New idea

[freewheat]

grassfarmer. You do pasture pork too? I am heading that direction on some of my land next year. Any pointers? I have a line on some berk/tam sows and I truly see a large profit potential for my farm going this route on some of my wilder acres.

Profit that seems kind of crazy in fact, using current fence, grain, and pasture pork prices...

[perfecho]

I have used the term "ethically" raised...use vaccinations, but not growth implants, medicated feed.....use a spray for some weed control, but not using a chemical after the seed has set.
Believe there is a good balance between underuse and overuse that can be profitable, sustainable and "good" for all.

[farmaholic]

If people want less pesticides and fertilizer or what ever the industry has to quit penalizing me for not spraying for disease and insects. My goodness. They want it cheap and perfect, how is that working for you? I bet the grain we produce could well be less toxic in its raw form in comparison to fruits and vegetables in their raw form. Do you wash your fruits and vegetables bought in a store? Can't wash off whats in the flesh of them....

[cottonpicken]

You guys are all right. Didnt see anything i dont agree with. Just a pipe dream. Except maybe the focus could be on animals. Even mcdonalds went antibiotic free a few weeks ago in eggs.

It just seems like a big shift and a void is happening like a vaccum.

Where the hell is Pars?

[15444]

For every market that wants organic, there are two that want otherwise. Price is still king in the big picture. Met a local food coordinator that was able to gain insight from Sysco Canada as to the key factors influencing distribution. Price is all they said. Majority of the food product is imported because food service companies, hospitals, etc are more worried about bottom line than quality. One example, Sysco can import Aussie ground beef for $2/lb cheaper than they can buy CDN ground beef here.

[farmaholic]

Thats what happens when you let the industry implode and some of the inadequate government money that should have"trickled" down to help cushion the Producers from the blow of BSE stayed in corporate hands.

You mean calves don't just appear out of thin air?

Fools...

[freewheat]

I think marketing directly is where the money, and most importantly the control is.

I SET my lamb prices. I CONTROL when and for what I sell them for.

People want old style raised meats these days, and will pay for it. As word gets out, the biggest problem seems to be supplying enough of it.

The profit I can pencil in for farm fresh/pasture/natural/non-gmo/halfway organic pork, eggs, chicken, lamb, duck, rabbit, what have you, in my projections, makes raising grain traditionally look even more quacky than I already think it is. At least in my situation.

Take a picture of a lamb in a pasture with a kitten on its back and a hen pecking at poop in the background, or a big old sow with a line-up of twelve piglets sucking away, out in a field of grass, and then sit in a chair at some city market, and people will buy based on that picture alone. It is the new reality. People buy based on perception. To NOT take advantage of what they think is great, is a big mistake, IMO.

I just wish I would have done it twenty years ago.

[farmaholic]

I admire your ambition and ingenuity but I'm too lazy and getting to old for that kind of physical commitment.

[hobbyfrmr]

Grefer, I used a smiley face with shades, Im not internet emoticon thingy socially skilled enough to know exactly what that means.
I purposefully use sarcasm and critical thought without "imposing" my philosophies on other posters. A person has to choose. There is no middle ground. This means you have to look at the bad side of both production models and choose the one you would be most comfortable with. I try not to bash conventional farmers because it does me no service. My neighbors are people trying to make a living the way they know how. The reality is what I described. They are very efficient and grow huge crops, employ locals and temporary migrants, they are the biggest RM and Town tax payers in 3 RMs. They provide the opportunities for employees to own decent vehicles, good recreational things, They supply houses for some employees. They have raised land prices and rents, which really lifted my net worth. That is all pretty respectable and by far more than I would ever do. I find it very difficult to dispute that the organic production method is better. A farmer really has to want to change his production models, because if your just doing it for money, that is not going to work for very long.

[cottonpicken]

That's the smartest thing you have ever said on here Free,good job.

Now you need a reefer trailer to the the market in toronto,I have been there quite the siteyou really cant imagine it seriously,a pamphlet a web page and a big picture of the family farm in the background.

God knows what you could charge.