Why are SMALL FARM Products SO EXPENSIVE???

In this video, I talk about why small farm products are expensive. Some people want to order meats and other products from local farms but they can't justify the expense. Why are these products more expensive then larger, commercial farms?
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[@oldtimetech5134]

It is not only scale, but also focus. You wear many hats and perform many tasks. You will never be on a level of large producers, but you get more joy and life experience staying at your small scale. That is something money won't get you.

[@DowdleFamilyFarms]

2:38 “its not like us at red tool house, we like to ramble on for minute and minutes!” It certainly applies to dowdle family farms as well! I appreciate the laugh!

[@Stella77_7]

Because we are not Subsidized by Big Gov.

[@twestgard2]

This is the real answer. The big corporate competition shovels trainloads of low quality, low cost garbage into the marketplace. And scale is another symptom of the subsidies.

[@Stella77_7]

@twestgard2 exactly 💯. I am a pasture based small farmer in WI. I use regenerative practices. I get free spend grains I do everything I can to Lower my imput costs. I don't even own tractor but I raise and produce 800 chickens and grow out 40 plus heritage hogs each year. My phys labor is twice that of the industry production & I don't get any help.

[@markp6062]

Bravo! What a great exposition on the small farm and why it is not only the best product, but why paying a premium is worth it!

[@mburke1211]

Great information Troy. There is great value in buying food locally for all the reasons you stated. I try to buy locally as much as I can source and afford. Food production security is very valid in these times. You didn't mention it, but I also truly believe that all the pharmaceuticals being pumped into livestock in large operations are detrimental to our long-term health.

[@edhuber3557]

'afford' is the tell.

[@RAM-on8xb]

Troy, in my opinion, I would much rather purchase items from a local farm/business. I feel the product quality is better (as you stated in the video). I know if we lived in your local area, we would purchase many items from you. Really enjoyed your video and agree 100% with what you stated.

[@showaltermicro]

Trust factor with small farms - screw walmart

[@thomaslthomas1506]

Watching the sows, I think Saturday at Wal-Mart...........

[@toddcaskey9984]

Our 50lb hog feed gmo is $15.70 . I buy screenings and sweepings from the mill for $8 for 85-100 bags and then I buy 50 lb bags of soy $45 for a 50 lb of minerals for 2000 lb of feed $ 12 for 50lb of oats . So I make my own mix and I figure it to be 11c to 13 a lb . It takes me hours to mix it up but that's the way it is . Great job

[@stephenblack8804]

Something left out of this discussion is big operations may only capture 15% of the final selling price, with middlemen and the retailer capturing most of the selling price. For the small farmer selling direct to the public they are capturing 100% of the final selling price. For example, say a hog yields 144 pounds of meat with an average selling price of $2.50, a large farmer would net $54.00 from the animal (ignoring the value of byproducts), a small farmer selling direct would net $360.00 (same assumptions). What you seem be saying is this markup isn’t adequate for a farmer selling direct.

[@jimmieburleigh9549]

Having to spend extra money on usda butchers for selling cuts is a big expense

[@TheAppalachianWay]

$00.16 per lb Holy Crap! I’m buying individual ingredients and mixing myself and still paying $00.21 per lb. That adds up at the end of the year, not to mention time saved not mixing

[@toddcaskey9984]

Morning Troy and your better half 🤪

[@blakesleeacres]

Great points Troy! We are working on figuring out our price points for this year coming up.

[@swanbranch]

Troy, thanks for the insights on the costs. People just don't realize what it takes to have good food with the govt subsidizing the industry. Have a great time in Arizona, and hopefully you'll have warmer weather there then the WV weather will while you're gone. See you next Sunday.

[@7StandsFarm]

another great video

[@joemc111]

Great show Troy, I might try some pork if you ever ship to Dunedin,Florida. I see others shipping meat across the country, I bet they use dry Ice.

[@oldman8277]

Shipping and handling seem to cost more than the product itself in a lot cases

[@TomBTerrific]

I think most people understand you can’t compete with the big box stores. In your analysis or explanation I think a few things were left out. Large box stores have huge overhead albeit spread over many more customers. Just as you speak about your cost, labor and expenses we all have those things to consider. Let’s call it budget. Then you also left out the face that you sell your product at a much higher rate in order to make it worth your while. Couldn’t all mom and pop businesses use your same justification? When I get local services oil change, mechanical work, handyman labor rather than whats offered by franchises but I still can’t pay 2 or more times the cost because they are small businesses. I’m wondering does your family eat those things you produce (eggs, pork chops, etc) do you include those into your compensation those goods at the same price as you charge your customers because it’s the same product? I’m guessing not and those hours, cost and expense needed to produce those products are partially offset by your direct benefit. I try to support local businesses and farmers but I can’t afford to pay to much more for things because they are produced locally. My budget would put me in bankruptcy before to long.

