Did anyone read...

[kato]

We haven't gotten into direct marketing beef, but I do sell produce direct at the local farmer's market. There's just no comparison between a tomato picked this morning and one picked green two weeks ago in California. People know it, and they appreciate it. In fact, one day last summer, when there weren't a lot of tomatoes out yet, I watched them fighting over it! It was a small tomato riot right in front of my table. Judging by what I hear at the market there is is huge desire in many consumers' minds to connect to the source of their food. (and a willingness to fight for it too! LOL)

We have a couple of people who do bring beef lamb and pork, and they have strong steady sales every week. I bought some pork chops from them last summer that were unlike anything I've had since the days we used to raise our own. I can see why they have regular customers, and until the day there is a pig on our farm again, they will have a regular customer in me.

I would think that all of us here use our own beef at home, so we really don't taste the store bought stuff often. We are spoiled. Spoiled rotten! LOL. I bet anyone who is used to the commodity beef would be amazed to taste the difference in the quality that can only come from properly hung and aged beef that the big plants just don't do.

It's an opportunity just waiting, and I agree completely that the consumer is the key to changing the way things are done in the beef business.

[grassfarmer]

Kato, although we like our direct retailing beef operation and are growing it more than 50% every year with very little marketing effort I don't believe this can be the salvation of the whole beef industry. Although more people every day are getting particular about the food they eat the majority still buy their beef in a supermarket and I don't see that changing.
What I meant about working more with consumers was in an educational role. I think we as producers should be standing outside supermarkets handing out fliers that detail where the retail beef dollar goes - how much the producer gets versus the packer or retailer. This way we can hopefully get the consumer to start asking their politicians why they allow corporate concentration and captive supply practices to keep producers poor yet the price of beef in the store relatively high. This would have to be organized and done carefully - we do not want the consumer demanding the store price of beef be dramatically lower! However I think this gives producers the greatest chance of influencing politicians - if we have the public on our side we have critical mass and that is what we need - votes count to politicians more than anything else.

[jensend]

try telling consumers that a producer couldn't have his slaughter animals tested for bse if he wanted to and see the reaction. if consumers realized that producers are more concerned about food safety and quality than processors, retailers or the government you might see some action. throw in the fact that the market is dysfunctional to the disadvantage of producers and consumers.

[perfecho]

Agree totally that the biggest “restriction “in agriculture is the lack of consumer education....from the farmers perspective....and that is our fault.
Consumers (tax payers) hear from politicians how "farmers are being taken care of" and believe it to be so. Consumers see food prices continually climbing in retail stores and cannot believe that commodities such as beef is worth less at the farm gate than it was 10 yrs ago. In the last 30-40 years, fewer people have "farm relatives", and rural issues are only amongst the farm community, not the status quo consumer. Years ago, everyone was involved, everyone knew the plights of the farm community because most had a farming grandparent or close relative.
I have maintained and still do, that if we want a successful processing plant to compete with the major(s), the consumer should own it along with the producers, not just the producers. To me, this would have the buy in that would force retail outlets to carry the product as well as having buy in when majors started a price war on the retail sale price or cattle bidding at the other end.
So, when do we start educating the consumers about the struggle of the ag industry? I would rather spend my check off dollars on this issue!

[per]

We could encourage our sons and daughters to marry city kids and start rebuilding the connection. You are right on the money with your comments perfecho. Everyone that eats is involved in Agriculture and it is up to us to let them know that they are our partners.

[coppertop]

Per, can tell you from personal
experience the city daughter in law
wasn't much use when it comes to helping
out at calving time, nor was she
interested in learning anything about
farming !!!!!!!!! Other son is
'courting' a farm gal and she would
dearly love to be out here helping if
her job permitted !!! Of course I am
just joking, our kids will marry
whomever they please without any
encouragement or discouragement from us
! From my perspective, city dwellers
aren't any more uninformed about the
agricultural industry than many people
who live in rural areas. Many acreage
owners in my own municipalitiy haven't a
clue about how many challenges the
neighbouring farmer faces. All they see
is lots of cows and big farm machinery
and think the guy is RICH !!!

[per]

lol, coppertop, tongue was somewhat in cheek on the first part. Funny thing is though that many city people get it but don't know what to do about it. Getting them engaged (pardon the pun) is our challenge. (notwithstanding droughts and things)

[grassfarmer]

Perfecho - "So, when do we start educating the consumers about the struggle of the ag industry? I would rather spend my check off dollars on this issue!"
The NFU are designing an educational pamphlet for just this purpose at the moment. The intent is to distribute it initially through members at farmers markets and any other place we meet with the general public. They are also working on an educational/motivational pamphlet aimed at beef producers and dealing with the issue of captive supply and the need to tackle it. I too think this is a good thing to spend check-off money on and at least in a year or so you will be able to do just that if you so wish.

Coppertop, I have always found the city dweller to be more open minded and keener to learn than the rural dwelling non-farmers. The city dweller knows they are ignorant of agriculture but the rural dweller thinks they know quite a lot about it. Unfortunately all too often their "knowledge" is based on unfortunate experiences of encountering smells from farms spreading slurry or being held up on the road by tractors or guys moving cows.

[kato]

Everyone should check out http://www.eatrealeatlocal.ca/

This is just what the doctor ordered. I saw the commercial on TV for this. It's a website put up by Hellman's, and I was totally impressed and surprised by it.

This is a big step in the right direction, and the people at Hellman's need to be commended for it.

If this campaign is successful for one company, don't be surprised to see more like it. The basis for success in business is to see a market that needs to be filled, and then to find a way to meet it. Anyone who steps up and produces a product for this market will do well. Obviously the people at Hellman's have seen it, and others will too.

There's a connection broken between the farm and the plate, and we need to fix it. I also think Agriculture in the Classroom is another good way to address this as well. Maybe we all need to get more involved in this good program.

[coppertop]

grassfarmer in my community there are
two feedlots, both with large cow/calf
operations as well. The county gets
complaints when they haul silage or
manure trucks go past several acreages,
and yet on the same road there is an
oilfield trucking business hauling all
sorts of stuff night and day, pounding
the heck out of the road etc., and
nobody complains !!! Odor could have
something to do with the manure trucks
going by, but silage just coming off the
field hasn't got an odor so that would
not be the reason for complaining.
I think we are likely a generation past
when many city folks had grandparents or
uncles on the 'farm' and visited often.
I have done Ag in the Classroom many
times over the years and usually in a
class of 20 kids three or four are from
a farm, and maybe one other has someone
they visit often on a farm, so it is up
to the agricultural industry to get the
message out that's for sure.