Selling packaged beef straight off the farm

[tncattle]

Anyone on here do this? Also, I haven't checked yet but have been told by local farmer that here in Tn. you can sell individually packaged beef straight off your farm if it's USDA inspected. Any Tennessee people know if thats true, or anyone for that matter? We have had so many people ask about doing this and thought it might be worth it to buy a few more big ole deep freezers. I'm sure there is some pitfalls I don't know about.

 

[OLF]

If you happen to live in Eastern Tennessee, contact the "Snaps Ferry" slaughterhouse. A great facility and great people to work with. They can tell you everything you have to do to get started. Contact the state's Ag Dept, "Meat and Poultry Division" they'll tell you what permits you need.
It's a little hassle to get started, but if you have a market for your product, it is worth it.

 

[BARNSCOOP]

We sell ours as quarter, halves, and whole but not retail cuts. I have been concerned that it wouldn't be private treaty and you could have to have a business license, charge tax, etc. Not sure if that is the case though. One of the pitfalls is everyone wants to buy steaks and ground beef. You end up with alot of roasts, stew meat, etc in the freezer to sell needing to kill again to meet the demand for steaks. People don't get that a beeve has few steaks compared to their ideas.

 

[Jogeephus]

One of the pitfalls is everyone wants to buy steaks and ground beef. You end up with alot of roasts, stew meat, etc in the freezer to sell needing to kill again to meet the demand for steaks.

To overcome this just grind it all except the steaks. This should also reduce the processing fee as well.

 

[grannysoo]

One of the pitfalls is everyone wants to buy steaks and ground beef. You end up with alot of roasts, stew meat, etc in the freezer to sell needing to kill again to meet the demand for steaks.

To overcome this just grind it all except the steaks. This should also reduce the processing fee as well.

Dang it Jo! I was going to say that.

 

[talldog]

ME TOO ----- :banana:

 

[LimiMan]

Yes, I do it. All I had to have was a retail license from my county health dept and the animals must processed at a USDA inspected facility. Like others have said, have most of your roast ground into ground beef and offer the rest of the roast and least deirable cuts in combo packs with steak and ground beef.

 

[Jogeephus]

One of the pitfalls is everyone wants to buy steaks and ground beef. You end up with alot of roasts, stew meat, etc in the freezer to sell needing to kill again to meet the demand for steaks.

To overcome this just grind it all except the steaks. This should also reduce the processing fee as well.

Dang it Jo! I was going to say that.

Sometimes my brilliance even amazes me! Must mean I'm a fart smeller. ;-)

But seriously, I did a little homework on this and I was a little concerned over how to sell all the hamburger. I talked to a little restaurant about how much they use each week and I quickly learned the hamburger wouldn't be a problem.

 

[grannysoo]

Sometimes my brilliance even amazes me! Must mean I'm a fart smeller. ;-)

Or maybe you have that espn that lets you read my mind...

 

[lavacarancher]

I don't, but I know someone who does. She sells Angus for $25/pound and she says she sell everything she butchers. It's grass finished beef (organic for all you green folks). I bought a bull from her and a couple pounds of meat. About the same time I got my Limo yearling back from the butcher so we had a shoot off - one of her steaks and one of mine. I couldn't really tell the difference in the taste and I believe my Limo steak was more tender than her Angus. Go figure.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I don't, but I know someone who does. She sells Angus for $25/pound and she says she sell everything she butchers. It's grass finished beef (organic for all you green folks). I bought a bull from her and a couple pounds of meat. About the same time I got my Limo yearling back from the butcher so we had a shoot off - one of her steaks and one of mine. I couldn't really tell the difference in the taste and I believe my Limo steak was more tender than her Angus. Go figure.

I read a post on Craigs list the other day for farm fresh beef and pork
these were their prices

sausage,bacon and burger $4/lb
ham, and pork roast $6pr lb
beef roast $6pr lb
some steaks were $8 pr lb

Kc strip,T bone and Rib eye $10 pr lb

 

[OLF]

A guy selling grassfed organic Galloway beef at the local farmer's market ranges from $6.99/lb for ground beef to $26.99/lb for tenderloin.

 

[dcara]

I don't, but I know someone who does. She sells Angus for $25/pound and she says she sell everything she butchers. It's grass finished beef (organic for all you green folks). I bought a bull from her and a couple pounds of meat. About the same time I got my Limo yearling back from the butcher so we had a shoot off - one of her steaks and one of mine. I couldn't really tell the difference in the taste and I believe my Limo steak was more tender than her Angus. Go figure.

I haven't checked the extensive reg's in probably 9 months, but last time I did, "grass fed" did not imply "organic". The requirements for organic certification (if your revenues were over $5k/yr) included forage treatment records, shelter requirements, etc., Under $5k/yr you didn't require certification. Also, grain fed can be certified organic if you can document your feed is organic and you also meet the other requirements.

