Information for farmers and ranchers on how to sell their products
Selling meat directly to consumers is a popular method of adding value to established ranches. For some ranchers, selling directly to consumers is even the primary method of sale. Regardless of how it fits into the operation, there are some key marketing strategies that will take sales to the next level when applied correctly.
Simple Strategies to Increase Direct-to-Consumer Meat Sales Read More »
Selling
Yes! Social media has become an integral part of digital marketing for many businesses.
For farmers, social media can be a dynamic platform to engage with customers, highlight fresh produce for sale, and market meat online.
Social media marketing for farmers is no longer optional, but an essential way to reach your customers, gain valuable insights, and increase sales to your online farm store.
The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Farmers Read More »
Selling
Irish Dexter Cattlemen is about farmers & Ranchers. A critical design feature of the website was to connect farmers & ranchers with each other using the latest technology. For example, whenever you list an item for sale in the MarketPlace, you instantly become connected to the buyers interested in your item. Buyers can directly message you and ask questions about the cow you have just listed. As the seller, you begin to collect the names and email addresses of all your potential buyers. This is one way farmers & ranchers become connected to each other..
Announcing the Documents Vault, a new way farmers & ranchers can share information with other farmers & ranchers, plus a unique way to dramatically simplify the sale and transfer of your Irish Dexter. In fact, you can use the Documents Vault to sell and transfer any item you have on the farm. The key feature is how it can share.
Casual users browsing the Irish Dexter Cattlemen website, users who have registered for free on the website, and members who have registered and then have become members, all have access to the Documents Vault in increasingly feature rich ways depending on their chosen level.
To access the Documents Vault, mouse over Dashboards on the main menubar, then select My Documents Vault. If you are a casual user, this will open the Public Documents Vault containing folders and documents relevant for public viewing. If you are a registered user, this will open your Private Documents Vault where you can create you own personal folders where you can upload files and documents plus you will have acess to folders and files shared with you by other farmers & ranchers. If you are a member, you will have access to the same files and folders as do registered users plus you gain access to significantly more valuable documents that enhance your farming operation.
The Documents Vault is no different than an ordinary file system except in one important way. It provides you with file and documents sharing. To begin, use the New button to create folders or upload files. In this example, a new folder was created and labeled Irish Dexters which you can see on the left under Dashboard. Clicking on this folder allowed for it to be opened and four more folders were created as you see above. Click on the Cows folder and here you can create a separate folder for each of your cows. Click on a specific cow’s folder and you can begin uploading the documents for that cow. What kind of documents? The system accepts Word documents Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, text files, pdf documents, images, and photos. This means you can upload a photo of your brucellosis certificate provided to you by your vet. Upload your cow’s registration certificate provided to you by your registrar. Upload the genetic tests provided by your genetics testing lab. Upload your cow’s photos. Collect all the documents as they occur. Use your smartphone to capture your documents. What’s the benefit? When time comes to sell your cow, or heifer, or bull, one simple click of the Share button transfers all your cow’s information to your new buyer. This is how you build value for your farm and your buyer will instantly see that your farm is where they want to buy more cows.
Click on the folder then click on the Share button. It’s as easy as that. In the Share window (shown above) you can enter the buyer’s email address (they must complete a free registration on the website first) and then choose how you want to share your folder. Your choices are View Only, View and Upload, or Full Access. Any folder or for that matter, any single document can be shared. Sharing does not remove the folder or document. You continue to have full access to it, just as before. This new tools makes it even easier to sell and transfer your Irish Dexters and you have a direct record of who bought your cow. They buyer has a direct record of where they bought each animal. They are sure to buy more from you again.
Your fundamental, underlying goal in the operation of your farm is to build value. The Documents Vault does just that. It keeps you organized and it demonstrates to your buyers a significantly higher degree of trust. They are assured that they get everything they bought. This means that your buyers will be contacting you first for all their future purchases. The example here was for your Irish Dexters, but anything on your farm can be documented and shared in the same way. Also, you can add new information on how you farm and capture information you think is valuable and easily share it with everyone at Irish Dexter Cattlemen by selecting All Users in the Share window. The Documents Vault is how Irish Dexter Cattlemen connects farmers & ranchers.
Announcing The Documents Vault Read More »
General
There was a Raw Milk Summit in Bon Aqua, TN. Several guest speakers included politicians, local producers and Dr. Ken Berry. This video is of the organizer Dawn Gorham of The Gorham Homestead.
She has an interesting story and message for people who are trying to sell their milk thru herd shares in Tennessee. You will need to check your State Laws, but has some great advice for everyone.
Raw Milk Summit in Tennessee Read More »
Milking & Dairy
The best advice I can give to those who are starting out….GO SLOW! You can still go slow and work toward your homestead, farm or ranch paying for itself. This podcast from Homesteaders of America gives some good solid advice…including paying yourself and your family for its efforts. These principles can be applied to any of your produced products.
