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  • From: Richard Stewart <rstewart AT zoomtown.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Buckwheat
  • Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2012 17:03:00 -0400

Good question.  From my understanding the bees will be on buckwheat over pretty much anything else.  Basic math is about 125lbs of honey per hive per acre.  That's SUPER rough but a good ball park to shoot for.  No idea on the planting density and moisture needs to fill that level of nectar production.  Lots of variables though.

Honey is certainly the single most valuable crop I have outside of herbs on a pound per pound net income basis.

I have a demand of daikon locally but I'm using it to help get a better planting for 2013 not for a cash crop.  I figure if I can keep four to five acres of buckwheat, 4 in tillage radish and the remaining in wheat things will be good.   We'll see.  Been waiting for this property to come back into production for nearly a decade and I'm simply ready to go, go, go.  We'll do some set-and-forget crops in the perimeter (horseradish and garlic mainly with a couple long rows of thyme, oregano, and summer savory) and I the rest is cover crop and small grains.  Super excited.

Whew.

Just going to wait and see what happens and roll with it.

Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106

On Aug 12, 2012, at 2:06 PM, Richard Moyer wrote:

Richard,
Two more quick thoughts:
--Our honey is much more profitable than daikon radishes, at least in direct market sales.  Esp. the small gift sizes of honey, headed into the holidays.
(The whole farm contributions of well-fed fall beehives vs. daikons as a fall cover crop, are other matters.)

--How much buckwheat acreage can the number of hives you have realistically use?  Hence tilling under some of the buckwheat may not result in much honey loss, if any.


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