Another step in my bee journey

What a journey!

All those years ago, or as some would put it “Once upon a time…” I was pleased having produced two jars of honey in my first year as an apiculteur.

And now, fifteen years later, I have been asked to sell my honey in a rather upmarket wine merchant and traiteur in the village, Terre Vinum.

I have been selling and distributing honey for quite a few years now. I sometimes thought that the object, apart from giving 1,200,000 bees nice homes in a lush mountain landscape, was to get rid of stock so that there was space for the following year’s harvest. Looking at the records this certainly seems to have worked well. Not only that, the humble Beekeeper notices that there is a growing demand for what a lot of people call the real thing.

Terre Vinum in asking little me if they could sell my honey was a huge honour as well as a step forward. The nice (Italian) owner had asked with me for a “facture”. I nearly had a heart attack. He pleaded again saying he feared the Gendarmes and the Douanes would come looking for tax.

I had to learn very quickly the art (everything in France is an art and very, very precise) of issuing French factures (invoices) which contain so much info bar for one’s grandmother’s maiden name (this time). Thinking that somehow I had suddenly become some sort of honey mogul, I was somewhat pleased to remind myself that as a small producer under a precise number of hives (50) declared each year to the Government, I was allowed to sell without the dreaded TVA.

On this basis I ordered two more new hives from my friend Jean Claude to get myself towards the threshold. For this I need housing for another 300,000 bees. Better get to work this spring.

Roll on La Maison Judd and all who sail with her !!!

Have I arrived I wonder.