Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
markets, or you could sell to someone who lives in the suburbs. They might like to buy a half
hog, already dressed and ready to go in their freezer. The suburban family may not have the
room or the time to raise their own pigs, but they enjoy pork products, and they have a large
freezer to store the pork. Or, you could have your own Internet site to sell your products to
people interested in purchasing home-raised pork. It is possible for you to sell your pork in all
of these ways. You have to know how to market your products. Local buyers might care more
about buying pork that has been raised locally. A suburban family might care more about your
prices. Someone buying on the Internet might be more interested in the kind of pigs you have
and how they are raised (pasture raised, organic practices, and so on). Learn to emphasize
what your customers are looking for.
Where are you selling?
Are you selling at farmers markets? Local, independent grocery stores? A chain of grocery
stores? Online markets? Gourmet or organic stores? Your own website? Are you selling direc-
tly to restaurants? To ethnic markets? How are you selling your products? How are other
people selling their products? You may wish to consider all these when you look for outlets
for selling your meats. As a small pork producer, you may not be able to compete with large
producers in terms of lower costs or large volume, but you can find niche markets where your
pork will be appreciated for its special qualities. Emphasize those points, and you can be
highly successful.
