How to Develop Your Own Local Beef Sales

Eric Jennings, Spearfish, S.D., is a rancher who has learned a lot about consumers. He sells grass-fed and grain-finished beefiness directly to consumers.

Jennings and his wife, Michele, started directly marketing beef about 10 years. At first, they sold quarters and halves to friends and family. Eventually they developed their own brand — Jennings Angus Beefiness — and now take their beef in the Red Barn Farmers Market retail store and Adept Earth Natural Foods, both in Spearfish.

While Jennings withal refers to the venture as a "hobby experiment," he is committed to continuing to feed the local foods movement and anticipates sales will keep to grow. Jennings ran a large commercial cow herd until a few years ago, when he transitioned his U.Southward. Forest Service grazing let to another rancher. With his smaller cowherd he is now focused on straight marketing every bit a way to become a higher render from his calf crop.

Marketing insights
Jennings' peak four tips about direct marketing meat are:

1. Rethink portion sizes. "A 3 to 4-pound roast is generally too big," he says. Many buyers seeking "local beef" in retail stores are usually ownership for one to two people and they may not want leftovers. Additionally, at an average of $8 per pound for grass-fed beef, larger portion sizes tin can be cost prohibitive.

two. Be prepared for consumer questions. Often, buyers interested in locally-raised are interested in the story behind the ranch and how they animals are raised. From his experience, consumers have been particularly interested in three common questions: Was the animal fed hormones? Was the creature given antibiotics? Was the beast fed corn? Jennings notes that with his 50-head cowherd, cattle are raised naturally (no hormones, no antibiotics). He does offer both grain-finished and grass-finished beef depending on consumer preferences. The Jennings use Angus genetics, which is recognized by many consumers as a source of high quality meat brood.

LOCAL Beefiness: Eric and Michele Jennings put their name and phone number on their meat packages.

three. Recognize grass-finished beef takes longer to get to market. Jennings says marketing local beef can produce a higher gross revenue, nonetheless your costs to produce that beefiness may also exist higher. For instance, grass-finished calves are typically two years of age earlier they reach an ideal harvest weight, which requires feeding them a year longer than grain-finished cattle. He supplements grass-fed animals with alfalfa or fodder hay during the wintertime, and typically harvests in tardily summer to early fall

4. Observe opportunities to connect with consumers. Jennings has gotten involved in the Spearfish Chamber of Commerce to assistance increase awareness for Jennings Angus Bee. He and Michelle even host an afternoon at their ranch each jump for the Spearfish leadership grade to learn more well-nigh local agriculture. The Jennings' have as well offered beefiness samples in the retail stores to provide opportunities for consumers to endeavour the beef and ask whatever questions they may have. They have a Facebook folio to share photos and information nearly their ranch. They are involved in state beef manufacture events; and they've collaborated with Black Hills State Academy, which has established a food hub to connect local producers with interested consumers and restaurants.

Grass- vs grain-finished beef
The Jennings offer both grass- and grain-finished beefiness by keeping groups of animals dissever and feeding them differently through the finishing phase. While some consumers — and producers — are very song about preferences for sure production methods (organic, natural, and/or grass-finished), Jennings won't take sides. He says consumers deserve choices.

"I'm here to promote meat. I won't promote i production method to the detriment of some other," he says.

Gordon writes from Whitewood, S.D.

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Source: https://www.farmprogress.com/marketing/4-tips-direct-marketing-beef

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