Details on how to implement a freezer beef program?

[Howdyjabo]

I'm not counting on many people finding the website-- I wanted somewhere to send people to look so I didn't have to explain it over and over and over.

I have only sold a few so far- it started by word of mouth but I sent them to the site to cinch the sale

 

[HerefordSire]

We are starting "Freezer Beef" this year--
check out my website--
feel free to comment - so I can improve it.

http://hart.stockdogjournal.com/

As an aside I had a lady make my web page- I thought she was real good and not expensive if anyone is looking to get a web page set up.

Very nice! Do you make a living doing this yet?

 

[Howdyjabo]

Net yet but............"I have a dream"
My goal is 100 head a year-- might have to get into Labeled meat and individual cuts to do that though.
I wanted to wait to make that jump till next year after I get my teeth cut on the freezer calves-

 

[skyline]

I'm not counting on many people finding the website-- I wanted somewhere to send people to look so I didn't have to explain it over and over and over.

I have only sold a few so far- it started by word of mouth but I sent them to the site to cinch the sale

Makes sense. Even if they don't find you that way, I'm sure it does help to close the sale. I like it.

 

[forageconverter]

We are starting "Freezer Beef" this year--
check out my website--
feel free to comment - so I can improve it.

http://hart.stockdogjournal.com/

As an aside I had a lady make my web page- I thought she was real good and not expensive if anyone is looking to get a web page set up.

Looks like a nice site to me and answers all the common questions in a direct and simple manner.

My only recommendation, which may just be knit-picking, would be maybe use a more 'consumer-friendly' term for slaughter and kill, such as 'processing'.

"All arrangements for slaughter(processing) must be made by the buyer. There is usually a long wait to schedule a kill(processing) slot so buy your calf (we require a $50 deposit) and make your kill(processing) plans months in advance."

 

[terra8186]

Really nice website!!!!!

I agree with toning it down with the words kill and slaughter. It would also be nice to use a different word then calf. When people who are buying 1/2's and wholes, they think a calf refers to a new born. If you come up with a good word for a single finished freezer beef ______, let me know.

 

[Howdyjabo]

That has already come up in discussions
People seem to want to call them COWS-- but I flat refuse to call a calf a cow to pander to people not understanding the difference. And if I did it would turn off those that did understand the difference. The 1100- 1300lbs should clue them in that its not a baby
I tried yearling- but that really left them scraching their heads-
I get alot of input from non farmers- my family hasn't got a clue what I do.

I sent an e-mail to my web designer and asked her to change to "processing"-- Good catch on that one THANKS

 

[Howdyjabo]

Heres one to ponder if you would.

I keep getting people that want to buy a 800lb calf-- so they don't have as much meat.
I have tried all the normal responses--- they won't be finished, the meat will be too expensive(meat:waste ratio) ; It would be better to find a partner to split the beef with to end up with less meat.
They don't get it- or don't want to get it.

If they want one that size--instead of letting them go somewhere else to get it-- what would the meat be like? What would the Yield be? Would the cuts be too small(strike people odd)? I don't mind selling them like that if I can still have happy customers.

 

[grannysoo]

I keep getting people that want to buy a 800lb calf-- so they don't have as much meat.

Would the cuts be too small(strike people odd)?

These people need to buy a quarter, instead of a half. People have buying habits that have been learned in the supermarkets, and tiny steaks are not part of it.

The meat would be great, but the T-Bones and others way too small......

 

[forageconverter]

You could maybe say steer or heifer? Or just say beef or beeves.


On your site, you give a good simple definition of what the hanging carcass is. But sticking with the consumer-friendly theme, and this is just another suggestion, maybe instead of saying:

"The hanging carcass is basically the animal minus its guts, head and hide."

You could say:

The hanging carcass is basically just the meat, bones, and excess fat of the animal.

Your definition is better, but I don't how "minus its guts and head" will come across to the average consumer.

 

[Bez+]

Heres one to ponder if you would.

I keep getting people that want to buy a 800lb calf-- so they don't have as much meat.
I have tried all the normal responses--- they won't be finished, the meat will be too expensive(meat:waste ratio) ; It would be better to find a partner to split the beef with to end up with less meat.
They don't get it- or don't want to get it.

