Fair visitors can be so fascinated by attractive displays of honey and other apiary products, including observation hives, that we should surely make greater use of such opportunities to promote our products. Honey consumption in the United States is only slightly more than 1 pound per person. If no effort is made to promote its use, consumption could drop still further-and there could be a tendency toward lower prices. About 200,000 people keep bees in the United States.
Most States have a fair and there are hundreds of county fairs.
Beekeepers in some States do marvelous jobs of organizing displays at the fairs. The initiative for getting beekeepers' displays on the fair prize list and then stimulating good, competitive response from the honey producers must come from State or local beekeepers' associations. Persistent effort by a continuing committee can develop the talent for showmanship present in every community. Expanded use of the fairs could provide the beekeeping industry with an interesting and profitable way to tell many millions of people the good qualities of honey. Honey Festivals Ohio beekeepers have for some years worked with the Chamber of Commerce of a strategically located town to stage an annual honey festival lasting several days.