[@aethulwulfvonstopphen8013]

Low supply, high demand As most things of great quality

[@edhuber3557]

Agree with much on 'scale'(not generally on health), but much of this 'arsenal'(?) of marketing retorts is to justify boutique pricing. Not sure the 'food industrial system' is broken, but the nation would howl if it had to pay for all food at boutique prices. At end of day, it's fine that you're doing this because it's an unforced buyer/seller transaction; if folks perceive the added value and pay the price willingly, then fine.

[@powrguy1696]

Those "lower-priced" mega-billion Global Agri-Giants simply have their costs off-set, substantially, by having TAXPAYERS providing subsidies in the multi-billions of SSSS, that are REALLY what drives the competitor (small producer) out of the marketplace, price-wise. If you want the political-donor-class to buy and market politicians, as is done in the world today, then make sure you include ALL costs incurred by not only the TAXPAYER, but EVERY small producer who suffers the "regulations", "lawyer fees", fuel-squeeze for the environmental and global warming scams, etc., that are built-in to the food actual cost offsets. I'll pay the extra $$$$ to a local, HONEST, un-subsidised neighbor/producer, to avoid the non-citizen-staffed mega conglomerate subsidized billionaires, myself.

[@edhuber3557]

@@powrguy1696 Take a look at the Farm Bill and see where the multi-billions are actually going.

[@larryag99]

"Not sure the 'food industrial system' is broken"... depends on how someone defines "broken". In my eyes it certainly is broken when you can see recalls of tainted product frequently. Big-ag listens mostly to the bean-counters for their direction, and certainly not the customer. I am fortunate because I can buy from local farmers and trust they have both the product, and the customer in mind when they make decisions on where to cut corners. I would rather pay a little more but be more confident in the quality of the product. I have not found local farmers to be overly priced. I currently pay $11.99 per pound for rib-eye steaks, and in my local area rib-eyes in the grocery store are $18.99 a pound. I also feel fairly confident that the local farmers are not filling their stock with antibiotics and growth hormones in order to bring them to market faster and heavier. When weight is money big-ag will likely do just about anything to achieve that goal. In short... the food industry in general is killing people. Well, not killing them but making them sick. When people eat junk food it makes them sick. When people get sick the medical industry makes money, and big-pharma makes money. Sick people are a cash cow for the medical industry, while healthy people don't make them any money. Food is medicine ! The average person will eat over 60 TONS of food in their lifetime... the quality of that food has GOT to make a difference in your health.

[@powrguy1696]

Selective "reports" of problems, recalls, etc. don't tell the story. The "story" is what they want people to believe, or to drive market dynamics. I believe NOTHING the "news" reports, as it is known to be promotional/political/$$$$$-driven. I use local sourcing, and word-of-mouth, and develop reliable sources of info through that experience. I'll pay extra, as necessary, to assure avoiding the agri-giants, AND never use big box stores as sources, WHENEVER possible.@@larryag99

[@stephenblack8804]

@@powrguy1696The volume recalled is minuscule relative to the volume produced. The fact that recalls happen suggests that the food safety system is working. Paying $10.00/pound at a family farm is great if you can afford it, but factory raised meat selling for $1.49/pound is what allows a lot of poor people to eat meat.

[@larson0014]

High feed and butcher prices

[@jimputnam2044]

But dollar for dollar the cheap eggs are the same protein as yours. May bee yours taste better but 3 dollars better. Comes down to how do you feed your family in there hard Binen times....Just saying.

[@JimmyJolly-d8v]

Plain Jane Walmart eggs have almost no taste to them ! I've been buying more expensive eggs lately because of that . I may buy me a few hens this spring to provide my own eggs

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

One thing I noticed is the inefficient way you feed your pigs. It seems they waste more feed than they eat, watching the pigs eat as you talk and you will see what I mean. the pigs grab a mouthfull and lift their heads and feed flies everywhere, bet they actually eat less than half of what you feed, more on the ground than in the bellies, pan feeding is very inefficient too much waste !!! and yes I raised many hogs in my life !!!

[@Sue-ec6un]

Don't they eat it off the ground later? IDK, that's why I'm asking. I also wonder why grain? Is that what pigs would eat if they weren't fed grains? All the grain they have in dog food is absolutely NOT what dogs should be eating and yet...it's in there. I am always left with more questions than answers, and there's not enough time in the day to learn EVERYTHING!

[@edhuber3557]

@@Sue-ec6un And if they eat it off the ground, might this undercut some of a more-healthy claim?

[@jerrymiller4963]

Large producers don't keep pets that don't produce a profit. That cost should not be passed on to the consumer.

[@priestesslucy]

So what's the alternative to pan feeding? *EDIT:* not an alternative, but I feel like he would get a lot more efficiency by wetting down the feed so it clumps together. Maybe even ferment it for a day or two.

[@JimmyJolly-d8v]

He does fermented feed for his pigs . He even said he does in this video