selling

Information for farmers and ranchers on how to sell their products

How To Take Great Photos For Your Online Ads

When it comes to photography for marketing and advertising, creativity and vision are only half the battle.

Images play an essential role in marketing and advertising because they tell a story, convey a brand’s message, and attract widespread attention on social media. Nonetheless, millions of advertising images are on the internet and social media—but only the best images will stand out.

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Selling

Perceived value ….true for dexter milk, beef and breeding stock

A CONVERSATION ABOUT PERCEIVED VALUE:

A customer asked me how much it would cost for a gallon of raw milk .

I gave them a price of $15/gallon.

The customer responded: That’s seems really high.

I asked: What do you think is a reasonable price for this?

The customer answered: $4 maximum

I responded: Ok, then I invite you to do it yourself.

The customer answered: I don’t know how to.

I responded: Alright, then how about for $4/gallon, I’ll teach you how to. So besides saving you $11, you’ll learn valuable skills that will benefit you in the future.

The customer answered: Sounds good! Let’s do it!

I responded: Great! To get started, you are going to need some things. You will need a cow (≈$3000), 45# of dry matter quality feed A DAY, feeders, waterers, an area to let her be a cow, a shelter, a clean area to milk, a milking machine or supplies to hand milk into, preferably electricity for this indoor area and heated water, countless gallons of water, fencing to contain this cow, etc.
Not to mention, there is a very real possibility that your single cow gets sick and doesn’t produce, a bull or someone to AI her because no pregnancy, no milk. Injury, illness, and unexpected weather conditions are always present. Now, you are back to square 1 if she doesn’t breed, dries up, get sick, or dies.

The customer answered: But I don’t have any of those things and I can’t justify buying all of these for a gallon of milk.

I responded: Ok. Well then for an additional $11/gallon, I can rent my supplies, building, and supply hay/grain/minerals/pasture to you.

The customer answered: Okay. That’s fair.

I responded: Great! We will start the project on Monday.

The customer answered: I work Monday through Friday. I’m only available on the weekends.

I responded: If you want to learn from me then you will need to work when I work. We milk everyday, 2x day, so you will need to be here at least 2 hours every morning and every night year round.

The customer answered: That means I’m going to have to sacrifice a lot of my time!

I responded: That’s true. Remember, when you do a job yourself you need to account for unproductive factors.

The customer answered: What do you mean by that?

I responded: Milking a cow doesnt just take a couple hours morning and night. It takes time to muck out her area, town trips to pick up cleaning supplies/teat dip, trucking for hay. It takes time to bottle the milk cleanly, it takes jars, it takes more cleaning of equipment and facility, it takes wear and tear on your milking equipment and feeding equipment. And thats all on top of your other chores/responsibilities.
So we will see you Monday morning, 6 am.

The customer answered: At 6am?!! My work day doesn’t usually start until 8am!

I responded: A cow thrives on a set schedule, milking 2x day should be as close to 12 hours apart as can be, so if you want to start later, that’s ok. But you will need to come back in the evening after your full day of work and milk again at that time, so if you want to start at 8 am, you will milk again at 8 pm. After clean up and bottling milk… you can head home around 10 pm. Saturday and Sunday included. Blizzards or 100 F. No days off here.

The customer answered: You know, I’m realizing that a lot more goes in to quality food than what a customer sees in the finished project. Your proposal of $15/gallon is very reasonable. I would like you to milk and have it ready for me to just pick up..

CONCLUSION:

When you pay for a job, especially a custom job, (whether it’s a physical project or digital project or GROWING AND RAISING FOOD) you pay not only for the material and the work to be completed. You also pay for:

✔️ Knowledge
✔️ Experience
✔️ Custom Skills
✔️ Tools
✔️ Time to plan
✔️ Time to prepare
✔️ Professionalism
✔️ Work Ethic
✔️ Excellence
✔️ Discipline
✔️ Commitment
✔️ Integrity
✔️ Taxes
✔️ Licenses
✔️ Sacrifices
✔️ Liabilities
✔️ Insurance

If you desire fresh, healthy, locally grown food, please don’t disrespect a farmer by trying to get them to lower their prices.

If their proposal exceeds your budget, there’s nothing wrong with going elsewhere.

