tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post3751365490995959128..comments2023-12-15T02:04:08.213-08:00Comments on meat: Fads Fleecing Farmers (FFF) - lard pigsBruce Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995706761794063165noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-17672590461877838602010-11-02T13:38:43.691-07:002010-11-02T13:38:43.691-07:00My boyfreind and I got into the emu market near th...My boyfreind and I got into the emu market near the end of the breeder market with the intention of selling into the slaughter market. The biggest thing that tanked the emu and ostrich market was the way the emu associations and some breeders tried to go after beef's market share, and the way USDA fiddled around with the slaughter rules (wound up that ratite producers were going to have to pay the wages of the inspectors like the egg producers do). <br /><br />I still have emus, breed emus and sell emus, but you're right, it's a very small market and I've spent a couple years building a local market. <br /><br />I've been watching Heath's work building the market for these lard pigs, and I've seen some of the products (online). If I were to get into raising these animals, it'd be by buying weaners to grow out. But the processing of these particular pigs is so specialized that you really need to mirror what Heath's done in your own area as far as marketing things like Lardo, Jowl, and the other products made from the pigs. Finding someone who can make those products can be challenging I think, unless you can ship to a company that's already producing mangalitsa products.<br /><br />Not a venture for the faint of heart. As you said, Heath's put his heart and soul into this venture.Joanne Riguttohttp://www.joannerigutto.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-8555300247102855042010-11-02T13:38:33.340-07:002010-11-02T13:38:33.340-07:00And don't forget lavender. 5 years ago someone...And don't forget lavender. 5 years ago someone was trying to talk me into converting my 2 acre pasture into lavender. I'm so glad I didn't! The lavender farms are all going bust, and there's always value in having a good pasture. <br /><br />I have a friend who has converted some of his pasture into nursery trees. The idea is that he will grow them out for three years, and then sell them to nurserys just as the housing/landscaping market is picking up again. I'm not jumping on that bandwagon either.StefRobrtshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11786010946464627818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-54232907599657440772010-11-02T10:13:59.266-07:002010-11-02T10:13:59.266-07:00I think of alpacas as a pyramid scheme - You buy e...I think of alpacas as a pyramid scheme - You buy expensive breeding stock from me, raise babies, and sell them to other suckers as expensive breeding stock. When a friend told me her alpacas were worth thousands of dollars, I couldn't see why, because all they produce is wool and more alpacas - and the wool isn't worth much at all, so how could having even more alpacas help that situation? Eventually you're going to run out of people who want to buy them, and then the whole thing falls apart.<br /><br />The market is already collapsing for alpacas, just look on CL and you'll see geldings for $50 any day of the week. They still produce that 'valuable' fiber. I know a mill that buys alpaca fiber for $10 per fleece. That's less than it cost to pay the guy to shear your 'packy, because it's a far more complex process to shear and separate out the lower quality wool, so it takes 3 or 4 times as long to do an alpaca than a sheep. <br /><br />The only good thing that can be said about alpacas is that they are easy on the land, and easy to handle, so they are perfect for 'tax farmers', people who already have a regular job and property, and don't care if they make a profit or not, they just want some pretty livestock grazing it so they can get a tax right-off for being a farm.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-49694853682782805112010-11-02T08:53:46.449-07:002010-11-02T08:53:46.449-07:00The same applies for plants - ginseng, echinacea h...The same applies for plants - ginseng, echinacea have both been boom and bust.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-41676121414095786932010-11-02T08:25:45.985-07:002010-11-02T08:25:45.985-07:00Bruce, have you seen this?
http://foodfreedom.wor...Bruce, have you seen this?<br /><br />http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/leaked-trade-agreements-and-hidden-things-inside-s-510-corporations-plan-to-end-normal-farming/damaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02013544183482066326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1842136564899097734.post-9180451411330461342010-11-02T07:02:47.512-07:002010-11-02T07:02:47.512-07:00up here it was Elk, Buffalo, Deer. Everybody lost ...up here it was Elk, Buffalo, Deer. Everybody lost everything...except a select few who knew how to market something that almost nobody wants.goldforestfarms.blogspot.cahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03000577922412768699noreply@blogger.com