Aggrevated at Farmers Market customers complaining about prices

[crperdue]

Then there's the problem of people who think like this:

That was actually in a newspaper in California.

 

[annageckos]

Quote:

I don't know what to say about that... It's sad really.

 

[E.G.Glayer]

Keep doing what you are doing. The Amish Roasters in our supermarket are around 8-10 dollars each and Im sure they dont come from the local community. They are mass market birds from itty bitty cages at the perdue grower houses. I am sure yours are far superior in quality. People just dont think about stuff like that.

 

[Red Maple Farms]

Quote:
Actually I buy the 10 pound bags of chicken leg quarters for under $6 from WalMart. They are great on the barbque.

 

[backwoodsman4life]

if people could see how the mass produced chickens are medicated and fed steriods to get them to market quicker then they would gladley pay 6.00 a bird for yours. What God intended to take 120+ daysfor a chick to hatch and grow into a mature bird ready to eat companies like tyson and others have got it down to 30 days from hatching to the market. and about 1/4 of all mass produced poultry dont live to adulthood. they grow to fast and cant walk then die.

 

[backwoodsman4life]

Crperdue,
Sadly it dont matter what state your in. If you were to ask most school age kids where the chicken or beef roast or pork chops came from most would say walmart or mcdonalds they have no concept of where there food comes from.

 

[Red Maple Farms]

Quote:
Could you please cite your sources that show that commercial chickens in the US are given steroids? Also, where can I buy chicks that only take 30 days from hatch to market?

I'm assuming the statistic of 1/4 of all mass produced poultry that don't live to adulthood refers to the culling of male leghorn chicks?

 

[Red Maple Farms]

*** double post ***

 

[scubaforlife]

Quote:
I do a lot of my business at farmers markets and the trick is, is to educate the consumer. Most of them don't have a clue but most are willing to learn. After two summers at market it's now hard to get a chicken from us. You have to pre order in advance which makes it tough. People start asking about the chickens and I just say... well it has to be good if we are selling 400 of them every week and we are sold out 3 weeks in advance.

So take your time and bite the bullet it takes a couple years to establish a customer base especially at farmers markets... and especially new farmers markets. Try to find markets that have been in business for a few years they seem to attract a better customer base.

Cut your cost a little bit. I sell a whole chicken for $10.00 that weighs 3.5-4 lbs dressed. It's hard to market those bigger birds when your first starting out and once they see the bigger birds that's all they will want. 5-6 pound fryers sell at my farm for $15.00 so you right in that ball park price.

Chick cost? You shouldn't pay any more than $0.88 / chick + shipping
Feed? Find a mill to mill your feed you should get your cost down to no higher than $0.15 / pound
Processing? This has been the bottleneck for small producers for years and the only way to make a living at this, is to do your own.

Hopefully some of this helped, but stick with it and keep educating your customers. Keep in the back of your mind that you know way more than the average person about chickens.... If you have the mentality that every shopper thinks white eggs are just bleached brown eggs and good chickens are cooked chickens for $5.00 than you can sell a chicken or a dozen eggs to God if you had to.

Good luck...

I see you are in Ohio, but where are you able to find feed for .15/lb.? I checked all my local feed mills and they only sell 50 lb. bags for $12-14. Nobody sells in bulk. It's very frustrating. I would love to raise more birds for our family, but have to save up some more beforehand because of feed costs. We are a one income family and blessed to be be that, but we have to watch where our money goes. You sound like you have a good handle on all this, that's why I'm asking

At 1000 lbs I pay $178.

 

[Laurieks]

Quote:
I quit selling (soaps) at our holiday craft fair at work d/t more & more imported factory made stuff. If it was my living I'd hope the administration would listen, & enforce the rules.