From: Pav <bobhog@pin.co.nz>
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 11:11:11 +1200
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Line 66 - wax

Oh dear. I see a lot of comment and fine-tuning has gone into this already, and now i turn up late and want to do crude unrefined wholesale surgery:

>66.
> Bee products can be sold as organically produced when these Guidelines have
>been complied with for at least one year. During the conversion period the
>wax must be replaced by organically produced wax. In cases where all the wax
>cannot be replaced during a one-year period blah blah blah...

This is just plain dumb. My bees (for example) are currently as clean as Dee's. Varroa is not here yet - i have never needed to put anything in my hives.

Yet if i wanted to be certified as things are being discussed now, i would have to change all my combs. Why?

Also, if i had already just changed all my combs down to 4.9. then its doubly stupid. As it stands i would simply NOT register organic, and opt for informed labelling - i don't need to validate any organisation's control-freakishness that badly (and i could point out that I didn't needlessly stress my workers making them build a new home FOR PURELY BUREAUCRATIC REASONS, not like those uncaring exploitationist money-minded organic-dogmatic-certified folk).

As with the forage issue, we're jumping at shadows again. Why assume there is a
problem? If someone claims they've been clean, even before they decided to be
certified organic (like me, like Dee), why not just TEST the combs?

If the wax is contaminated, then yes, all your previous fine-tuning still applies - good work (throw ya a bone, stop the grumbles and death-threats). If the wax is clean (verifying the beek's claim) then whats the problem?

Or is it intended to give folk the incentive to go to 4.9, given they've gotta change their combs anyway. Smells like bureaucracy to me...

Is Dee going to have to re-comb in order to register organic?

-Pav, seeing another variable in an Organic SCALE. Eg "Year 2 organic". But 'Organic' means NO treatments - this must be non-negotiable bare minimum entry level.