Deep thinking on future of cattle

[hillbilly beef man]

I sure have taken a look at the future and have done some deep thinking . When cattle are at a low and boxed beef is at a record high something is wrong.

When the middle man is taking too much from both the producer and the consumer it might be time to cut them out. I know it is not feasible for large producers, but I can see freezer beef being a bright spot in this current situation for us small guys.

 

[jltrent]

Cheap cattle and high input cost don't go together.

 

[shaz]

Still have most of my 2019 calf crop on grass and mineral. Cash flow sucks but I'm trying to ride it out as grass won't be an issue for a long time.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I sure have taken a look at the future and have done some deep thinking . When cattle are at a low and boxed beef is at a record high something is wrong.

When the middle man is taking too much from both the producer and the consumer it might be time to cut them out. I know it is not feasible for large producers, but I can see freezer beef being a bright spot in this current situation for us small guys.

My thoughts as well.

 

[HDRider]

There is only one thing wrong with the cattle market. It is very simple to see, but next to impossible to correct.

All the cattle we raise and sell go through one choke point. That choke point says how much they will pay, and how much they will buy.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Keep tilting Don.

 

[WFfarm]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

 

[Ky hills]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

That's a pretty good idea, I think there is a percentage of the population that would embrace local beef and milk.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

That's a pretty good idea, I think there is a percentage of the population that would embrace local beef and milk.

We all embrace it until the bill comes, then we want it cheaper.

 

[HDRider]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

The logistics of finishing, processing and selling beef are no small thing

First, USDA processors are few, and far between. Government regulations have made small processors unprofitable.

There are very few butcher shops now days. Supermarkets rarely, if ever, will buy from individual suppliers.

We need small processors that retail meat.

We can finish cattle in small lots. We need many, thousands actually, small processors as markets. We need more than the four mega processors we have now.

 

[HDRider]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

That's a pretty good idea, I think there is a percentage of the population that would embrace local beef and milk.

We all embrace it until the bill comes, then we want it cheaper.

Small producer beef will always cost more than beef from mega processors. Some people will pay more if they know more. That said, it is academic. There are very few producers selling into even fewer small processors.

Mega processors, in addition to being legislated into a place of prominence, are very, very efficient.

 

[Ky hills]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

That's a pretty good idea, I think there is a percentage of the population that would embrace local beef and milk.

We all embrace it until the bill comes, then we want it cheaper.

That's the biggest factor in why it hasn't already taken off. If the mostly arbitrary regulations and restrictions weren't at play then it may be feasible and less expensive.
We did farmers market for a couple years and an example of the arbitrary regulations was that even though one can sell farm fresh eggs if one were to make baked goods the eggs could not be ours they had to be bought graded eggs from the store. The ridiculous reasoning was that we were told was that consumers might not know that they were made with "country eggs".

 

[hurleyjd]

The future of the cattle business may be that there is no future in it. I do not want to get into the individual beef freezer beef business as the customers that would expect all rib eyes of the best grade and would grip if not getting them. My business is focusing on going out of business. Now I raise calves and when time to sell I get them in the loading chute call the sale barn they send a truck and I pick up the check the next day. Every year I have fewer and fewer calves to sell Hope to be zero by fall and also no cows.

Brought back to edit this statement. I do not do any deep thinking on anything now days.

 

[WFfarm]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

The logistics of finishing, processing and selling beef are no small thing

First, USDA processors are few, and far between. Government regulations have made small processors unprofitable.

There are very few butcher shops now days. Supermarkets rarely, if ever, will buy from individual suppliers.

We need small processors that retail meat.

We can finish cattle in small lots. We need many, thousands actually, small processors as markets. We need more than the four mega processors we have now.

Now is the time to get some of those regulations removed.

A local butcher near us will butcher an animal you bring to him, or can sell you a 1/4 or 1/2 of something he raised on his farm, but can't sell you a pack of ribeyes or 20 lbs of burger patties.

 

[HDRider]

Beef producers can do some direct marketing to the consumer. I think more people will get on the freezer beef train. Good for small producers and butchers who can cater to their local community. I feel bad for the dairy guys that have no other outlet for their product. Was wondering what it would take to make a portable pasteurizing system that could to the farms and leave them with bottled product they could sell direct to the public.

The logistics of finishing, processing and selling beef are no small thing

First, USDA processors are few, and far between. Government regulations have made small processors unprofitable.

There are very few butcher shops now days. Supermarkets rarely, if ever, will buy from individual suppliers.

We need small processors that retail meat.

We can finish cattle in small lots. We need many, thousands actually, small processors as markets. We need more than the four mega processors we have now.

Now is the time to get some of those regulations removed.

A local butcher near us will butcher an animal you bring to him, or can sell you a 1/4 or 1/2 of something he raised on his farm, but can't sell you a pack of ribeyes or 20 lbs of burger patties.

It would be easier to push a peanut 100 miles with my nose, and my eyes closed, and my hands tied behind my back, and my legs tied together than it would be to get the regulations removed or changed to make small processors viable.

Custom processors, though rare today, do exist to supply 1/4s, 1/2s and wholes. That does nothing to alleviate the bottleneck associated with retailing beef.