The move from direct producer to customer is growing.

[Kathie in Thorp]

Since I'm get'n old, am not sure if this is the 4th or 5th year we've been doing this, but we started raising some butcher beef somewhere back then. If you've followed, you've seen. We started with 2 (I think this is 4th yr.),and sold mostly to my co-workers. Since then, the word has gotten out, our regular customers stay in, and they send a couple of new ones every year. I just took the last order available for Fall 2014 butcher beef from our place. We have 5 steers spoken for in the Fall.

So, I just bring this up, because if you're trying to get started, local producer direct to customer has been good to us. The movement that way is strong, vs. producer-finishing-store-consumer. It helped us put in/finish our cattle handling facility, upgrade fencing, buy a couple of my "preferred" cattle here and there, or semen, and to feed the whole bunch with high hay prices we have here. Our customers know that if it wasn't born on our place, we buy young from local ranchers and raise them up. They know what our vacc. and worming protocol is, and there are no hormones in the mix. If we have to occasionally use an antibiotic, there's a reason for it. We don't do sale yards. If you can't get your dream operation right away, you can get there by slow and steady. Slow and steady, the market for small operations is moving directly to the local meat customer.

 

[HDRider]

Glad to hear your enjoy success. Are you close to a large metro area?

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Glad to hear your enjoy success. Are you close to a large metro area?

We are 100 mi. east of Seattle, but we do not market there. Ours are local customers/word of mouth. Some of our customers are west side, but former co-workers. This is greenie weenie state! Those doing USDA inspections and selling in the Seattle area by the half: $6+/lb. hanging. By the package--hugely higher for straight grass fed. Ours are alf/grain finished in a small pasture for 60 days, and our customers want us to just keep doing it the same way. We do not feed MJ to any of our cattle . . . . but I wonder who might!!

 

[Rango]

I think with all the talk in the media about hormones, antibiotics,and etc people are fearful and looking for "safe" food
Others may just want quality

I think it works good for both the buyer and seller

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I think with all the talk in the media about hormones, antibiotics,and etc people are fearful and looking for "safe" food
Others may just want quality

I think it works good for both the buyer and seller

Agreed, Rango. That's much of it for our buyers. They know how we operate, how we feed, and can come out and look at our set up and our cattle. Most prefer not to look them in the eye. There are in the area folks that go to Toppenish on Thurs., buy a 1,000 lb. steer, hold it for 2 weeks, then sell it as grass-fed butcher beef, w/ no clue about source or history. We just can't do that. It's not right for us.