 

[LimiMan]

You're right, grassfed beef dosent imply organic

 

[BARNSCOOP]

Grassfed and Organic are totally different. You can have organic beef that is grassfed but just because it is grassfed does in no way mean that it is organic. I have looked into organic raised beef and it is very, very hard to comply with all the regulations. NO Antibiotics...EVER, NO Chemical Dewormer...EVER, NO chemical fly control...EVER, NO herbicides or pestisides on grass, hay, grain. etc. EVER. All this and much, much more, at least in TN.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

You're right, grassfed beef dosent imply organic

Correct. Nor does it mean grass finished.

Katherine

 

[SRBeef]

Somewhere in between "organic" beef and "regular" supermarket beef is "Natural" beef. I think this makes a lot of sense. No antibiotics, no hormones/implants. Not a rigid definition but room to define your own approach to beef for your customers.

When I was looking to purchase some cattle to put a herd together, I answered one local advertisement and went to look at some. The seller was bragging about how these were "organic" cattle. I wanted to say that I don't think I've ever seen some Inorganic cattle but figured that was an engineering joke.

Anyway his cattle may have been organic but they sure looked sick even to a beginner like me....obvious cases of pinkeye, a lot of mucous coming out of their nose....you name it.

I decided to raise beef the way I would like to buy beef for myself and my family - Tasty, tender but somewhat lean with no growth hormones, no antibiotics (unless needed), and from healthy, low stress animals raised on good feed with lots of clean fresh water to drink. I don't know if there is an exact definition for "my" sort of beef but "Natural Beef" probably conveys the ideas close as any.

The problem with the word "Natural" is that it is being used by many marketing folks as a current advertising "hook" or fad with little or no substance behind the label.

The main things customers want from a direct beef supplier are honesty and a good product properly/truthfully presented. Selling beef directly from the farm allows you to establish a direct face to face relationship with your potential customer. This sort of personal relationship with the source of your family's food is missing in a lot of modern society. jmho.

I also suggest selling split halves or halves, maybe cut as they like it but sold complete. Otherwise you end up with a lot of cuts in the bottom of your freezer that have been there awhile and no one really wants.

The last 10% or so of the beef sitting in the bottom of the freezer is not just old meat, that is your PROFIT! Sell complete quarters or more.

 

[OLF]

Somewhere in between "organic" beef and "regular" supermarket beef is "Natural" beef. I think this makes a lot of sense. No antibiotics, no hormones/implants. Not a rigid definition but room to define your own approach to beef for your customers.

Do you put "Natural" on your label? My packer won't let us put natural, grassfed, hormone free, or antibiotic free on our label unless it is certified by the government. I think they're putting rigid definitions on everything now.

 

[lavacarancher]

Boy, you sure gotta watch how you turn a phrase on here, someone will get insulted and try to nail you to a wall. OK, so it was grass "FINISHED" Angus, not grass FED although when you say they were grass FINISHED it DOES kinda imply they were grass FED. After all, how do you GRASS FINISH the calves if you don't FEED them GRASS.

She did NOT imply it was ORGANIC, nor did she SAY it was ORGANIC but I don't think she uses ANTIBIOTICS or GROWTH HORMONES. I didn't ask her how she classified the meat. Maybe it was somewhere between ORGANIC and NATURAL and GRASS FINISHED/FED and the other 98% of the cattle business.

The steaks I bought from her were $25 PER POUND. I WAS NOT looking for a bargin when I bought them, I was looking to COMPARE my beef to someone who had a clientele that would pay $25 PER POUND for her beef steaks. I was disapointed, not in my meat but in hers. BUT THAT"S OK! I think my steak was just as good or better than her $25 PER POUND steak. I just don't have the savey/smarts/connections/clientele to pull off something like that. And THAT"S OK TOO.

I don't hold anything against her or her operation. She's a smart lady (Phd) and has developed her business very well. I admire what and how she runs her business. She was featured on TV a couple of weeks ago for her work in cloning cattle. Go get em, girl.

No controversy, no complaints, no threats. Jcheeze Louise! Some of you folks just go lookin to start a fight.

 

[SRBeef]

Somewhere in between "organic" beef and "regular" supermarket beef is "Natural" beef. I think this makes a lot of sense. No antibiotics, no hormones/implants. Not a rigid definition but room to define your own approach to beef for your customers.

Do you put "Natural" on your label? My packer won't let us put natural, grassfed, hormone free, or antibiotic free on our label unless it is certified by the government. I think they're putting rigid definitions on everything now.

Yes, I have "natural" on my label. I am not aware of any specific guidelines/definition/rules for "natural" beef. If there are some I will try to hold to them.

Actually I am impressed that your packer cares enough to have that sort of policy. Must be a good packer.

My main objective is to raise beef of a quality and in a way that I would want to buy and feed to my own family. I don't really care what it's called. "Natural" is just the closest thing around that seems to describe my goal in beef.

Jim