Questions About Meat Market?

[Jmacias]

I work for a Flooring Office, as a office assistant, my boss has a farm with a good quantity of cattle. For years he has been wanting to open a Meat Market, and now he has me looking for all kinds of information, but this is not my field of work, so I'm completely lost. If anyone here can help me out with some of these questions, i'll be really thankful! I've done research, not found much.
Farm is located in Peck, MI.

1-Where to buy cattle each month of around 100lb in weight in quantities of 150.
2-Where to sell the cattle each month once it reaches 500lb.
3-How to acquire the spoiled milk that goes bad in the surrounding supermarkets.
4-How to obtain a license or permit to kill our own cattle to sell to the public.
5- Can we sell the meat id we butcher our own cattle.
6- Who controls meat prices/ are there regulations to how low we can go on price.
7- Permits of a Meat Market.

As you can see I'm completly clueless when it comes to this, So any Information will be helpful, I did do some research on Permits thru the USDA and State Website. Farm is located in Peck, Michigan incase anyone has more info.

Thank You!

 

[Anonymous]

Let me see if I understand this correctly. You want to buy calves, feed them spoiled milk, butcher them, and then sell them at the lowest price possible to undercut everyone else? Is that correct?
Either way FDA and USDA are going to be the best places to start

 

[Jmacias]

He is not going to feed them spoiled milk, thats for other purposes, & he wants to know who determines the meat prices, as high as they go- as low as they go, to have options open, he obviously cant determine how much is he going to sell the meat for until he has all the information gathered.

 

[Sir Loin]

 

[lay low llama]

Just for fun let me take a stab…

1. Holstein bull calvs
2. Livestock auction
3. I would talk to the local IGA (independent Grocery's Association) store manger about this.
4. Start with the State of Michigan bureaucrats they can point you in the right direction.
5. Yes with proper permits see answer to #4.
6. Last time I checked we are still simi communist so you should be able to set your own prices.
7. Again see answer to #4.

I would suggest a search on this forum as there are people who have openly discussed the sale of grass fed beef to consumers. Imo your boss should do some studying as this does not see feasible, I actually feel a little dirty for playing along.

 

[Jmacias]

Thank you, I know he should! I'm completely clueless when it comes to this!

 

[3waycross]

I can see that this thread is gonna be a ton o fun!

Just a guess what foreign country is your boss from?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Now that is funny I don't care who you are.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I work for a Flooring Office, as a office assistant, my boss has a farm with a good quantity of cattle.

1-Where to buy cattle each month of around 100lb in weight in quantities of 150.
2-Where to sell the cattle each month once it reaches 500lb.

Anyone laying odds that this is going to be a one hit wonder?

 

[Scroote]

1-Tell your boss to leave you alone
2-Tell your boss to sell his farm to someone who is competent
3-Please, tell your boss to sell his farm
4-Look for a new job with a boss that is not a moron scam artist
5-Tell him to just worry about berber and Linoleum

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Buying calves at that low weight in large quantities, speak to some local dairies. Buying at that weight they may still be on milk, maybe not.
Opening a butcher shop, need permits from the town/city most likely from USDA and other info can be gathered from your local health dept.
As for prices, one can set their own price, cheap or expensive, but the price is usually determined by how much it cost to bring the meat from birth to store shelf, lots of overhead to cover.

Just my 2 cents.

Katherine

 

[ga.prime]

Now that is funny I don't care who you are.

I don't think it's funny.

 

[jerry27150]

i would think there would be some veal calf producers in that area. if there is check with them, they usually get hooked up with a big co. that brings the calves right to your place & furnishes the feed they need & they gaurantee you a price per lb. & take out for your feed. some make a real good living at it. have some friends in pa that do this

 

[Jmacias]

Thank you so much for all those who gave good positive answers!

 

[Roadapple]

Well, there went my new lounge chair.

 

[Jmacias]

Please keep all non helpful comments to yourself, have a blessed morning!

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Now that is funny I don't care who you are.

I don't think it's funny.

:cowboy:

 

[Douglas]

Start with a google of "freezer beef". That is how farmers sell cattle directly to the public. The only calves being sold at 100 lbs are dairy cattle. Raising dairy calves is a specialized operation that is labor intensive, google on that subject if he is really looking that small.
Beef cattle are first sold at 500 lb or more and may go through a couple diffent stops before the packing company. If you are trying to sell volumns of beef to the public every day in a butcher shop you need to talk to people in that business, farmers are not really up to speed on the retail end any more than anyone else.
Grass fed beef means beef finished (800-1300 lbs) on grass and not grain. Grass finishing operations often sell direct from the farm at specialized outlets, internet, word of mouth. this guy is doing that for example : http://www.baldwingrassfedbeef.com/shop ... ?idpage=17

 

[3waycross]

Please keep all non helpful comments to yourself, have a blessed morning!

Darned if this don't remind me of the polygimist in the tower with the AR 15, here we go again!

I will say this whoever is making this stuff up is good. I give em a 9 for story lines.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Issues with opening a meat market:

1. Location, equipment, COMPETENT butcher.
2. Any sales to public MUST be USDA Inspected with USDA Label for the market.
3. Local & State Health Dept Licenses, Inspections, etc. to operate.
4. Knowledgable & comptent manager for the operation.
5. Lots of health department rules, regulations, etc. involved.
That's the "retail" side...the other side is the quality & competency of livestock operation and person(s) managing the livestock area.
All the "positive" things I can say and publish on the forum...lol.