I am very saddened that within this forum there are those who choose to try and influence my life and my actions because THEY don't think what I do is right. What the hell? Who gave you the right to even comment on what I do or don't do? How dare you!!!!
It has also been suggested that I have come on here after a long absence and asked (or as was said, begging) for help and that is somehow 'not allowed'? Isn't that what this forum is about? Asking for information and help from those that do know? Anyone is welcome to any help or advice I can give. I will do this willingly and not expect anything back apart from "Hey thanks."
I didn't for one minute think that asking for help from the forum people was dependent on behaving the way some people want me to? Is that a form of payment for the help and advice received? Just asking! Or is there a little clique that thinks its better than the rest of us on here?
I bow to your greatness! hahahaha
I will though explain, although I don't HAVE to do anything......
I started this venture as a way to get 'good' food for my family and came to it very bright eyed and bushy tailed. I did all the 'right' things by getting pedigree registered stock, and the 'better' breed of turkeys, and large chickens and a few lambs for our own consumption. Any excess I thought would sell easily.
Hahahahaha how wrong was I??
We ended up buying 6 large freezers to put the meat into as I hate waste.
I advertised everywhere, local papers, flyers, talking to people and even at my diet class I gave away joints to generate interest.
I contacted local butchers to see if they would take some and was told that they wouldn't sell and they buy whole pigs for less than £100 direct from slaughter houses, yes the commercial pink pigs.
I even approached the local good eating house to see if the chef would buy some but no even there they use commercial pink pigs.
The market here is sown up by a very large commercial piggery.
I have tried selling my pork for more money and ended up putting it all in my freezers of which I now have 5 because of not wanting to waste good home grown pork.
I have a large notice on my front gates too and cant even seem to sell eggs here. I sold 2 bronze turkeys and 1 black turkey at Christmas only, the rest I put in my freezers. This year I will only raise enough for my family's needs. I didn't even sell one goose!
I love living on my smallholding, and raising pigs especially, but have now sold off 2 of the rare breeds and am concentrating only on lops as they are a bigger pig overall and after taking advice from a butcher as to which breeds sell better.
The price I now ask for my pork actually sells the EXCESS pork. I don't care if my customers sell on to others, as has been suggested, which in this area I very much doubt.
People don't like shelling out a lump sum of money here and its classed as a poor area.
I have so far only sold in total 3 pigs, that's 6 halves, not a lot but hopefully its a start.
Hubby did suggest that he buys a refrigerated van and sell 'down south' to see if we got more but with the price of fuel thats probably not an option.
This year I have also turned an ace into cropping food, I wont even try to sell that but will give the excess to the pensioners in my village and the pigs to avoid waste.
And as for the question about what I/we do to earn money, that, my dear, is none of your business!!!
