how to make a living raising a beef farm

[randy41]

there are quite a few grass fed beef farmers around here and they seem to be doing well. who can really tell without looking at their books?
They sell at farmers markets, local retail stores, especially health food stores, and to people who buy in bulk (1/4, 1/2, whole).
Eliminate the middle man and get top dollar.
good luck!

 

[MossflowerWoods]

The grass fed beef we get is far superior to any thing you get at the grocery store were it's all feed lot beef with no taste. We are friends with the farmer who rotates their animals through different fields and does no graining. A grained finished cow will have more fat, and therefore cannot be healthier than a cow with less fat, You can also taste the difference. We pay $2.50 a pound cut and wrapped, and visit our cow regularly, to see how it is developing.

Though I am sure there are those out there that claim all grass fed and just give them old hay, in which case I would buy your argument. In the mean time I will take the grass finished cow over a grained cow.

These folks do very well with selling animals they have pigs, chickens, and rabbits, and do well with all of it.

Combustix,

Agreed completely...

$2.50 is a great deal! Do you buy the whole cow?

I am pretty seriously looking into starting a beef operation such as you describe. myself with another TBN'r.

Thanks,
David

 

[RickB]

Anyone selling beef cut & wrapped for $2.50 across the board better be selling a very large amount in order to make a living at it.

 

[whitedogone]

Tough to make a whole lot with that # of head. I would write up a nice CL ad touting your fine organic top quality beef. Sell it on the hoof by the 1/2 or 1/4. You deliver to a butcher and the people deal with the butcher for how they want it cut/packed.

 

[thatguy]

Like I said, you make a lot of money for everybody but yourself.

Then all the OP needs to do is start selling to his supplies to himself.. Then he makes money on both ends.. LOL

Brian

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Then all the OP needs to do is start selling to his supplies to himself.. Then he makes money on both ends.. LOL

Brian

That's a GREAT Idea!!!!

:laughing:

David

 

[forgeblast]

I saw that there are mobil butchers (here is an example We are a mobile butcher, so the butcher comes to your corral ( Bob Thrush)), and what about selling directly to a resturant.
There are a few resturants around us that try to source their materials with in 50 miles of their place. They also list the farm that they get their veggys and meat from.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

+1 on Joel Salatin's books. There's a certain amount of libertarian preaching, but he's good at it so that's OK. Most of his writing is about how to take advantage of the mini-ecology of grassland + ruminants + birds to make money with minimum input purchases. If you can sell your beef for a higher price by not buying feed grain, that's a double win.

Running a successful small business by being a hard-working cheapskate is the underlying theme of his books. I'd recommend "You Can Farm" to start with. Ted sounds like he already knows most of what's in it, but it would be good encouragement.

Testimonial: I've eaten fine steaks in Kansas City, Chicago, and Fort Worth. None was as good as the ones from Polyface.

 

[charlz]

I looked at hobby-raising a couple head to provide beef for the family but decided it is much easier to just buy it 1/4 at a time. Don't have the hassle of raising it and, more importantly, the risk of losing one and putting myself in the hole $$ wise. I would have the expense of getting a trailer, building some pens/corrals etc. I also don't have to have a new freezer dedicated to beef, 1/4 fits on a shelf in my existing freezer.

Last time I got a front quarter and paid about $4.00 per pound. $2.50 is pretty cheap, that is hanging weight around here and then you also get to pay cut and wrap. This is done through a 'custom meat' place. They will also butcher your beef for you if you bring a live cow. We have a few of these places around, some also do mobile butchering which is where they do the kill/cleanout at your place and haul everything off to finish the process at their shop.

They either buy animals at auction or from a local supplier... might be a place to start by seeing if you can become a supplier. I also see people advertise on Craigslist trying to get enough people together for a whole cow. They pay the supplier and he drops it off at the butcher and they pay the kill/cut/wrap fees. This seems to be more popular with grass-fed beef. It is more or less the same process at the custom meat place, I call and get 'on the list' for whatever I want, front 1/4, rear 1/4, half, whole and once they have enough people they butcher one and let everyone know. I just pay the one final price which you don't really know until it is all in little white packages.

 

[Duffster]

You will have a very difficult time in obtaining the services of your local butcher in slaughtering and processing your beef for sale. Sanitation procedures, animal welfare, waste disposal; etc are many of the various concerns that will impede the services of your local butcher. Research your State and local regulations. If you cross State lines when selling your processed product, this will enter the Federal arena. My Father had part interest in a Custom Packing plant - aka slaughter house. We even had a Federal inspector on hand. I worked in all the aspects of the operation - from the kill floor, to the hide room, to the gut room, to the processing, and to the wrapping.

I don't see why any of this would be a problem. That is exactly what our local butcher does for several producers selling cuts of beef as well as selling whole, half or quarters of beef directly to the customers.

The laws have changed somewhat recently that has changed the need for federal USDA inspection on interstate sales as well. It's not nearly as big of deal as it used to be.