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NeathChris
Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 1387 Location: Neath, South Wales
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 06 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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As i say it is in early deelopment stages, may not even happen. We are 5 mins off the m4 so its ideal for transporting goods. It would not be a large herd, i aim to keep it smallish with a quality end product. I looked at some stats today regaring imported pig meat, 850,000 tonnes is mported each year, 2 thirds of which does not meet uk welfare standards, in effect this would probably dog food at most had it been reared in the uk. This really spurred me to think even more about further producing my own meat. I can trace every pig back 5 generations at least, it has been reared to highest welfare standards with a very good life. Interpretaions of local are different to every person, but if it were uk or regionally available, would people consider it more? |
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NeathChris
Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 1387 Location: Neath, South Wales
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Cathryn
Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 19856 Location: Ceredigion
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Penny Outskirts
Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 23385 Location: Planet, not on the....
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NeathChris
Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 1387 Location: Neath, South Wales
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 31902 Location: York
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Posted: Tue Nov 28, 06 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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I'd think very hard about turning an enjoyable hobby into a business before taking any steps in that direction. You would think that going full time on your hobby, as a job, would give you more time, but that is not necessarily the case, and you may find you dislike jobs that you once enjoyed. I don't want to dampen any enthusiasm, but also don't want you to jump in & find you can't swim.
You have to be prepared to work relentlessly, for little money. You'll also need a fair bit of business knowledge, as so many people are going out of business in livestock farming, you have to be really something to keep your head above water & go on to prosper. Also, many concessions apply to 'hobby' keepers that are more stringent for 'businesses'.
What are you doing now (to earn a living)? How long have you been working on it as a hobby? Who/what have you got behind you i.e. capital, supportive family, knowledge, training/experience (the latter is much more important than the former)?
I think you would be better gradually building up your hobby until the point where you can make the leap to being in business without having a large gap between losing your income & the pigs being self-sustaining (the bit where you have naff all to live on until things get going).
A combination of factors caused me to convert to a business 3.5 years ago, but it started as a hobby in 1994 & has progressed gradually at first.
I can recommend a very good book to you (or anyone considering it)- "You Can Farm" by Joel Salatin (and no, I don't supply it, but it is available on Amazon). |
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NeathChris
Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 1387 Location: Neath, South Wales
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 31902 Location: York
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cab
Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 32429
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moonwind
Joined: 10 Sep 2006 Posts: 1140
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 06 12:34 am Post subject: |
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If all the pork from NeathChris is as good as the half we bought last week then none of you would be disappointed.
You could still have your website Chris, that'll be Winter rhan amser College course then
I think offering sausages and stuff would be good on a website and the selling point has got to be Outdoor traditionally reared.
We were never officially an organic holding, but the only fertiliser used on our land in ten years was calcified seaweed and that was only two applications.
You'll have to go to Newport and buy a fridge van then you could start doing a delivery service yourself, just work in the mileage (estimated) for your chosen delivery area, which will of course cover the Carmarthen area.
Research the area, I know there are quite a few folk who do sell pork round here, but yours was butchered very well which is something to bring to potential customers notice.
Have an ear to the floor to see who is selling what, and how much and to whom?
Week last Sunday there was a market lorry selling meat at Carmarthen Sunday Market, on the side of the lorry was some address in West Midlands!!
Heaven knows where the meat on that had come from but it seemed awfully cheap, too cheap if you know what I mean.
Anyway good luck whatever you decide. I think Rob's is sound build it up gradually and let the wind find its own destiny. |
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Behemoth
Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 19023 Location: Leeds
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sally_in_wales Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 06 Mar 2005 Posts: 20809 Location: sunny wales
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 06 10:58 am Post subject: |
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There is no doubt about the quality of your piggies, and the side we made into bacon is delicious. Having been at your place when your neighbour turned up with her van of veggies, I think one possible half way point for you would be to maybe hire or borrow a small refrigerated van once a month and do a delivery run yourself locally. That way you can spend the rest of the month with the pigs, building up your marketing, dealing with people who are happy to come to you, and also taking pre opders so on that one day you can plan an effective route and deliver the rest. You see that happening in some areas with travelling fishmongers, if you also have 'surplus' on the van, you will probably find that when you stop to drop off an order the buyers neighbours will come for a nose round, and you make a few more sales, or will decide to try a new sausage recipe, just because it is there.
Just a thought, but it might be a way to test the scope of the market in the early days. Target the local restaraunts too, get that website up to get the information about your meat out there, and see what happens. People will come back for more, we've already ordered our next pig having tried it once, I don't think that will be an unusual occurrance. |
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 45672 Location: Essex
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NeathChris
Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 1387 Location: Neath, South Wales
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RichardW
Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 8443 Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
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