A first sign of the times, newby commercial doesn't start

[Alastair 8,571]

A couple of months ago I was approached by a guy who saw bee boxes on my vehicle and button holed me for a talk because he wanted to be a commercial beekeeper. (this happens to me fairly regularly).

 

My advice was no, really bad time to get started, and I ran him through the current issues facing beekeepers. He was very disappointed but not quite ready to give up on his dream.

 

So today I bumped into him again, and chatted for a few minutes. He told me he checked out everything I said, found it was true, and is no longer planning to be a beekeeper. He thanked me for my advice, as he previously had some hives lined up to buy, at inflated prices, he believes meeting me was a lucky break for him.

 

I see this as a sign of the times, not so long ago all and sundry were setting up in business.

[Kiwi Bee 589]

However he can start small - 4 hives - to have own honey and a small hobby.  But no, he wanted to make BIG money - commercial - from the start. Very good if he gave up before he would make more harm the other beekeepers.

We already face the side effect of newbies starting BIG and not handling their beehives' management(disease).

[Dave Black 3,517]

Another sign.

There's a question asked, and I think "you have that many hives and this is the question you're asking?"

Is it just me...

[deejaycee 2,457]

There's definitely a shift happening/happened, and for the better. 

 

The last couple of years when I asked at the beginner's beekeeping course 'who's thinking about making some money/making a living?', half the class raised their hands.    This year (a couple of months ago), maybe 10% raised their hands.  

[jamesc 4,760]

Yep ..... I'm raising my hand this year.  Just read Niwa's three month   weather forcast.   30c days, below average rain. 

[Alastair 8,571]

Is that you James, or all of us?

[kaihoka 2,945]

1 minute ago, Alastair said:

Is that you James, or all of us?

I think just the east coast .

If thats like that for him its pretty nasty for us .

Does Auckland get westerly winds?

[Alastair 8,571]

Yes we get westerlies but this is a thin part of the country, they do not pass over a big land mass getting hoter and drier by the time they get to us.

[kaihoka 2,945]

13 minutes ago, Alastair said:

Yes we get westerlies but this is a thin part of the country, they do not pass over a big land mass getting hoter and drier by the time they get to us.

The same here.

We never get a hot dry land wind .

But sometimes a nice warm gentle nor easterly .

[john berry 5,583]

I find niwa to be pretty reliable with their long-range forecasts. They are almost 100% wrong 100% of the time.

[glynn 1,517]

52 minutes ago, john berry said:

I find niwa to be pretty reliable with their long-range forecasts. They are almost 100% wrong 100% of the time.

Yes I'd agree with that 

[kaihoka 2,945]

52 minutes ago, john berry said:

I find niwa to be pretty reliable with their long-range forecasts. They are almost 100% wrong 100% of the time.

I heard an american forecaster describe NZ as the  Everest of forecasting and he was looking forward to the challenge of trying to weather forecast here . 

[glynn 1,517]

2 hours ago, jamesc said:

Yep ..... I'm raising my hand this year.  Just read Niwa's three month   weather forcast.   30c days, below average rain. 

With all the pivots we may be in the middle of a green desert. 

[jamesc 4,760]

I think ot for all of us....blue skies seem to have a dollar each way.

l generally keep their forcasts out of canterbury farming and read them again at the end of the season.... they sort of get it.

I see there is fresh whitebait at the physic reader at the old west coast road up from Kumara.  ... might stop one day for a fritter and a weather forcast.