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PPRM
Rancher
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 1639
Location: NE Oregon
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 Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| leanin' H wrote: |
Don't mean to horn in on ya'll. We direct market our beef as well. Afterall there are almost 2 million people on the wasatch front in Utah. Sold 22 head last year and havent begun to get serious. We offer whole,half or quarter. But lately lots of folks are asking for smaller packages. My deal is space until I get a whole steer sold. Might have to buy 4 freezers to store it in till it sells. I know that providing safe, delicious, local beef is a market that has no limit. It just takes the willpower and determination to jump in. Great beef sells itself by the forkful. Congrats to all of you who are having success doing this.  |
I have eleven Freezers, generally 8 in use... I can buy used ones so cheap it just doesn't pencil with energy savings to buy a walk in.
I know of people in your area.... Actually, my fulltime job boss told me Whole Foods was looking for a supplier. I am wary of them. Especially with the new standards. However, I bet there are other alternatives. Look for locally owned small seafood shops. They are basically forcing customers to buy Beef elsewhere by NOT offering it. Work an agreement that works for both of you. Sell Quality.
Also, Learn to talk to Restaurants. There will be some wanting to feature local.
There is another thing to watch on national retailers. It is like a 5 year cycle and they use you as the "Token Local Farmer". The first two years are great. You go borrow money to grow and then they own you and start taking margin and volume away if you don't cowtow to them...
Do it right and get some variety in customers. Think of it this way. You should ad $500 value to each calf you sell. How many things are taking your time up now that a $10/hour hired person could really handle? I think it is worth it to spend time marketing your animals... LOL, one of these days I will have it figured out, LOL...
PPRM
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Grassfarmer
Rancher
Joined: 21 Aug 2005
Posts: 1002
Location: Central Alberta, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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Why not pre-sell it H? we are taking orders now for Oct/Nov delivery, about a third booked up already. Once the beef is ready we just deliver it straight to the customer - no on farm storage to worry about, purchase or get licensed.
PPRM, we have no plans to get into cuts or catering establishments as we are quite happy where we are at. As many customers coming along as we need so why complicate things?
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PPRM
Rancher
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 1639
Location: NE Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Grassfarmer wrote: |
| I should have mentioned we do the 1/8th of a beef thing too - trialled a few last year and it went quite well. The main reason I do it is that we get charged an extra $25/quarter to cut and wrap quarters versus halves "extra handling charge". So by ordering a whole beef and dividing it up ourselves we save $100 processing cost and charge a little extra for the smaller quantities in addition. |
Try a 20 pound Ground Beef Bulk Pack and see what happens. You may have to have them start grinding some roasts, LOL
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PPRM
Rancher
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 1639
Location: NE Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Grassfarmer wrote: |
Why not pre-sell it H? we are taking orders now for Oct/Nov delivery, about a third booked up already. Once the beef is ready we just deliver it straight to the customer - no on farm storage to worry about, purchase or get licensed.
PPRM, we have no plans to get into cuts or catering establishments as we are quite happy where we are at. As many customers coming along as we need so why complicate things? |
I felt that way once to. Choose whatever path works. I am one who wishes I had jumped in 5 years earlier. It was new ground. There are two guys much larger than I who have taken the best accounts...
The thing with the Sides is it always felt like customers eventually had life changes such as kids moving out and simply stopped buying those volumes.
Another place very popular is Hospitals. Not just the cafeteria. Employees buy almost like a CSA...
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RobertMac
Rancher
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 3725
Location: Mississippi, USA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:35 am Post subject: |
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| I'm with Grassfarmer, I feel much more secure selling whole and halves to a loyal customer base. I don't market...my customers do it for me...they have brought me more new possible customers than I have beef to supply. Not to mention my email list of interested buyers that are on a waiting list(about 3X my total production capacity).
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PPRM
Rancher
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 1639
Location: NE Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:31 am Post subject: |
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| RobertMac wrote: |
| I'm with Grassfarmer, I feel much more secure selling whole and halves to a loyal customer base. I don't market...my customers do it for me...they have brought me more new possible customers than I have beef to supply. Not to mention my email list of interested buyers that are on a waiting list(about 3X my total production capacity). |
Good for you and whatever works for you. I entered this discussion when asked a question and just wnated to relay my experiences. I am sorry if it came accross as trying to "Convert everyone". That ws not the case. I was simply trying to address the issue completely in regard to questions on how I do things.
I just found in my market I was in a cycle I didn't like. I would love to of been able to stay with the sides program. It is easier. I just was not going to work for me.
My Customers do send me a lot of new business as well,
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Grassfarmer
Rancher
Joined: 21 Aug 2005
Posts: 1002
Location: Central Alberta, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:24 am Post subject: |
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| Not at all PPRM - glad to have your input - I certainly don't feel you were trying to convert me. This is the beauty of being a price setter instead of a price taker - there are many routes to take and we can all go different directions. Thanks for your input.
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RobertMac
Rancher
Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 3725
Location: Mississippi, USA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:23 am Post subject: |
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| Grassfarmer wrote: |
| Not at all PPRM - glad to have your input - I certainly don't feel you were trying to convert me. This is the beauty of being a price setter instead of a price taker - there are many routes to take and we can all go different directions. Thanks for your input. |
Ditto what Grassfarmer said...I very much enjoy and value your post. I've said for a long time that there is a large segment of the public that trust producers and don't trust the large food corporations to provide a safe product...too many recalls!!!! The market is there for those willing to do a little extra work and there are many ways to get there. According to Grassfarmer, I'm selling at below commodity grocery store prices, but I'm making money because I'm keeping all the money that is being skimmed off a calf as it goes through the "system".
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