What is considered "ORGANIC" Honey?

[sweet bee]

I've seen many labels with "organic" on them. What determines whether you can label your honey as such? 

~Angie

[Moots]

Don't remember the specifics, but have seen discussions on this before...From what I remember the requirements are pretty extreme and nearly impossibly to meet.  I know that's not much help, sure others will have the specific details.  But long story short, probably a lot more trouble that it's worth...  :)

[sweet bee]

I don't label my honey as organic.  If I have to treat for mites, I use ApiGaurd after I pull the honey.  So I can control what I put in the hives but I can't control where they forage.  If the farmers use chemicals on their crops, that would make a difference, right? 

~Angie

[Moots]

Check out this thread...thinking it'll have what you are looking for....

Organic Standards Thread!

[Jim134]

    I did look this up about two months ago the USDA still has no such classes  for organic honey and/or no such standard. If you find it can you post your results here and I am talking about USDA standard. Thank you in advance
 



                     BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)                              

[Moots]

An Interesting Blog post on the subject of USDA Organic.

[Michael Bush]

I have often seen honey labeled as USDA Organic.  And the USDA still has no standard, so obviously it means nothing at all...

[sweet bee]

I tried to read up on it but it flew over my head like a 747  :roll: I'll just stick to "Pure" honey on my labels.  Speaking of which, does anyone know where I can get some customized honey labels?

~Angie

[Moots]

I buy the avery weatherproof labels and print my own....I've been very pleased with them.   :)

[sweet bee]

Moots- do you happen to know the size or item# for the Avery labels?

[Moots]

Moots- do you happen to know the size or item# for the Avery labels?

(

Moots- do you happen to know the size or item# for the Avery labels?

Sure...
For my one pound skep bottles, I use the 2"X4" avery labels #5523 (10 per page, 500 per box)
and
for my three pound skep bottles, I use the 3 1/3"X4" avery labels #5524 (6 per page, 300 per box)

[sweet bee]

Thanks Moots, I'll give it a shot.

~Angie

[T Beek]

Once the Government got involved the word 'organic' lost any relevance IMO.  We actually worked/lobbied for government recognition of organic farming practices for many years and left the 'movement' in disgust as we wittnessed the writing on the wall as presented by the USDA/FDA through their bosses......BIG AG.

We switched to "Homegrown" or "Farm-raised" as a promo-label years ago, and choose to ignore the meaningless of the word organic as has been described by USDA.

[JackM]

Once the Government got involved the word 'organic' lost any relevance IMO.  We actually worked/lobbied for government recognition of organic farming practices for many years and left the 'movement' in disgust as we wittnessed the writing on the wall as presented by the USDA/FDA through their bosses......BIG AG.

We switched to "Homegrown" or "Farm-raised" as a promo-label years ago, and choose to ignore the meaningless of the word organic as has been described by USDA.

You expected less from our "government"?????????

[capt44]

I laugh every time I see a label that says Organic Honey.
To have organic honey no chemicals are used.
But since the range of a hive will range out on an average of 2 miles that turns the table.
Draw a 2 mile circle around that hive and it comes out to 8,000 acres that particular hive can cover.
Now is everyone in that 2 miles circle going to stay organic? I don't think so.

[sweet bee]

I laugh every time I see a label that says Organic Honey.
To have organic honey no chemicals are used.
But since the range of a hive will range out on an average of 2 miles that turns the table.
Draw a 2 mile circle around that hive and it comes out to 8,000 acres that particular hive can cover.
Now is everyone in that 2 miles circle going to stay organic? I don't think so.

My thoughts EXACTLY!  :)

[Hemlock]

I laugh every time I see a label that says Organic Honey.
To have organic honey no chemicals are used.
But since the range of a hive will range out on an average of 2 miles that turns the table.
Draw a 2 mile circle around that hive and it comes out to 8,000 acres that particular hive can cover.
Now is everyone in that 2 miles circle going to stay organic? I don't think so.

The Captain is dead on here.

[10framer]

i met a guy whose wife works for the usda and he told me that they take grass clippings from a sod farm and mix it with manure from a dairy farm let it go through a heat then call it organic.  now i'm betting they do a bit of spraying at that sod farm and who knows what drugs those cows are getting. 

[capt44]

There is a large sod farm not far from here, yep they spray more stuff than you can shake a stick at.
They spray insecticides for a worm that gets into the root system.
They use to use chicken manure until the EPA stopped them because it was leeching too much ammonia into the ground water so now they use a liquid slurry type that is metered thru the pivot irrigation systems.
They fertilize heavy for when they harvest the sod in 8 weeks it's ready to harvest again.
That's why when you buy sod you have to water it sooo heavy, because of the ammonia.
They also use UAN  ( uretha ammonium nitrate in the liquid form.)
And as far as cow manure, what have they treated the pastures with?
Around these parts in the late spring they spray insecticides for army worms and such.
Not counting the 2-4-D for broad leaf plants which is has a very, very high cancer risk.