Barb: Thanks for the encouragement, but I really do not have the heart or lack of it to butcher one of my lambs. I have the experience, the equipment and could make a walk in cooler our of an old airconditioner unit, I have done that for others. I can skin and butcher most any animal, but after bringing these guys into the world, I just can't take them out....
sign me gutless in Oklahoma ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barb Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info> Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 5:06 PM Subject: Re: [blackbelly] sale prices in OKla > > Cecil, > I think you're hitting on a painful truth that is being recognized far > and wide - that the small farmer, in order to survive, has to go direct > to the consumer. Most farmers don't want to be marketers. But a lot of > consumers out there are getting wise to the consequences of factory > farming. They WANT to meet the farmer, to buy natural food, to be > educated about the differences between factory raised and farm raised, > and to get in touch with their food again. > > The person who has to buy it can never experience the almost holy > experience of conjuring perfect food up from the earth, and raising it > and ultimately eating it, but it doesn't take long to educate the palate > to the difference between real food and adulterated. In our case, our > bodies are beginning to reject anything that isn't raised on the farm, > or isn't organic. > > We have to start with something that nobody else has, and we have that! > Then we have to raise it so it is better than anything else - and I > think Blackbelly can be better or WORSE than store-bought, depending on > how it's raised - and then we have to get a leash on our independent > spirits and go out and get our customers. > > There is a LOT written on farmer-to-consumer these days, it's becoming > critical to survival of the small farm. It CAN be done. But we have to > get off the farm to get people to come to the farm. This is going to be > the worst part of all of it for me. That, and taking somebody's money > from their hand, and not through the sale yard office. > > YOU need encourangement, my friend, and maybe start reading up on the > experiences of other farmer-entrepreneurs. I can make some reading > suggestions, and perhaps others can share some of their marketing > expertise. I am scared to death too, but having had a promising > experience this spring, I know my upscale market is out there, I know > that certain people will say "name your price" if you give them a > sample. They don't have to be health conscious, they can just be > enthusiastic foodies. > > There is a whole new movement to "eat locally" - it is going to be as > powerful as the organic movement. They say most of our food has > travelled at least 1500 miles to arrive on our plates. That is not > sustainable, it's not supporting the local community, and people are > beginning to twig that agriculture - food - the staff of life - is > slowly coming under the control of a few mega-corporations that don't > care about raising food, they care about making a profit. > > Cecil, there are so many reasons to keep trying, and to reach out of > this murderous commodities box and enter the farmer-to-consumer > movement. > > YOU have so much skill, and so much to offer! Please, let's all start > educating ourselves about these critical issues and stop trying to > compete in the commodities markets! Our buyers are out there! We just > ALL need to learn how to make the farm-fresh, exquisite, perfect food > experience accessible to people who are - literally - dying for it!!! > > Kindest regards to you Cecil! > > Barb Lee - Proud to have had a Greek chef declare of my lamb, "This is > the SWEETEST lamb I have ever tasted!" > > > _______________________________________________ > This message is from the blackbelly mailing list > Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info _______________________________________________ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
