a go. 
Ive been a beekeeper for 4 years now. 
First 2, i didnt rob any honey and just expanded and sold a few nucs to help expand.
3rd year i got 5 gallons, but messed up and it was too moist and didnt sell any til i moisture down. But i did give a small bit away to neighbors and family and told them to consume it quickly as i didnt want it to ferment on them.
Going into my 4th year, i had about 3 gallons of year before stuff that was now dry enough, plus i got another 150 pounds my 4th year that was at 16% and ready to bottle and sell.
So, that was a total of about 180 pounds give or take, that i had last year for sale. I set up a couple times at the local market and advertised on craigslist and all my local facebook sites. I had cinnamon buttered honey and spicey hot infused honey advertised also, but neither of them sold , so i ended up giving that away.

My prices are $8. Lb. And price goes down to $19. quart

I finally got a permanent farmers market lady with a small store to take my honey and sell it for me last fall. She has sold about 15 pounds since last october. I had also had my sister selling for me, but it wasnt local and she sold the most at about 70 pounds. And then there is me at markets and home, ive sold about 20 pounds total.

So, its been a full year and ive sold just over 100 pounds.
My sister and I have given some away to help promote sales, but it really didnt work. So, i have about 20 pounds left. 

I bought bear and classic squeeze bottles and i also put it in mason jars. The jars are gone and i have about 20, 1# squeeze bottles left. I bought nice labels and everything looked nice and professional from the very beginning.

So my question is, is 100 pound sale for a year a fail?
I invested in a extractor, labels and jars. I am very clean and extract in a kitchen, not a dirt floor barn like ive seen in videos. But, sales are slow. So slow, im thinking of calling honey production quits and concentrate soley on nuc sales, as i can sell out of them quickly. Its only 150 bucks, but if i produce 10 thousand dollars worth of honey and cant sell it, its money on the shelf.


----------



## JohnSchwartz (Mar 24, 2014)

A good little book you might consider I've found helpful is "Beekeeping With Twenty-five Hives ― From Passion to Profits" by Grant F.C. Gillard.


----------



## Scott Gough (Dec 10, 2015)

JohnSchwartz said:


> A good little book you might consider I've found helpful is "Beekeeping With Twenty-five Hives ― From Passion to Profits" by Grant F.C. Gillard.


Thanks for the tip on that book. I had not seen that one.


----------



## JohnSchwartz (Mar 24, 2014)

Scott Gough said:


> Thanks for the tip on that book. I had not seen that one.


No problem.


----------



## TPalmer (Jun 11, 2012)

To your question on being a fail at sales, I would say no. You made sales and helped support your hobby. Now I was in basically in the same situation on sales of my honey. Coworkers only buy so much and I was going weeks between selling a single bottle. So what I did is bottle up about 200lbs that I had on hand 1lb and 5lb sizes. Then I posted on Facebook using the local selling groups to advertise my Raw Local Honey. If you don't mind having people stopping by your house and being a little proactive on messaging with them. It took a total of three weekends of having to be home on the weekends, but I sold all my honey and I built up a small clientele for future business.


----------



## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

I invested in some yard signs that I put at each end of our road advertising "Local Honey" with an arrow. It will take several months but will sell about 200 lbs out of my house and to our church congregation each year. I telecommute to work so I am always home. I can go weeks without a sale but then I will sell a bunch. Sitting at a farmer's' market every weekend trying to sell is a waste of time. My 1# sells for $8 and 3# for $24. I have about 30# left to sell from last season's crop. The yard signs were the best investment I made although they have been stolen a couple times. I now cable them to the street sign with a lock to prevent any more thefts.


----------



## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

Thanks for alls input. I feel a little better. I had only robbed 2 hives in the past and used the others to either expand or boost the two production hives and considering going up to 5 production hives this year. I guess i will and if i cant sell half of the honey, i will at least know where i stand.


----------