Just remember.. you get what you pay for.

👉🏼 FARMERS: Know your worth and be confident in it.

👉🏼 CONSUMERS: Recognize their worth and be respectful of it.

Sharing this to support all my friends, family and clients who are Farmers, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Tradesman.

-Unknown and edited

Perceived value ….true for dexter milk, beef and breeding stock Read More »

Selling

How to Successfully Sell Wholesale Produce

A USDA report published in 2021 says that sales of local edible farm products grew 35% from 2015 to 2017. This growth is thanks to increased sales through retailers, institutions, and wholesalers​.

Wholesale or business-to-business (B2B) selling is when a business (farm in this case) sells their products to another wholesale buyer or business (e.g., restaurant, grocery store, meat box service). 

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Selling

Mentorship

From Curiosity to Confidence: The Power of Mentorship in Homesteading

When we packed up and moved to a new state, we knew we were signing up for a life of hard work. Beyond that? We were flying blind. With little more than enthusiasm and a Pinterest board full of dreams, we dove headfirst into the world of chickens and ducks. But when it came to dairy animals, I hesitated. I didn’t feel ready. I wasn’t sure I ever would be.

Then came a turning point—what began as a simple search for local raw milk turned into something far more valuable: I found a mentor.

And not just any mentor—the perfect one. Local, experienced, generous with her time and wisdom. I had originally envisioned a milk cow (because let’s be honest, that’s what all the idyllic homestead photos show, right?). But after countless visits to her farm and long, thoughtful conversations about what would actually work for our lifestyle, I started with dairy goats instead.

It’s been a whirlwind ever since.

From panicked texts about what to feed, to late-night worries over a listless goat, she’s been there—steady, supportive, and full of insight. Her guidance has been nothing short of a godsend.

If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone considering this lifestyle, it would be this: find a mentor. Not just someone who knows their stuff, but someone who cares deeply about what they do—and about helping others succeed.

And here’s the secret: when you invest in quality animals, you often find that mentor built right in. Breeders who truly care about their stock want to see them thrive, even after they leave the farm. That’s where the real relationships begin.

In just four years, I’ve grown more than I ever imagined—not just in skill, but in confidence. Sure, I could have learned it all the hard way. But would I have come this far, this fast? I doubt it.

Mentorship isn’t just helpful in homesteading—it’s essential. It’s the bridge between dreaming and doing.

Foot note….. Lisa and her husband Matt are members of the Irish Dexter Cattlemen and anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first Dexters next month.

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Homesteading

Dexters – Poor Man’s Cow to Luxury Cow By Danielle Lowther

Poor Man’s Cow to Luxury Cow

How did the Poor Man’s Cow become owned by the wealthy and famous. Dexters and Kerry Cattle became recognized for their unique hardy attributes, Kerry for milk and Dexter for milk and meat. Dexters were known to get by on less, produce rich milk and raise a healthy vigorous calf for their owner’s table. Dexters were bred to their breed specific traits transforming them from just any poor Irish cows to these 2 beautiful, registered Dexter cows we see in these two later photos.

They were rare and they were at risk of being cross bred out of existence, but breeders in Ireland started selecting and registering Dexter cattle with breed defining traits to preserve and register them in a herd book. Once the promotion of Dexters began every wealthy aristocrat wanted one. All of a sudden, they were not the Poor Man’s cow but rather for a short spell until the numbers grew, cattle that only the wealthy could afford. Consider as this article states a $200 dollar Dexter cow from 1915. This is the equivalent of $6221.78. I checked multiple inflation calculators to verify that number as being correct. With the highest price the ad mentions at $350 in 1915, you would pay $10,936.81 today! Consider today we pay less for quality breeding stock. Rarity always drives the price up and just like with the rarity of gold it dictates the price.
Registered cows were important then and today. Registered Dexters will always hold a higher value than unregistered. Still with Dexters it took devoted breeders to breed Dexters according to the Dexter Standard to the highest quality like the 2 cows you see in the photographs. Not every Dexter cow was nearly as ideal as these two beauties. Compton Daphne, I speculate is a Chondro Carrier while Grinstead Watercress I speculate to be a non-carrier. Of course, we can never go back and test them so it’s just speculation. Both are extremely well bred and both fit the standard well.

