Don’t you want top shelf service?
I have had the wonderful opportunity to talk to people from all around the country in the farm to table business. Most of the conversations eventually lead to what we are doing, how we are doing it, and what are we charging.
We are all basically doing the same thing, but due to geographic location and demographics there are variations in local markets. However, the one thing I noticed is there were two kinds of producers. There are those that are sold out and there are those having issues moving their product. It makes me scratch my bald head, because we already have calves booked for October harvest of 2026. As farm to table producers, we have to realize we are in a totally different business than raising commercial cattle to be sold at an auction yard by an auctioneer. Just like any business on any Main Street in America there are some must do’s.
You must be constantly marketing, advertising, and networking with and to potential clients. You must be educating those people about your product and how it differs from supermarket beef. We must be constantly promoting, prospecting and booking the next set of calves. Don’t wait until they are ready for the rail to find buyers. We find buyers before we buy our steers. Yes, every steer but two were sold with deposits before we unloaded them at the working pens. Those two steers were my built in spare tires in case we happen to lose an animal. Our business model removes a lot of the stress and makes doing what we do truly enjoyable. The farm to table business is more than just feeding and finishing calves and preparing them for the rail. We are selling a similar product that is being mass produced by big conglomerates. However, it’s not the same product. Nonetheless, that gets blurred by the way they market theirs. They sell by the piece in variations of quality any day of the week any time of the day in countless outlets. Ours tends to come in increments throughout the year or once a year.
Let’s agree we live in a society where people want things now and if not now at least tomorrow. So educating people in the difference of the two products is crucial.
Streamlining your operation so it is customer friendly is also key: You might sell to them once but if you don’t make it easy to do business with you, you probably won’t get the repeat business. If you don’t like dealing with people… Go back to dropping them off at the stockyards and let the auctioneer sell them for you.
Education: Educate your clients on the freezer space needed for their desired portion. Educate them on the different ways meat can be cut at the processor to get those cuts they don’t normally see at the supermarket.
This year we invited our clients and their families out on the day we processed our steers. Folks, that day Soggy Bottom Cattle Co. changed from a place to buy farm to table beef, to an experience and an educational opportunity. Not all took advantage, but the ones who did left knowing they had made a good purchase. I recommend sending pictures and videos to your clients as the cattle grow through the different stages. It keeps the clients engaged. As harvest day draws near shoot videos telling them they need to be cleaning out and thawing their freezers. As producers we are the farm to table authority so we must share our knowledge with our clients. Educating them so that they are properly prepared and have a positive experience will determine their future patronage.
A half or whole beef is a big chunk of change for the average American household. We have clients that make installments from the day deposits are due up to harvest day. It spreads the burden of the year’s worth of beef. Last year one client owed us $206 dollars at harvest for a half of beef because she paid it forward. That method makes farm to table beef obtainable for anyone.
Be clear, forthright and transparent. We have an open gate policy on Saturdays. Not everyone gets to do what we all are blessed to do every day. Invite them out and build the relationship.
Sales 101… “people buy off of people they like”. They are buying from us farm to table producers because they don’t trust the big conglomerates and they understand the difference in the two products. I believe they are buying more than meat, they are buying quality, peace of mind, and at the end of the day they are buying into us the producers. Just like custom boots and custom felt hats fit better, our custom grown beef tastes better. We ARE custom raising beef for our clientele. Making custom made products requires custom made salesmanship and top shelf customer service… Until Next Time.