If they want one that size--instead of letting them go somewhere else to get it-- what would the meat be like? What would the Yield be? Would the cuts be too small(strike people odd)? I don't mind selling them like that if I can still have happy customers.

Well, I have knocked more than a couple down at that weight.

Steaks are smaller and roasts are smaller.

Some folks want them that way. In fact a lot of folks want those cuts smaller.

Quality is still there - remember, the older folks and the DINKS are only feeding two - and appetites are not always huge.

In fact you might find - like us - that more folks want this than the full sized finished steer or heifer.

Suggest you do this as part of a marketing test - you will not be disappointed. Tell those folks you will stand behind the meat and ask them for THEIR opinions.

We can sell more grass fed - not fully finished - we help with corn - light weights than we can heavy fats.

Oh, the meat will be excellent.

If you do this charge them a 5 cent premium.

Call it baby beef - and no, those that want one that size will not cringe at the name.

As for kill and slaughter - I am of the opinion that those are good terms.

If they are coming to the farm they already know meat does not come on a styrofoam platter wrapped in shrink wrap.

As you wish of course - but I stand by the terms - and people still come to our place.

Good luck in your future plans.

Cheers

Bez+

 

[Howdyjabo]

Thanks BEZ

Do you have any idea what the yield would be on a 800lb calf?
This would actually be easier for me to do-- and meet quality standards for our local "natural" grocery store chain too.

 

[Bez+]

Thanks BEZ

Do you have any idea what the yield would be on a 800lb calf?
This would actually be easier for me to do-- and meet quality standards for our local "natural" grocery store chain too.

I would have to say it depends.

How do they want it cut?

How fat was the animal?

And so on.

We have been doing this for a lot of years - going up and down in size as we travel through life - downsizing for the next couple of years as I live far away from the farm and wife is forced to do the work while I am away.

We generally look at 65% as an average hanging on the rail weight - which is what we sell at.

We sell at all different weight sizes and we generally sell at $2.75 a pound rail weight - and kill under 900 - 1000 pounds almost all the time.

Time all is said and done you can on the average - predict something in the vicinity of 430 - 525 total pounds going into the freezer after de-boning, cutting, grinding and trimming and so on and animal that killed at about 800 - 1000 pounds live weight. So most families have room in their small apartment sized freezer for their half

My premium on the smaller animals is not 5 cents - that was just a little joke. We sell to make money.

We pay for cut and wrap - we pay the kill fee. We are one stop shop - we do it all for you and you pay us to do it.

Do not sell 1/4's and do not kill until the money is in the bank and both halves are sold - got that T-shirt. Trust me - do not do it - too expensive and you have to store it. Or pay storage.

We are not cheap and we sometimes tell people no deal.

We do not undercut the stores - we beat them on quality - and we have return business.

You want a bargain - I tell them to go to wally world and eat something from heaven only knows where. You want cheap - then I do not want to deal with you - there are bargain stores out there - if you want something from Argentina or Mexico go there.

You get into a price / bidding contest with a store, or your neighbours you just hurt the business. If a potential client walks away - in the end that was probably a good thing. You did not need the hassle.

Go and buy the exact same cuts in the amounts you have - if you can walk out of the store with a prime rib roast, 4 T bones, a couple of rib steaks, some stewing beef and some good burger for under a 100 bucks I would be surprized. Easy to put 200 dollars of beef in a couple of plastic grocery bags.

Client averages somewhere around 3.60 a pound on the final take home beef and has exactly what they want and they know everything about the animal - we will even let them watch the kill and clean process if they want - one client demands to be there and he marks the carcass to be sure it is his - he will come for cutting as well.

Picky? Yup - but the custom slaughter house has received a lot of additional business from him so they tolerate it.

Do not undersell yourself.

You can persue both - but quality will bring them back.

If you buy at retail price and sell at wholesale price you are a price taker - be a price maker and go after the quality market.

Put a couple of small ads in the largest city newspapers - you will get calls - treat them right on the telephone and they will come out. Tell them the coffee is free.

