[sellickbhoy]

I'm thinking about a new wee business venture - letting townies "buy" a pig/lamb/turkey, have some farmer/smallholder raise it, the townie pays for feed and vet bills, get regular updates on size, health, photos and the likes, maybe a wee newsletter on the stages of the animals life and some things about how to raise them, and things like that.

then the townie pays to get it killed/butchered and they keep the meat.

Could do either a full or half animal. And was thinking the turkey could be for their christmas dinner.

Anyone know of any farmers/smallhoders in the central scotland area that might be interested in getting involved?

ta

[Rosemary]

Chris, there are some old threads on about this, way back, in pigs, I think. Maybe HM can remember - I think she used to sell pork this way.

Do you want me to circulate this request to all the members of Central Scotland Smallholders Association? Maybe you should come along to a meeting and see if anyone is interested. Contact Ayeskint on here by PM - Carol's the Secretary and her OH is Chair.

[sellickbhoy]

Rosemary

My plans are not that well formulated yet - and i've no idea if there would be much demand.

So I'm really just looking for some ideas of how we could do this, costs involved - and likely selling price

i.e. what would it likely cost for a smallholder to raise an animal
what would be likely cost to raise an animal
then what would costs of killing and butchering/preparing the animal?

Certainly let the CSSA members know - if anyone wants to do this - or is ALREADY doing this and would like a sales outlet to manage the customer side of thing for them, then maybe we could have a chat.

I'll try formulate my ideas a bit better before i speak to anyone en masse - but if anyone wants to give me a shout for a preliminary chat to see how we could do this - then that would be great.

I'll check out the pig forum - HM is hilarysmum i guess?

[scattybiker1972]

have a look on internet a while ago i was doing some 'reasearch' and came across a few people doing this you could compare prices ect, if i can find it again ill post it.

[Hilarysmum]

sellichboy, every smallholder's costs will be different.  Do your sums very carefully.  Marketing has to be very careful and make sure you take a big deposit.  We did this a lot when the £ was strong against the euro.  Not so much now.  We sold to expats who wanted crackling on their pork and who were prepared to buy in bulk.  You also need to factor in the vet costs, as most people who want you to look after their pig expect you not to have any accidents, illness or other hiccups.  "Townies" for the most part do not have a lot of grasp of the difficulties of smallholding.  Also be very prepared for "owner" and family, and friends, and extended family to turn up unnacounced just as you are about to eat, wanting a cup of tea and the tour.  There will be at least one member of the party who will insist on getting in the field and petting "their" pig and often someone who gets upset because the pig has left a dirty mark on their light coloured clothing. 

Having said all that, it can be profitable, fun and certainly encourages people to understand where their meat comes from.  Oh and get very used to distant friend/relation - of "owner" asking how you can justify the price when they can get beautiful pork from the supermarkets at 2 euros a kilo when its on special.  Bite tongue, clamp hands behind back to stop automatic strangling reflex ....

Hey its all fun...   

[winshamrarebreeds]

Hi

Julie from fields of food does a pig adoption scheme, which is similar, maybe you could ask her what she charges.   

www.fieldsoffood.co.uk

[doganjo]

Chris, it's high time you joined CSSA anyway!

Next meeting 20th Jan, Clackmannan, 7pm Informal, welcome meeting where the Committee will put forward their plans for the year and you can test your knowledge with a wee pub quiz I've got ready!


Anyone else within a couple of hours of Clacks is wlecome too - Sandy's B & B centre of the village.
Snow's mostly gone so no excuses.

[sellickbhoy]

Hi Annie

you know what, i've nothing on that night and i think i'll come over.

I'll even deliver you the 1st fruit and veg box i'd promised you that night!!!!!

It is about time I joined, though the way things are going just now, i've a funny feeling i'll not get much planted this year. Though it is about time i got my own chickens - the run has been built for months now, and i'm not likely to get a holiday for 8/9 months, so i may as well.

So, i'll see you then!!

[doganjo]

good stuff, remember to bring your tenner! and amembership application form from the website

[marigold]

Anyone know of any farmers/smallhoders in the central scotland area that might be interested in getting involved

Sounds interesting! I am on the western border of angus and am thinking of raising some black turkey for christmas 2010 if I can find some eggs. It would be an interesting way of lining up some customers. Not many - up to 8 or 10?
We would kill and dress them which is why I don't want to do too many.
The costing would be an interesting one to work out and might give me a gratis christmas dinner. Although if you are designing a marketing model you also need to be factored into the costs. Let me know how thinking develops.

[sellickbhoy]

for those of you who don't know, I am starting a fruit and veg box business

so all the marketing efforts/drive etc will be on that

My focus is on trying to get local produce - i'll admit to having a very liberal definition of LOCAL - i.e. Linlithgow, west lothian, central scotland, Scotland, UK......and beyond

Basically, if it can be bought locally, in season - it'll be from as close to my house as possible - but if you want tomatos and strawberries in January, then they'll be foreign! ALL pineapples will be foreign!!!

I have a local butcher signed up to supply pies, haggis, blackpudding, sausages etc, the local baker will do me bread, rolls, cakes etc, the local deli is supplying me with things like jams, relish, jellies, cheese, oatcakes etc.

but i was looking to provide "grow your own kits" selling onion/garlic sets, seed potatoes, strawberry, red/blackcurrant, rasps/blackberry plants, herbs and a container and growing instructions

and then i thought, what about a "sponsor an animal" type idea - where you can pay a smallholder to raise an animal for you and you get the meat. I could provide a newsletter, updates, fact sheets on the rearing of the animals, how they grow - all the info involved in the upbringing and ultimate preparation for table

I'd probably want to avoid them turning up and getting hands on - as it would be a real burden on the busy smallholder - but i guess we could have "open days" where a group of small holders could get together, show them the animals, sell some of their produce etc

Oh, i'd even be keen to speak to folk who want to sell me their excess veg

So, it's more a bolt on to another business and not a business in it's own right, but as my customers will be interested in buying fruit, veg and eating a bit better - then they might be interested.

Also, the web page will have a blog of news items - environmental and food issues, and there will be a forum too -which might be a good way to bring customers and smallholders together and they can get the updates and understanding of teh process directly through the forum.

Of course, i don't expect the forum to be as good as this one!!!!!!

i like the turkey idea as I could probably do a Christmas hamper - a turkey, all the veg to go with it for a meal, some tasty treats from the deli etc and the customers could pay monthly.

[doganjo]

I'll have a hamper Chris - if you have an idea how much it'll be I'll add a bit to my weekly or fortnightly veg box.

[marigold]

Sounds brilliant. Doganjo sent me some info and it all sounds fantastic. Definitely up for turkeys depending on sourcing the eggs or chicks.

[Hilarysmum]

Re the hamper, our pig club did this last Xmas, was a roaring success; especially with people paying monthly.

[Anke]

Townies do NOT have large freezers on the whole and the concept of buying meat in bulk and then eating out of your freezer throughout the year is still unfamiliar to many of them. We sell quite a few joints to friends and colleagues and find that a small pack, including some sausages, chops and maybe two joints is the max we sell in one go to someone. But I also have not tried to go down the route to market larger packs, it doesn't fit with our pig number/time scale for raising etc. Lambs/mutton would be more of a possibility.

We only had a smallish freezer in town, and unless you have a garage - where do you put a chest freezer if you have a flat/townhouse?

Possibly more of a box scheme with monthly/bi monthly deliveries, mixed meat options? Quite difficult to set up!