Good marketing idea ?

[Central Fl Cracker]

http://www.laurasleanbeefcattle.com/

What do ya'll think. Here in Orlando the Albertson's carry her meat.

 

[Beefy]

i tried some of lauras beef one time. i wasnt real impressed.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Beefy
I am curious so I told my wife to buy some this weekend and I will let you know. :lol:

 

[flaboy-]

We are glad you visited Laura's Lean Beef Cattle Program page. Laura's Lean Beef is an all natural, branded beef company based in Lexington, Kentucky. Laura's Lean Beef Suppliers raise cattle on natural feed stuffs without added growth hormones or antibiotics.

Substitute Flaboy for Laura and Florida for Kentucky and I can sell you some lean beef also. :lol:

 

[MikeC]

Laura's buys lots of bulls from purebred producers that don't make the cut for one reason or another. They pay 5-10% above market price. Most of their beef is select from Continental cattle.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Don't you have to give antibotics?

 

[lukem86]

Cracker--

Be sure you study their premium grid closely.... In 04 I did my senior project at the University of Wisconsin... The project was comparing the cost of production of cattle in a conventional feedlot system and those in a natural system. The natural system we happend to use was Lauras Lean Beef.

This was only a semester long project and we were only able to locate 1 producer in our area that was feeding cattle for Lauras. So we used some of his production numbers, from 1 year.... so you have to take it for what its worth not being replicated over several systems.

From what we learned in this system, because feedstuffs are the same, it basically boils down to #of days on feed. Some times it was profitable others it was not. Yes they pay over market price but, if you have to hold on to them longer for various reasons that premium wasnt worth it...

I could send you the paper if you would like to look it over.... Dont expect a super scientific paper though..... We did this while handling 16 other credits, and drinking beer....

I also built some pretty user friendly spreadsheets, fairly simple though.... The paper explains a lot of what is in them and why.... let me know...

luke

 

[VanC]

Laura's Lean? Beef

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200306021.html

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Cracker--

Be sure you study their premium grid closely.... In 04 I did my senior project at the University of Wisconsin... The project was comparing the cost of production of cattle in a conventional feedlot system and those in a natural system. The natural system we happend to use was Lauras Lean Beef.

This was only a semester long project and we were only able to locate 1 producer in our area that was feeding cattle for Lauras. So we used some of his production numbers, from 1 year.... so you have to take it for what its worth not being replicated over several systems.

From what we learned in this system, because feedstuffs are the same, it basically boils down to #of days on feed. Some times it was profitable others it was not. Yes they pay over market price but, if you have to hold on to them longer for various reasons that premium wasnt worth it...

I could send you the paper if you would like to look it over.... Dont expect a super scientific paper though..... We did this while handling 16 other credits, and drinking beer....

I also built some pretty user friendly spreadsheets, fairly simple though.... The paper explains a lot of what is in them and why.... let me know...

luke

My only point she is probably selling a lot more beef and getting a preminum than some and it all boils down to marketing. It is a mute point that natural is probably $$hit but it is reality the new baby boomers are concerned about natural versus chemicals. I would love to see the report your class did in regards to this subject. And she is probably laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Some buyers up here will pay a premium for black feeders if they haven't had anything un natural.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Dont expect a super scientific paper though..... We did this while handling 16 other credits, and drinking beer....
luke

Made me laugh...nothing like a little alcohol to get the words flowing...wrote some of my best papers that way!

 

[BRG]

If you want to try another natural program, check out http://www.meyernaturalangus.com This is simalar to Lauras Lean, except they want the marbling where Lauras want Lean. I have sold cattle through them and have been happy.

 

[cmjust0]

I've never seen their beef on store shelves with more than 2 days left before expiration, and that even goes for Lexington, KY stores. Most of their stuff is prepackaged, so who knows how long it's been hanging around.

For ground round, they chargeabout $4/lb for 92/8, and about $5/lb for 96/4.. Pretty high.. Their "producer incentives" most certainly don't reflect those prices, though.

The way I see it, a cow-calf producer could spend extra $$$ raising and feeding out his/her own calves according to "Laura's Lean" standards, but if any of them ended up needing antibiotics -- especially at the last minute, after all the extra time and $$$ is invested -- they would get kicked out of "the program" and end up costing more than they should have to take to the salebarn.. Wouldn't take many like that to eat up the measly incentives offered on the rest, and then you've just made yourself a whole lot of extra work for nothing.

As far as the quality of the stuff, I'd rather have greasy burgers personally.. :oops:

 

[MikeC]

Most of their stuff is prepackaged, so who knows how long it's been hanging around.

ALLof Wal-Mart's meat is prepackaged but they seem to sell a bit.

Niche programs are not for everybody. If they work for you........I say go for it.

If it don't.............stay on the porch.