So, as you can see Dexters are a dual-purpose breed that can be bred by multiple types of people regardless of fortune because they are a great pick for everyone. Whether you’re a small homesteader trying to save money with a thrifty headache free cow or someone who just wants to raise them as beautiful lawn mowers true Dexters are a great fit for these reasons and so many more!

30 Jan 1915 is the date of article written.
Photo of cattle in town are common type of Celtic cow that roamed Ireland.
Other two photos are of registered Dexters.

Dexters – Poor Man’s Cow to Luxury Cow By Danielle Lowther Read More »

Historical

Increase Your Profits, Enhance Your Brand, Improve Your Market Access

IrishDexterCattlemen.com is a tremendous platform for crafting your compelling brand story, allowing you to connect directly with your buyers at a deeper level. It gives you the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors. Like many online platforms, you can advertise yourself, your farm, your products and achieve real results. Unlike any other platform, Irish Dexter Cattlemen turbocharges your brand story in a Tips & Tricks Guide published monthly that is sent directly to hundreds of the very people most interested in you, what you have to say, and what products you produce. This is how you build a sustainable farm. Want to learn more about farm marketing techniques?

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Selling

Cattle Marketing Plans: Traditional vs. Direct to Consumer

To maximize profits, it is crucial that cattle producers have a marketing plan in advance. Many different avenues are available for producers to market cattle, and all have varying regulations and requirements. Although we will be providing beef examples throughout this fact sheet, many of the same rules for meat processing and sales apply to other amenable livestock species.

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Selling

Do you know how to do a tail stick to get blood for Pregnancy and Tenet Beef testing?

Here is a video that Nancy Bowers, Lonestar Ranch did on blood testing one her Dexters. This the same technique that you will need for testing for Tenet beef tenderness, except you will need much less….lol.

I have sent in 7 tenet tenderness tests to see if our Dexters have this genetic trait. Unlike other testing this is not done on scale and there is no comparison to other breeds. It’s either there or not there.
I truly believe that the tenderness of the beef is correlated to milk and that is sooo important in our dual purpose breed. We are working with them to prove this theory!

I have included what the cards look like, the paperwork that is needed…note it is very little. You can pay on line or send in a check. It is better for the lab if you pay with a check, so that they don’t loose the processing fee, but they are very accommodating.

Do you know how to do a tail stick to get blood for Pregnancy and Tenet Beef testing? Read More »

General Selling

Get Camera Ready: Livestreaming Is the Future of Social Media

Many social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, have livestreaming functionality. But livestreaming isn’t just for celebrities and influencers; businesses are increasingly using livestreaming on social media as a marketing tool.

Businesses can use livestreaming as a form of social media marketing to connect with customers, generate more followers, demonstrate products and services, and educate and entertain viewers while moving them closer to a sale. We’ll explore what livestreaming is, how it can benefit a brand and how to get started.

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Selling

COUPON EXPIRES END OF MONTH…DON’T MISS OUT! Why I use the Irish Dexter Cattlemen to help me market my homestead.

I wanted to share the great experiences I am having using the Irish Dexter Cattlemen (IDC) to sell Dexter semen, Nubian goats, soaps and shampoos…I don’t have any Dexter stock available, or I would be using the site for them too.

I love using the site to write my ad once.  Load pictures once.  And then just copy and paste the link to what ever social media or other site I choose to use as a form of advertising what I currently have available.  The link sends them to the IDC marketplace, they see all the items I have for sale. While they maybe responding to one thing…they see all our homestead has available.

They can choose to respond to me thru the site or my other contact forms.  The nice part about them contacting me thru the site is….it filters our scammers and lets me talk with the buyer.

Here are a few examples of things that have been selling well for me.

Also note…WE HAVE A COUPON FOR 50% off for new members.  So if you haven’t joined yet, we would like to encourage you to.  All levels of membership, allow you access to the  gem of gem stones…our gazette.  Loaded with articles, podcasts and videos that have been reviewed by long term Dexter breeders, ranches and homesteaders.  Join the community and see what we have to offer….you won’t be sorry!

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COUPON EXPIRES END OF MONTH…DON’T MISS OUT! Why I use the Irish Dexter Cattlemen to help me market my homestead. Read More »

Selling

Have you taken advantage of the Dex50 coupon?

