Saturday, February 9, 2013

Pricing

 
My pocketbook has been feeling the strain of our (nonexistant right?) inflation. In the past year since I've started raising goats, a sack of dairy feed has gone up $2 and hay is up because of last summer's drought in the midwest. A friend sent me this article about the shortage of goat milk because farmers can't afford to operate at a loss.

I have seen 16% layer pellets go up by over $2 as well, but have been able to keep my costs to about $12 a sack by traveling to nearby rural feed stores and buying in bulk. As a comparison, the same product is $15.49 at Tractor Supply. Let me tell you, it's painful to shell out $300+ on chicken feed.

The 22% protein feed for the meat chickens is also up from $12.49 to $14.49 a sack last time I looked. The cheapest I can get it is $14.25 by buying 20 bags at a time (there's another $300 out of pocket). When these guys get to their last few weeks of life, we go through a bag a day.

As much as I strive to provide affordable, clean and healthy food to my friends and neighbors in the community, I simply cannot function at a loss out of the goodness of my heart. So I went out looking at prices around the country for the same items I offer.

At the high end, I found Real Food CSA in CA.

Goat milk is $7.25 a quart +$1.50 bottle deposit.
Pastured Eggs- $7 a dozen
Duck Eggs- $10 a dozen
Pastured Chickens- $29-32 for a 4lb bird.

Country Garden Farm in Newnan wants $5 a dozen for eggs at their farm. $6 at the market. Duck eggs $8/doz.

Chickens from localharvest.org range from $21.98 to over $50! That $21.98 bird is not fresh. It is flash frozen and shipped in from Minnesota.

I had a tough time finding any goat milk out there. I know many herds are just coming back into milk after spring freshening. Here's St. John Creamery in WA $10.59 for a half gallon. Even the nasty Ultra Pasteurized stuff is over $5.00 a quart. Vinyard Farms in Powder Spring, GA is asking $6/ half gallon for goat milk.

Pastured Chickens in WA are $4.95/lb. In North Carolina $3.98. Rising Fawn, Georgia $5.00/lb.

I have tried to hold the line, especially in this economy, but I am not operating a charity. I can't work this hard to break even or lose money.

 In light of that, here is my new price list.

Goat milk (when available and for pet use only, of course): $4/qt, $7/half, $12/gal. There will be a $2 deposit on each jar or bring your own!

Free Range Eggs: $4/ dozen

Pastured Broilers: $4/ lb

6 comments:

  1. I hear ya girl! And I know for myself, I certainly don't mind paying the additional costs for someone working so hard, and so we can get quality food. Not to mention supporting our community! Love and miss you friend!

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    1. Thanks for understanding. I really didn't want to have to raise prices but it was necessary. Hope you're doing well and I can't wait til you guys (and little gal) are back again.

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  2. Kristin, you have been busy with your research. I know what you mean though. I was selling a gallon of goat milk for $6. NOT making any money at all on that. So I WILL be going up to at least $8 a gallon.

    With the price of the chicken feed going up so high, I'll probably not do meat birds again. Just for us maybe.

    And I only have 4 of the Red Star laying hens right now. I am not feeding them anything but a little scraps when I have them. And I have been getting 3-4 eggs every day. I LOVE these hens! They are a very good forageing bird. If I get more, I will get more of these.

    And I love the smelling like a goat thing at the top of your post!

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    1. Last year, everyone around me was at $10-$11 a gallon for goat milk. I was selling for $8 and was cringing each time I did. I didn't even get to make cheese last summer, milk was flying out the door so fast.

      I know a couple people around me are going to $12 this year. The price is fair and at least I won't work so hard for nothing. If it doesn't sell, I can always make cheese or fatten a pig!

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  3. Have to say that your research helps me tremendously, we are in the process of starting a farm and trying to figure out what a fair market price per pound would be. We live in WI, and won't have product to sell this year, but hope to be selling next year. I am bookmarking this page!

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  4. Have to say that your research helps me tremendously, we are in the process of starting a farm and trying to figure out what a fair market price per pound would be. We live in WI, and won't have product to sell this year, but hope to be selling next year. I am bookmarking this page!

    ReplyDelete