Homestead mailing list

[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Not awful, just human. :)
The 'Marts' have undercut local businesses to get where they are today.
 I think, if there is a silver cloud to this economic mess, it might be
that their import advantage is waning.  If our timing is good, we might
be able to undercut them, not make a profit at first, but break even and
during that time, we educate consumers, build a small, loyal base, and
hope for the best.
Y'all remember the carrot test??  Where one tastes like raid?  Doing
that with customers is sure to convert.  Also, there is the egg
test..watery vs. farm, yellow vs. orange...and explain WHY.  Combining
education, not just creative marketing like the 'cage free' thing, might
be the ticket now.  People already are against big business, it is up to
the little guy to capitalize on that anger.  Maybe the public is finally
ready for that paradigm shift that eating healthily is cheaper than
health insurance, and should be considered such.

It is really ironic, you know, that people are complaining about
illegals and immigration, and yet, it is that segment of the population
that quietly might be teaching the complainers a thing or two with their
multiple produce markets that also undercut the regular grocers.  In
addition, the Hispanic 'market' demand has increased prices for other
things, the way Californians have influenced the real estate market.
The difference is that Hispanics and Homesteaders have much in
common-they want what we produce.  Six month old laying hens, for
example are selling for $16 and up here-for two reasons..one is high
demand from the Hispanics who will keep a few chickens in their backyard
just for eggs(very frugal in their thinking), and two, here, one of the
places that people go to get expendable livestock is across the line in
Alabama. (Collinsville for anyone regionally who is wondering where)
Collinsville has a huge flea market with a livestock section where
people in 3 states buy fowl, goats, calves, weaner pigs, etc.  However,
with NAIS and a crackdown from Department of Homeland Security, people
are being stopped and fined at the state lines for transporting
livestock.  This has greatly affected demand in NW Georgia, because many
immigrants do not want to risk getting hassled by law enforcement and
therefore they are looking locally for their hens and such.  They no
longer make the trip over to Collinsville, so I am sure the prices over
there are dropping.
There is an ebb and flow going on and we just have to be flexible enough
to capitalize.  Today, I sold five 6-week old white rock/RIR pullets for
$5 each.  Not bad.

Bev


Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
> From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
>
> > http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/09/pablo-vs-tesco/
> >
> > Is there a lesson here?
>
> I don't know. I have also found that people don't care where their 
> food comes from, as long as it is cheap. Selling veggies cheaper than
>  the supermarket is a slippery slope. I've had to do that with my 
> eggs, and finally stopped selling them because I can't produce them 
> that cheaply. My attitude has gone from "healthy food for the world",
>  to "If they won't pay my prices, they can eat pesticides and die". 
> Aren't I  awful? :-)
>
> Lynn Wigglesworth Tioga Co. PA


--
"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius
will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve
the problems of the human race"

~ Calvin Coolidge