How Can my Ranch or Homestead Pay For Itself Read More »
Homesteading
Today the farm arguably represents America’s premier non-industrial food production oasis.
The Polyface Story Read More »
Beef
There was a lot of speculation about a heifer retention program to deal with the screwworm issues.
USDA: No payment for heifer retention Read More »
General
Preparing cattle to travel to their new home can be overwhelming. Reliable transportation, health papers, disease testing – here’s what you need to know before shipping livestock across state lines.
https://www.agproud.com/articles/61584-cattle-drives-preparing-your-livestock-for-interstate-travel#:~:text=Tagging%20along:%20Identification,before%20shipping%20recently%20sold%20livestock
Grocery stores are a great way to put your business into overdrive, giving customers new options in ever-fashionable packaging. Whether you are looking to sell at local convenience stores or big-box wholesale grocers, it presents the perfect opportunity for your product.
Interested in learning more about how to get your product into grocery stores? In this ultimate guide, Mako PKG takes you through the whole process from start to finish.
How to Get Your Product Into Grocery Stores Read More »
Selling
I think one of the hardest things for farmers, ranchers and homesteaders is when they need to sell something off the farm. That journey should start well before you need to sell something.
Let’s look at the model I use for selling of Dexter beef.
I share all of the information about our wonderful breed I can, on social media …especially things like, dropping the names of famous chefs that have come to appreciate the quality of our beef. I also share podcasts, articles and pictures of Dexters in the field, on the plate and in its packaging from the butcher.
So now you have some beef that will be ready to be processed in a few months and you don’t need it for your family. This is when you need to start looking for potential customers.
How to get started
The first thing you need to do is decide what you are going to sell and its value. One of the easiest ways to do this is to look at the market…check out sites like the Irish Dexter Cattlemen, Craig’s List and local social media sites. By comparing what you see on these you will be able to determine what the price point of what is selling in your area.
Things to keep in mind are is it grass-fed and grain finished or grass-fed and grass finished. The grass-fed grass finished tends to command a higher price. Another consideration is vaccinated, as more and more folks are looking for unjabbed…this is a term I see more and more. The more specialized your finished product is, the more you can ask. I say you can ask…because not every customer values that. It’s about building the clientele at this point.
Build your own customer base
Once you start to get customers, you will then need to retain them and encourage them to tell their friends. We always follow up immediately after they get their first quarter or half. Your butcher can also be a big help to you. He sees and works with a lot of different breeds and will have a much bigger customer base than you. A really good butcher is so important to your finished product and especially your yield. My butcher is wonderful about sharing what we have produced and bragging on it for us!
Not everyone knows what Dexter cattle are and that we have, well in my opinion and many of our customer’s opinion, one of best dual purpose , beef and dairy breeds. So, how do you get them to see the value of your beef and our breed? For us, it was finding like minded folks. People who were not looking for meat from the local grocery store. Someone who understood, that by buying the whole, half or quarter of the Dexter they would see an overall better value than the price of just the burger. Our burger is ancestral beef, another differential that sets us apart from many of the other farmers in our area. It includes a percentage of organ meat. This maybe valued by your customer, if they are health conscious…or maybe not important to others or even a put off, to some.
Once they have bought from you, you need to ask them when they will need more. You want to retain that customer and build on that base. If they rave about it…ask them to tell their friends and family. Word of mouth is so much less work and keeps your pipeline full. If you can’t fill their needs, find another Dexter owner who you can work with and help each other. For us, it’s about getting them to buy Dexter.
Dealing with objections
Common objects are:
I don’t know if I have enough freezer space…or how big a freezer do I need. We have many articles, videos and personal writings on the this in the IDC Gazette But the amount of beef produced is a huge selling feature, as the Dexter doesn’t give the average family, too much to deal with.
In many states they need to pay you for the Dexter and the butcher for the processing. In other states, they are done at USDA facilities and payment can be made to you including the processing. Or it can be sold as individual cuts. If selling individual cuts, more homework will need to be done determining the prices of those individual cuts. So, money can be a factor, as some will need to accrue for it unless you are selling individual cuts.
And my all time favorite objection …I need to talk to my husband or my wife…and then you hear crickets. You still need to follow up. Understanding objections can only help you hone your selling skills and prepare you for crazy objections like this last one….lol
Using the Irish Dexter Cattlemen Marketplace
I use the ad I generate using the Irish Dexter Cattlemen for selling. Why? Because it’s looks professional, I don’t have my own website and I don’t want to write a bunch of different ads.To best utilize the ad, I take a picture of it, so they have something to look at and then copy and paste the link of the ad into different social media groups and sometimes even Craig’s list. Not everyone uses social media or Craig’s list. So, by using the IDC Marketplace, I have exposure there on the website and in the FREE monthly newsletter, giving me two more vehicles for selling. By doing it this way, I only write the ad once and then copy and paste, giving it a professional and consistent look. Feed back from some of the buyers off the site have been very positive. They like that everything is in the ad…registration numbers if applicable, location, price and if it is negotiable and that they can have a private conversation.
