More than a decennary ago , third - generation farmer Kevin Jablonski sold the family dairy farm herd . He accept an off - farm caper and leased his Argyle , New York , b to other farmers .
When the last tenant lead in 2013 , Kevin ’s son evoke they buy a few beef cattle from a local sodbuster who was downsizing . They bribe several bred cow and turned them out on the fields for dope control .
Then Jablonski met his partner , Karen Christensen ; she finally moved to the farm . When Christensen readThe Omnivore ’s quandary : A Natural History of Four Mealsby Michael Pollan , she want to know what the Bos taurus in their pastures tasted like . That invigorate their decision to start a freezer barter business , selling directly to customers , for their herd of 75 to 90 Angus cattle .
produce a deep freezer trade can be a lucrative taxation flow for livestock farmers selling nitty-gritty products . Cornell Cooperative Extensionresearch shows that selling meat by the quarter , half or whole animal is more profitable for the James Leonard Farmer and more affordable for the consumer .
add together a deep-freeze trade business to your farm requires a niggling planning to be successful . Here are five things you need to know before jump in .
Click here to read 4 point for cooking grassfed bitch from a cows Fannie Farmer .
1. Know the Freezer Beef Market
When Jablonski and Christensen decided to try the deep-freeze food market , they sleep with local granger markets already featured several beef producers .
Instead of try a saturated outlet , they decided to sell out of their star sign . They started by selling across the dining way table . Later , they converted a portion of the cellar into a retail space with deep freezer .
2. Consider Certifications
Customers are more engaged with how their food is being produced , including how the animals are regale .
Mack Brook Farmis Beef Quality Assurance Certified ( BQA ) , Animal Welfare Approved and American Grassfed Certified , a message they communicate to customers .
“ It ’s crucial to call up about certifications and to determine if it is worth the time and money to pursue them as it connect to your customers , ” suppose Steve Hadcock , Cornell Cooperative Extension begin Farmer and Market Development Educator .
3. Calculate Your Costs and Sell Price
An on-line tool calledMeat Suitehelps manufacturer check Leontyne Price based on the fumbler ’s slashed sheet and the total income a farm needs to earn per Egyptian pound . The calculator is also helpful in adjusting price mid - twelvemonth as stocktaking levels fluctuate .
To employ the tool effectively , you have to recognise your price and customer preferences .
“ If you ’re lean long on some products and out of others , Meat Suite helps you decide if and by how much you may bump up prices on firm marketer and fall toll on slower trafficker to even out on total income on the intact bullock , ” Hadcock excuse .
4. Decide on Finishing Method
Mack Brook Farm is a grassfed operation . Others cereal finish their freezer squawk cattle .
Talk to other Farmer and attend conferences to find resources on what may act substantially in a geographic area or a farm ’s setup . Local cooperative extension agents and NRC faculty can also be helpful resources
5. Spread the Word
Marketing is key to successfully selling meat ware .
Social medium has overtaken mark advertising , but Jablonksi said that while they employ Instagram and Facebook , they are not technologically savvy . Instead , they focalize on producing quality meat ware .
“ If you ’ve got quality mathematical product masses will come back . We are in the eye of nowhere and sell 75 to 80 percent of intersection here at our family , ” he said .
Enticing shoppers to buy locally produced meat is only part of the equating for a successful freezer beef trade . The process begins with raising healthy , high - caliber animals .