Any friend asks you for a break in the price tell him no problem - just come out to the farm and work with me for a week on the fences and feeding and haying and you will look at it.

You do the work - you set the price.

There are literally books written on this subject in CT - search the tens of thousands of pages on this information right on this site - it all comes back to quality or price. In fact I have gone through this with a lot of people in this site.

It is late and I am tired -we are 7 hours ahead of you and it is now very late here.

Finally - give - yes give one or two away every Christmas - we do - and it comes back in spades. Take a drive to friends and neighbours who do not have as much as you do - pass it out.

Have a good one.

Bez+

 

[Howdyjabo]

Thanks BEZ- Hope you had a good sleep.

 

[HerefordSire]

Heres one to ponder if you would.

I keep getting people that want to buy a 800lb calf-- so they don't have as much meat.
I have tried all the normal responses--- they won't be finished, the meat will be too expensive(meat:waste ratio) ; It would be better to find a partner to split the beef with to end up with less meat.
They don't get it- or don't want to get it.

If they want one that size--instead of letting them go somewhere else to get it-- what would the meat be like? What would the Yield be? Would the cuts be too small(strike people odd)? I don't mind selling them like that if I can still have happy customers.

I would suggest you find the unstated objection, if there is one, just to make sure you are aware of their true reason they want an 800 pounder that you may not have in stock or want to take the order on. One technique I use in other products when I am faced with an unstated objection, is to ask a series of yes and no questions back to back. Make sure the questions are yes an no questions when you ask them. For example, is the reason you ONLY want to order a 800 pounder because you lack freezer space? Then shut up and listen to what they are really saying...usually an excuse to not order. Is the reason you ONLY want to order a 800 pounder have to do with financial reasons? Then shut up and listen.... Many times a potential client (or an existing client) will purposely not give you a reason to order now so they hide the real reason, like they are going to shop you on price or something. As a marketeer, it is your job to locate this reason and take it out of the equation and close them now (with very little pressure).

 

[Bez+]

Heres one to ponder if you would.

I keep getting people that want to buy a 800lb calf-- so they don't have as much meat.
I have tried all the normal responses--- they won't be finished, the meat will be too expensive(meat:waste ratio) ; It would be better to find a partner to split the beef with to end up with less meat.
They don't get it- or don't want to get it.

If they want one that size--instead of letting them go somewhere else to get it-- what would the meat be like? What would the Yield be? Would the cuts be too small(strike people odd)? I don't mind selling them like that if I can still have happy customers.

I would suggest you find the unstated objection, if there is one, just to make sure you are aware of their true reason they want an 800 pounder that you may not have in stock or want to take the order on. One technique I use in other products when I am faced with an unstated objection, is to ask a series of yes and no questions back to back. Make sure the questions are yes an no questions when you ask them. For example, is the reason you ONLY want to order a 800 pounder because you lack freezer space? Then shut up and listen to what they are really saying...usually an excuse to not order. Is the reason you ONLY want to order a 800 pounder have to do with financial reasons? Then shut up and listen.... Many times a potential client (or an existing client) will purposely not give you a reason to order now so they hide the real reason, like they are going to shop you on price or something. As a marketeer, it is your job to locate this reason and take it out of the equation and close them now (with very little pressure).

Excellent advice

Bez+

 

[donnaIL]

It would also be nice to use a different word then calf. When people who are buying 1/2's and wholes, they think a calf refers to a new born. If you come up with a good word for a single finished freezer beef ______, let me know.

Guess you could call it a "beef or beeve", when we call the processors, we schedule an appointment for a "beef". When they call they tell us our "beef" is ready to pick up. When we talk to customers we referrer to the animal as a "side of beef" or "whole beef", many of them really don't want to think about an animal. My dad went out to a farm and picked out and animal and looked him in the eye to be processed many years ago...he said he when he ate the beef he thought about the look in the animals eye...

Luckly I do not have this problem, but alot of people say "how can you raise them and then eat them?", I just tell them that the beef in the supermarket came from an animal too.

 

[grannysoo]

"how can you raise them and then eat them?"

With a little bit of salt... :clap: