This past weekend, my wife and I attended a conference hosted by the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Workers Group. One particular session caught my eye as a "Must Attend" - Direct Marketing Meat.
The gentleman that taught the class had a most interesting business model. Simplified, here it is:
He has 40 acres.
He stocks 5 goats/acre.
He has 200 nanny goats.
His nannies kid, on average, 1.5 kids/year.
Total kid crop, minus a 10% attrition rate, is 270 kids/year.
At harvest, each kid will yield 30 pounds of meat.
Total annual meat harvest is 8,100 pounds.
He then sales three products (goat kabobs, curry goat and goat burgers) from a mobile kitchen for $9/quarter pound serving or $38/pound.
That yields him a gross yearly income of $307,800.
He estimates costs of 25%.
That leaves him an estimated net yearly income of $230,850.
The only aspect of the operation not handled in-house is the slaughter and processing of the meat.
Here is his Facebook page:
The lesson - cut out every middleman between the farmer and the plate.