Farm Pollination

We will service your farm's pollination needs in a symbiotic relationship. Our relationship will help each other grow. Call us to figure out how many hives you need based on acres and crop type.

2012 Pollination Rates

The rates listed here are an estimate and are subject to change

• $1 off pollination rates for arboretums, parks and environmental centers

Rates above do include:

• A status visit and hive inspection 4 or 5 times per year.
• Each hive will have a queen less than 3 years old.
• Hive death / loss coverage:
  • If a hive dies during April or May it will be restocked or replaced at no additional cost during our follow up visit.
  • We will cover 50% of the replacement cost for hives that die during months other than April or May. This replenishment cost will be billed in early spring, or when pollination services are terminated, which ever comes first. 

Rates above do not include:

• Transportation fee for each install, site visit, or hive relocation.
• Tolls incured during travel to pollination sites.
• Hive removal from a pollination site will be considered hive relocation.
• Hive relocation: $3 per hive plus transportation
• Additional requested site visits, beyond our planned visits, will incure our transportation fee and a small service fee based on the nature of the visit.
• If you do not keep the hives through the winter there will be a $3 per hive fee.
• Gardening
• Coverage for excessive or unusual damages to beekeeping equipment not caused by us.

Transportation Fee - Each trip to the pollination site has a rate of $10 plus 75 cents per round trip mile, plus tolls. 

We recomend 5 hives per acre for densely planted orchards, and 3 hives per acre for less dense crops. Douglas Farm is not responsible for situations due to weather or poor crop performance. Hives, honey and bee structures are owned by Douglas Farm for all pollination contracts.

Any agreement for products or services other than pollination hives are to be considered seperate from pollination, and not linked in any way. No honey or wax products are included with the pollination rate.

Pollination Billing: 

Pollination customers can have their bill sent annually in the fall, or divided into 2 or three invoices. Pollination rates will be divided to the invoices. Other fees such as transportation will be billed as a total of all fees since the last invoice sent.

Honeybee Pollination Effects:

Estate Contracts for Farm Land Property Tax Assessment

Do you have 6 or more acres? Are you not farm land tax assessed?

Our estate apiary contract will work with you to a mutual benifiting relationship. Several hives can be setup in a remote part of your property. Honey produced can contribute to the income requirement of the assessment. There are certain criteria requirements including a time interval that you need to meet. This arrangment can save you thousands of dollars every year off your property taxes. Contracts are flexible to meet your needs.

Basic NJ Requirements:
1. Applicant must own the land.
2. Owner must annually apply for Farmland Assessment on Form FA-1 with the municipal tax assessor on or before August 1 of the year immediately preceding the tax year.
3. Land must be devoted to agricultural or horticultural uses for at least two years prior to the tax year (also see Qualifying Woodland).
4. Land must consist of at least 5 contiguous (adjoining) acres being farmed and/or under a woodlot management plan. Land under and adjoining the farmhouse is not counted in the 5 acre minimum area needed to qualify.
5. Gross sales of products from the land must average at least $500 per year for the first 5 acres, plus an average of $5 per acre for each acre over 5, except in the case of woodland or wetland where the income requirement is $.50 per acre for any acreage over 5.
6. Owner must represent that the land will continue in agricultural or horticultural use to the end of the tax year.

Example of bee contribution to farm assessment: 

On a 16-acre parcel of woodland 80 beehives are maintained. A gross income in excess of $4,000 is received annually from farmers in the area for use of the bees in pollinating their crops. Over $1,000 is also received from the sale of honey. Because the 16 acres is not being managed for honey production, the landowner hires an approved forester to develop a woodlot management plan. The woodlot management plan will need to be implemented for two full calendar years to be eligible for Farmland Assessment in the third year. For purposes of gross sales criteria income from pollination of crops does not count, only honey sales.

Honey harvested from the estate owner's hives can be sold back to us to show farm income. This money can help off set the cost of our beekeeping services. It should be noted that we charge a fee to do the work to extract and / or bottle the honey.

Possible arrangment examples include:

• Land owner owns or buys hives and pays for beekeeping services.
• Land owner rents hives and beekeeping services through out pollination service listed on this page.
• Keep in mind qualifying acres will need to be active managed such as:
  • A fruit or vegetable orchard
  • Cover crop: such as harvested alfalfa hay.
  • Pature for sheep, goats, chickens etc.
  • Woodland under a managment plan

We do not cover the cost to install permanent structures, utilities, walls or fencing.

Apiculture Supporter - Land Owner

Do you have a spot on your property for a pallet of be hives? Would you like your garden to grow more flowers, fruits, and vegetables than you ever imagined? This option is for people who cannot afford beekeeping services. Note: Supporters looking for free pollination will only get hives placed at their location if Farmers and Estates have not reserved all our hives. Travel expenses will still be expected to be reimbursed at $1 per mile per visit. Hives may be removed at our discretion. Sites must have certain things, water for example.