Here is a testimonial from someone who paid to get access to the Irish Dexter Cattlemen Gazette!

Yes. This is a big need. I believe there are a lot of people like us out there but the world is so commercialized that breeds like dexters don’t have as much information to learn from. This is gonna be a great tool for us and I’m sure it will help us grow more into what we’re wanting to accomplish on our farm in the future. Carrie Ann Bowers

Have you taken advantage of the Dex50 coupon? Read More »

General

Do you want to subscribe, but you don’t know at what level?

Hope this simple spreadsheet shows you the different levels that you can participate.
An example of an entry level participation is … access to our gazette and all the past articles in the Tips and Tricks Newsletter, many magazines , the ADCA, PDCA and Legacy publications in clipboard formats with an easy to use search feature…you will need to spend $20. This feature has allowed me to help so many when they have a specific question about a topic we have already covered.

You will need decide your level of participation, register and then enjoy your subscription benefits.

We are always looking for people to help. If you want to join an exciting and dynamic team…reach out!

Do you want to subscribe, but you don’t know at what level? Read More »

General Selling

Where can I get raw milk or get help to sell mine?

There is definitely a faction of the population trying to get raw milk for their pets and family. There are also many folks trying to provide this to their community and both are struggling to make the connections.

Here are two links that can help you get to the source or get listed as a source.

https://getrawmilk.com

Raw Milk Finder

I would also have you check with your local and state laws to make sure that you are in compliance with them. Each state is different, with more and more changes coming down the pike. Be prepared if you are providing it for folks to just show up, for many phone calls and emails..the movement is in full swing.

Dexters provide a rich and creamy milk preferred by many! Happy milking!

Where can I get raw milk or get help to sell mine? Read More »

Milking

Dexter Milk

Written by Riley Wohlgemuth of Bar Dubya Ranch

Over the last week, I’ve dedicated part of my daily life to training Marieke to milk… We weaned her 10 month old bull calf and separated them so that she could begin to recover some condition. For the previous two months, I have been casually working on her haltering and handling in preparation for this moment…

As always, it takes some adjustment and determination to get into a routine, to be mindful of my actions and responses when training a cow, and just overall persistence despite the odds. Once separated from Connor, Marieke became a little waspy with milking while standing freely, so I quickly decided to start tying her up while I milked for both of our safety.

Milking is not easy. It’s a chore. It requires consistency (after the calf is weaned), determination, patience, and a lot of grace.

But… it’s amazing. To work with a cow and receive raw milk. It is an amazing thing to be able to provide your own milk… to know exactly what goes onto it, where it’s coming from, and get the cow kisses while you’re at it.

The other thing apart from feeding ourselves that brings me so much joy… is the connection to the community, providing the connection to their food that so many are craving. We don’t currently sell our milk as we are still trying to find our own rhythm, a place to purchase, and some other variables which just make that out of reach right now…

A couple of days ago, a neighbor requested to try some of our milk. Her toddler absolutely cannot have cow milk (not even the lactose-free), a sip of it will send her into tummy aches and throwing up within 30 minutes. Her little girl could drink our Dexter milk! Absolutely zero issues. So neat!!

Then, today, we milked Marieke this morning. Getting a full, creamy half gallon jar of delicious raw milk to take home. We decided to stop at a Christmas tree farm on the way home and one of the employees pointed out our lariat rope, which turned into conversation about roping, and then cattle… did we raise any, what do we use them for, etc. We raise our cattle for milk and beef. My husband pulled out the jar of raw milk to show them and they were so fascinated and intrigued! So we offered for them to have a little sip. We have so much at home that it wasn’t too terrible a loss to sacrifice some milk for the sake of curiosity.

They were amazed! At the flavor, the texture, remarking on its creamy sweetness and how the flavor lingered on their tongues. Then there were immediate questions about did we sell, could they buy, etc. The excitement, the chattering. It made me so happy to provide that experience and connection to them!

Farming is difficult, but so rewarding… for ourselves, for the connections we cultivate with friends and strangers, to nature and God’s provision for us… We are feeling extra grateful this season.

God bless and happy holidays!! 🥰❤️

Dexter Milk Read More »

Milking
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