Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and the temperature is between 28 and 35 degrees, it is possible to wrap the carcass in a sheet,
hang it, and chill it in a well-aired shed, as long as it is safe from any cats, dogs, or other pred-
ators looking for free meat. However, you must not allow the carcass to freeze. Freezing the
carcass within a day following death can cause the meat to become tough.
If the weather is warm and you cannot cool the meat to less than 40 degrees, you will need to
arrange to transport the carcass to a local market or butcher so it can be chilled for 24 to 48
hours. The carcass must be chilled for this length of time before making any cuts on the meat.
Otherwise, bacterial growth cannot be prevented. No cuts of meat can be made on carcasses
that have not been properly chilled because it is not safe to eat meat from carcasses that have
not been properly chilled.
Where to Sell Your Pork
As already discussed, you will not be able to sell any meat you slaughter on your own farm
yourself. If you have meat butchered by a licensed butcher for resale, you will be able to sell
your meat to your chosen market.
Labeling
We have already discussed the kind of packaging that the butcher can provide. You will also
need to consider the labels that will go on your packages. Are you artistic? Is someone in your
family artistic? Can you come up with a nice logo for your farm? You will need an image or
something so people can identify a label with your products and your farm. It should be
simple but easy to recognize. If you have a word or a catchy phrase, people may associate it
with your products. Try to think of something simple that will stay in people's minds. Your
phrase or logo does not have to come from an expensive ad agency. You and your family can
think of a good idea for your products.
Who is your customer?
It always helps to ask yourself who your customer is. Who will be buying your products? Are
you selling to other people like yourself? Are you selling to chefs? To food lovers? Are you
selling to suburban families? To local people? To people far away? The better you can picture
and identify the person you are selling your pork products to, the easier it will be for you to
understand how to market your products to them. If you know to whom you are selling, you
will know what they want. For example, you could sell your cuts of meats locally at farmers
