These tips could help you save money.
Grass-fed beef is at a premium now, as it’s in demand all over the world. However, even with the uptick in prices, many farmers of grass-fed beef are not making money. Their financials are not balancing, causing them to rely on soaring prices just to break even. If this problem sounds familiar to you, you’ll want to keep reading this article. We’ve got some cost-saving tips for you to help you do more than break even. Visit our blog for even more tips on starting and maintaining your own herd.
#1 Winter Feed – This might be the most obvious place to start when looking to save some money on costs. Grass is cheap and a simpler operation than growing, harvesting and storing food for the winter. While there are many contributing factors that determine how much your winter feed will cost you, we’ve got some recommendations on where to start. Consider trying to extend the grazing season as long as you can. This starts with preparing a quality pasture that will last into cooler temperatures.
#2 Summer Calving – While not the most utilized method, summer calving could be a smart financial choice for you and your ranch. Most farmers choose to calve as early as possible so they can sell the offspring before winter. However, calving in the summer eliminates the need for a hearty winter season feed for heifers, allowing you to coast through the season where feed is the most expensive. With summer calving, you can sell those calves next season, giving them extra time to bulk up on their mothers’ milk all winter. More beef equals more profit.
#3 Focused Operation – Many farmers try to diversify their ranches by adding or supplementing income they’re losing from their beef farm. While this can work well, spreading yourself too thin will cause all the aspects of the operation to suffer. Focus on the first aspect, your orchard for example, before branching out into beef or other enterprises.
With these money-saving tips, you’ll be sure to make it through the winter. Interested in an agritour? We invite you to visit Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch.
