Contents |
Local Meat Buying Guide
This easy to use, consumer-oriented guide explains buying pork and beef as whole animals (or portions thereof). The guide explains marketing terms, storage and handling recommendations, types of meat inspection, meat weights (live vs. carcass vs. retail cuts), and common retail pork and beef cuts with color photos.
Marketing Beef for Small-Scale Producers
If you are a small-scale producer, marketing less than 100 beef a year, the way to market your beef for the least amount of time and money is to direct market in halves, quarters, and bundles. This document explains how to resolve common problems with selling halves, quarters, or bundles. The information is also relevant to marketing pork, lamb, or other meats directly.
Beef Marketing Alternatives
Read online or download the pdf.
This publication, from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service explores marketing alternatives for small-scale cattle ranchers who want to add value to the beef they produce. Part One: how to add value within conventional marketing, including retained ownership and cooperative marketing. Part Two: alternative marketing strategies, including niche markets for “natural,” lean, and organic beef, with additional production info about pasture-finished beef. Includes guidance on connecting with direct market consumers and developing a product; processing and legal issues; how to develop retail prices based on wholesale prices and desired mark-up; and how to determine carcass value.
Pork Marketing Alternatives
Read online or download the pdf.
This publication, from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is for sustainable hog producers, who are creating products that many consumers want to buy but can't find in their grocery stores . Consumers perceive sustainably raised pork to be healthier to eat, and they are willing to pay hog producers more for raising pigs in a manner that is humane, helps sustain family farms, and is environmentally friendly. This guide discusses aspects of direct marketing and niche markets, including legal considerations, labels, trademarks, processing regulations, and obstacles.
Direct Marketing Meat and Poultry: A Resource Guide
This publication, written by the New York Small Farms Work Team on Livestock Processing Issues, is aimed primarily for those in New York state. However, its 155 pages cover a wide range of valuable info that is relevant anywhere in the U.S. Download it as one document or by section, from the link above.
How to Direct Market Your Beef
This guidebook, by Arizona rancher Jan Holder, describes how she and her husband built a profitable, grass-based beef operation focused on direct marketing. It is organized to provide valuable instruction and tips on topics from slaughter to sales. The guide was published by the Sustainable Agriculture Network of SARE.
Meat Labels and Label Claims
Meat labels can be confusing, for producers, processors, and consumers. On this NMPAN webinar (2009) officials from both the USDA/FSIS Labeling and Program Delivery Division, and Iowa Meat and Poultry Inspection, and the operations manager of Organic Valley's meat division, Organic Prairie, explain the label approval process, voluntary label claims, updated requirements, and how FSIS interprets claims defined by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