When sharing on social media I choose local sites, as shipping, is not much of an option with cost of shipping and the need to keep it frozen. I also use the Irish Dexter Cattlemen featured post on FB and some of the cattle groups that serve my area, as it’s just not feasible for people to drive great distances for their beef.
Repetition
Just because you post something once doesn’t get it sold. People don’t typically look back through post from a week ago or a month ago. When they’re wanting to buy something they usually look back maybe a couple of days.
I suggest you post on Thursdays or Fridays and again on the weekend to get people looking at what you have available.
If you are keeping your pipeline full, and you are building your clientele, the repetition will not need to be as much. You will develop wait lists and those lists will need to be worked. Just because they’re on your waitlist doesn’t mean they’re going to buy again. You need to touch base with them periodically and keep it current because they may have decided to buy somewhere else. I find if you touch base with them monthly or every other month, you’re more likely to keep them on your list of potential buyers.
So in conclusion, the important things to remember are
Look professional.
Start to sell before your are taking your Dexter for processing.
Build up the quality of the breed and its beef….you never know you may sell breeding stock too to that beef customer.
Learn to deal with objections in a positive manner.
Remember, posting it once doesn’t get it sold.
Here is one of my favorite podcasts for educating buyers about our wonderful breed.
I sincerely hope this helps you…if you have more ideas, feel free to comment. I would love to hear some of your feedback or unique ways of selling your beef and breeding stock.
Farm Sales…A Way I Find works Read More »
Selling
Calling all Beef Breeders!!! For anyone who likes a bit of Beef in their dual-purpose Dexters here’s something for you! Have you ever wondered what the Live weight, the Average daily weight gain of live weight, Weight of dressed Carcass, Percentage of carcass to gross live weight, Weight of loose fat and Weight of hide was on a Dexter Kerry or a Kerry and a Dexter Kerry cross was at the formation of the Royal Dublin Society in 1890? I wish all fields were complete as some are missing but it’s a good start. Well, here are some answers for you, so let’s see how these weights compare today. Comments are welcomed. By the way Tommy Titmouse was an Angus Dexter Kerry cross.
LET’S TALK DEXTER WEIGHTS! Read More »
Historical
A sales pitch can make or break a deal, which is why yours must be as effective as possible.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to craft irresistible sales pitches that leave jaws dropping, wallets opening, and deals sealed with a smile 🙂
The Ultimate Guide to Delivering an Effective Sales Pitch Read More »
Selling
Too bad the photo of the top pick wasn’t used! Milk, meat and oxen….none of the other breeds listed are known for all three!
Look at what breed was the top one for cattle on a homestead! Read More »
Homesteading
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.
How To Take Great Photos For Your Online Ads Read More »
Selling
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
While direct-to-consumer meat sales can offer greater profits, people often underestimate the time it takes to become established.
“How quickly you build your business depends on using your time, investment, and resources wisely,” said Katie Olthoff, co-founder of ChopLocal, an online farmers market that offers products from 45 farmers and butcher shops.
5 Steps to Successful Direct-to-Consumer Meat Sales Read More »
Selling
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).
How to Successfully Sell Wholesale Produce Read More »
Selling
Did you know that we have given everyone a free ad to try out the Irish Dexter Cattlemen Marketplace? That’s right! Give it a try!
I have found it a great place to produce a professional looking ad that can be shared anywhere.
Recently, we have tweaked some of the features to make it easier to use. The pictures are automatically resized to work with the system. No pre approval process. We can tweak it later if we need to. And also a team behind you that can help you make it what you want it to be.
Here are some recently posted ads. Check them out!
The Irish Dexter Cattlemen Marketplace..have you tried a free ad? Read More »
General
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.
The most traumatic experience for cow-calf producers is when they wean their calves-and it is not real great for the calves, either.
The Art of Weaning Calves Read More »
Herd Health
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
Mike Baker describes features of market readiness for both finished and unfinished beef and dairy crosses.
Determining the Market Readiness of Beef Cattle Read More »
Beef Herd Health
Learn how to have 1/2 a cow butchered for your family to get the right cuts
Half a beef, What cuts to request Read More »
Beef Selling
Dexter Beef Podcast – Taste the Difference Read More »
Podcasts
Looking for Sustainability Podcast – Consider the Irish Dexter History Read More »
Podcasts
Cattle Marketing Podcast – Reach Your Target Market and Boost Profits Read More »
Podcasts
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?
Increase Your Profits, Enhance Your Brand, Improve Your Market Access Read More »
Selling
Document Daily Life on the Farm
Give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at daily operations. Share posts about feeding routines, grooming sessions, and training exercises. Use Instagram Stories or TikTok for quick updates that show your animals’ personalities and the care you provide.
Boost Your Livestock Show Success: Top Social Media Strategies! Read More »
Selling
