selling

Information for farmers and ranchers on how to sell their products

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

Growing my business with GrownBY

By Eliena Bodtke, Stay’N Put Farm

I have had a small soap business for years.  It has been a very manual order process. So, when someone was needed to test the GrownBy site for the next phase of the Irish Dexter Cattlemen website, I decided it was time for me to have an easier way to order.  It also gave me the added benefits of being able to sell my Irish Dexter cattle and Nubian goats without having to set up my own website.  Everything in one place, with no knowledge of set up or having to maintain my own website.
Well I have to tell you….this has been a most enjoyable experience.  From the ease of using the site, to the help that is available from the GrownBy team at the drop of a hat.  I can edit, add or remove things with little effort.  But the really exciting thing was having metrics to be able to see if the site was working for me.  The first time I checked how many had clicked on my site it said 163…WOW! I started working on my site in May and had yet to check the metrics out.  I shared it on my FB page and on the IDC site once, well maybe twice and boom a week later 193 visits.  The other notable is that my order size increased.   Not by a little, a lot!  We are still working on GrownBY handling the shipping component, but the problem is at my end, not theirs,  everything has to be weighed and then the zip code has to be taken into consideration.  The work around is pick up at farm and handling the shipping afterward…or adding to the price the average shipping…but I’m working on that.
The long and short of it is, not only is the site working for me for selling my soaps and shampoos.  It provides an easy link for my customers to go to and see what I have available …and helps me with driving what needs to be made and stocked. And maybe they will consider some of the adorable bucks we have currently for sale!
I didn’t need to learn another language or program, all I had to do was share it, so people know where to look. 
Another added benefit is, you can see other farms in your area …that you might want to visit or buy from.  It’s farmers!  Yup, farmers, you are working with other farmers.  So if you have a soap business like me, or just a few animals to sell, or a CSA, you really should check it out.
I hope you have the same experience as I have had….now off to make another soap and build that inventory.

Check out my new online e-commerce store https://grownby.app/farms/stay-n-put-farm/shop

Growing my business with GrownBY Read More »

Selling

Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle? By Shelley Hatfield- WP Farm


 Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle?  The answer is absolutely not! But you will need to be a little more prepared than farms who have several acres.  You will need to have sturdier fences for one thing.  Farms with several hundred acres have room for the cows to roam so they aren’t as likely to get out.  I’m not saying they don’t ever get out on large farms but it is not as often.  Smaller farms, the cows don’t have the room to roam.  You need to make sure that your outer perimeter fencing is strong and tight.  That can be barbed wire, woven wire, or the combination of both.  This will keep you and your neighbors in good standing….lol
 Land is the second  thing that I want to talk about. With Dexters it doesn’t take as much as with “full sized” cows.  It is 1.5-2 acres per TWO cow/calf pair of Dexters.  But that doesn’t mean that you can stick them on any ole grass and they will grow well.  You have to maintain your pastures.  That is what I’m in the process of doing myself.  I’m working to get my pastures into regenerative grazing.  Which will help with how well my pastures stay.  
 Thirdly, you will need hay, which is something that all cattle farmers need usually.  Unless you are in some states that you can grow it year round.  But you need to make sure that you have good healthy hay.  That is important for the health of your cows.  You don’t want them to get sick.  
 One last thing, keeping your animal healthy is an overall, big or little farm, thing you need to do.  I think as a small farm it is easier to keep a watch on things than a big farm.  You have a more intimate relationship with your Dexters when you don’t have 100s to keep an eye on.  
 I am a small farm with not alot of acres, that is why I chose the Dexters at first. But as time as went on, they are so much more that good for small farms.  But that is for another time.  
 So in conclusion, you don’t need acres and acres of land to raise beef cattle.  You just need to make sure what you have is the best that it can be. 

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/livestock/raising-cattle/how-i-raised-a-years-worth-of-grass-fed-beef-for-practically-nothing-zbcz2201

The Beginning Farmer’s Guide To Raising Backyard Beef
Raising cattle on your own place
Raising Grass-Fed Beef (Pros & Cons)

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/livestock/raising-cattle/how-i-raised-a-years-worth-of-grass-fed-beef-for-practically-nothing-zbcz2201

Do you need lots of acres to raise beef cattle? By Shelley Hatfield- WP Farm Read More »

Beef

Create your free online store

An online store is an essential, fundamental building block to launch your ranching and farming business and make it successful and profitable. Grownby.app is an online store designed and operated by farmers and ranchers. It is free to start and use. It includes the tools you will need to manage your inventory, create orders, facilitate CSA’s, accept charge cards, offer farm pickups, and allow your buyers to leave their email addresses for you to do your marketing follow-up. Grownby makes money when a buyer uses their charge card to buy your products. Cash transactions are completely free. Knowing this, you can simply raise your prices to offset the cost of credit card transactions.

With Grownby, now there are no restrictions on using social media to market and sell your animals and products. Instead of selling animals, sell your Grownby Store, or sell your local farm, or sell your farm-to-table experience everyone is searching to have. Just be sure to include a link to your Grownby Store in every social media post you create,

Create your free online store Read More »

Selling
MENU