Harvest & Labels: QR Codes for Transparency

The moment you extract your first honey is something special for every beekeeper. But after the harvest comes the question: How do I track which honey came from which apiary and which colony? How do I create correct labels? And how can I show my customers where their honey comes from? Hivekraft accompanies you from the extraction room to the finished label.

Documenting the Harvest

Every honey harvest starts with the question: How much did you harvest, when, and from where? This data forms the foundation for everything that follows -- from batch management to labeling.

What Gets Recorded?

• Date: When was the honey extracted?
• Apiary and colonies: Which apiary and which colonies did the honey come from?
• Quantity: How much honey in kilograms
• Variety: Which nectar flow dominates (blossom, forest, linden, rapeseed, summer blossom, etc.)
• Moisture content: Refractometer reading in percent -- important for quality and compliance with honey regulations
• Quality notes: Color, consistency, taste, special characteristics

1. Create a new harvest

   Navigate to the Harvests section in the sidebar and click New Harvest. Select the apiary and colonies you harvested from. You can select multiple colonies if you extracted them together.

2. Enter harvest quantity and variety

   Enter the weighed honey quantity. Choose the honey variety. For mixed nectar flows, select the dominant variety or "Summer Blossom" / "Blossom Honey" as a general designation.

3. Record moisture content

   Measure the moisture content with your refractometer and enter the value. The value must be below 20% (German Honey Ordinance), and below 18% for the German Beekeepers' Association (DIB). Hivekraft warns you if the value is too high.

4. Save

   Save the harvest. It appears in your harvest list and is ready for bottling and labeling.

Bottling and Batch Management

After extraction, the honey is stirred, set to cream, or bottled directly. Hivekraft manages bottling through a batch system: each bottling run gets a unique batch number.

Why Batches?

The lot number (batch) is legally required on honey labels. It serves traceability: if a customer has a complaint, you can trace the batch number to determine exactly when the honey was harvested, extracted, and bottled, and from which colonies it came.

Recording Bottling

1. Create a batch

   From a harvest, you can create one or more batches. A batch is created when you bottle honey. Hivekraft automatically generates a unique batch number. You can also use your own system.

2. Jar size and quantity

   Specify which jars you're bottling into (e.g., 500g, 250g, 50g) and how many jars you filled. Hivekraft calculates the total bottled quantity from this and checks whether it matches the harvest quantity.

3. Bottling date

   The bottling date is automatically set to today. If you don't bottle on the same day, you can adjust it. The bottling date will appear on the label later.

Label Design: Compliant with One Click

Honey labeling is regulated by national food safety laws and EU regulations. Hivekraft creates labels that meet these requirements.

Mandatory Information on Honey Labels

The following information must appear on every honey label:

• Trade description: "Honey" or the specific variety (e.g., "Blossom Honey", "Forest Honey")
• Net fill quantity: In grams (e.g., 500 g)
• Name and address of the beekeeper (person placing the product on the market)
• Best before date (BBD): Typically 2 years after bottling
• Lot number: The batch number for traceability
• Country of origin: e.g., "German Honey" or "Honey from Germany"
• Nutritional declaration: Honey, as a single-ingredient product, is exempt from mandatory nutritional labeling in the EU, but voluntary disclosure is recommended

Designing Labels in Hivekraft

Hivekraft offers a label designer that automatically pulls mandatory information from your harvest and batch data:

• Variety and quantity are taken from the harvest
• Lot number comes from batch management
• Your name and address from your profile
• BBD is calculated automatically (2 years from bottling, adjustable)

You just need to choose the design and optionally upload your own logo. Then you can download the labels as a PDF and print them on suitable label sheets.

QR Code on the Label

What makes Hivekraft labels special: every label can include a QR code. And this QR code turns your jar of honey into a transparent product.

What Does the QR Code Show?

When a customer scans the QR code with their smartphone, a webpage opens with information about that specific jar of honey:

• Origin: Which apiary did the honey come from? The map shows the approximate location of the bee yard
• Harvest date: When was the honey extracted?
• Variety: Which nectar plants dominate in the region
• Beekeeper info: Who produced this honey? A brief profile
• Quality data: Moisture content and other quality characteristics

Why QR Codes?

In an era when consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from, transparency is a real differentiator:

• Trust: Your customer sees that there's a real beekeeper behind the jar
• Conversation starter: The QR code sparks curiosity and opens a conversation about bees and beekeeping
• Recognition: Customers who have visited your honey page remember you
• Professionalism: A QR code signals a modern, transparent operation

Customer Transparency as a Competitive Advantage

Transparency isn't just a nice extra -- it's a tangible competitive advantage in the local honey market.

Regional Honey Faces More Competition Than You'd Think

The honey market is fiercely competitive. In many countries, the majority of consumed honey is imported. Regional honey must compete against cheap imports. The strongest argument: trust and proximity.

A customer who scans the QR code on your jar and sees that the honey came from a bee yard 5 km away, extracted three weeks ago, by a beekeeper who carefully tends their colonies -- that customer is willing to pay a fair price. And they'll come back.

Transparency in Practice

Here's how to use Hivekraft's transparency features in everyday life:

• At the market stand: "Scan the QR code and see where your honey comes from." This sparks interest and trust
• In your farm shop: The QR code page works as a digital showcase when you're not personally present
• As gifts: Honey with a QR code makes a thoughtful gift -- the recipient can discover the story behind it
• At your beekeeping club: Show other beekeepers how modern marketing works

Tips for Professional Labels

Less Is More

A good label is clean and uncluttered. The mandatory information must be there, but don't overload the design. A clear layout with readable fonts looks more professional than an overcrowded label.

Consistent Design

Use the same base design for all varieties and only vary the variety name and possibly the color. Recognition comes through consistency.

Print Quality

Invest in good label sheets (weather- and moisture-resistant in case the honey is stored in the fridge) and print with a decent printer. A smudged label makes a poor impression, no matter how good the honey is.

Knowledge Check

You've now learned the five most important Hivekraft workflows: from setup through the hive record and inspections to varroa management and harvesting with QR code labels. In the next lessons, we'll dive into advanced features: AI daily briefing, voice input at the bee yard, and IoT sensors.