How do you sell?

[mamaginabean]

I'm wanting to sell meat birds this year but I would like to know how you all go about it. How do you take preorders? Do you have people put down a deposit? If so, how much? I don't want to take orders and then be stuck with a bunch of meat (which we could use, but I want to make sure I don't have so much that I'm not able to store it). Help please?

 

[elizabethbinary]

Selling raw meat has so many laws here it's not funny and not worth it.

I do it, but I find my customers through people I know also have herdshares for raw milk (read: also illegal, but loopholed) and I sell to them at such incredible prices they feel like it's a big secret - especially when I tell them if they tell a soul I'll stop selling to them entirely.

Sell to neighbours, friends, people you know... but don't sell meat to strangers. (Something MY mother never told me...)

 

[MamaHumbird]

My son is in FFA and is trying to start a small meat bird business for his SAE. Have you read any of Joel Salatin's books? He has a great one called Pastured Poultry Profits that will answer alot of your questions.

 

[shaft0463]

In most states, you have to sell the bird live, or you have to be insured, inspected, etc to sell food to the public. So as long as you're not planning to do the processing yourself, or if so you're only going to be "gifting" the birds to family or close friends (ie, they pay for the bird and the feed, you offer to help them process their own bird)...

I would either start out with a number that you can manage and store yourself, or have those friends, etc, give you a contribution to the order of chicks.

 

[booker81]

Since I saw you're from MI, I poked around the MDA site. This may not apply to other states:

Selling at a farmers Market:
9. What are the requirements for a farmer selling meat and poultry at a farmers' market?

The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that persons slaughtering and selling beef, pork, lamb, or more than 20,000 poultry per year operate under continuous, federal inspection. A USDA seal of inspection must appear on all packages of meat originating at such a plant.
Farmers may sell the meat from their animals at a farmers' market if it was processed at a USDA inspected facility. Small poultry producers may have their birds processed either at a USDA inspected plant or an MDA inspected plant. If the product originates at an MDA-inspected facility, it is necessary to have a copy of the MDA license on hand at the farmers' market for the reference of the Market Manager or local food inspector. If the vendor isn't the producer of the animals from which the meat is derived, the vendor is required to hold a food establishment license at the farmers' market.
Selling packaged meat at the farmers' market requires sanitary handling and temperature control. Packaged meats may be sold frozen, or refrigerated at 41°F or below. Handling of exposed, i.e., unpackaged meat or poultry is not permitted at a typical farmers' market.

Might be an outlet

 

[Jared77]

The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that persons slaughtering and selling beef, pork, lamb, or more than 20,000 poultry per year operate under continuous, federal inspection. A USDA seal of inspection must appear on all packages of meat originating at such a plant.

So if you sell less than 20,000 you don't need an inspection? Just wondering how that translates.​

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
So if you sell less than 20,000 you don't need an inspection? Just wondering how that translates.

Not sure if MI is the same as Ohio, but most states seem similar from what I've seen from others. In Ohio, I can sell up to 1000 from my farm completely expempt. If I were to do 1001 up to 19999, I would need to have my facility inspected, but not while I'm processing. If I do 20,000 or more, I need to have an inspector present while I'm processing. I'm pretty sure only birds processed under the 20,000 plus catagory are permitted to be sold to farmers market/resturants, ect.

 

[shaft0463]

In FL, you can't sell any meat, period, without an inspection. You can't even sell eggs at a farmer's market without having your facility inspected, and there are requirements for even the type of sink used to wash eggs. I can only sell eggs if someone comes to my farm to get them.

So just make sure you're clear on the rules. You can get in a lot of trouble if someone gets sick and you didn't follow the letter of the law. Heck in many states, you can't even sell milk that the buyer watched you milk from the cow.