014 - Mechanical Contracting to Hog Farmer. The Business of Raising Pastured Hogs on 90 Acres.
Farm Small Farm Smart Daily · The Modern Grower Podcast Network
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Show Notes
John Backes of Circle B Ranch joins me to talk about raising pastured hogs on 90 acres in Missouri. John didn't come from a farming background. He transitioned into farming in 2009 with his wife Marina after leaving a career in mechanical contracting. They set out to produce high quality food while focusing on the welfare and humane treatment of their hogs.Key Takeaways from this Episode:-Be steadfast with pricing. Stay away from brokers, sale barns, and commodity pricing.-Stresses the importance of educating and connecting with the customer base. That involves a lot of marketing your own product through tools like social media.
-Pick a spouse that is a good compliment to your skills as a farm. It’s a team effort.
-Stress affects meat quality. So try to minimize the animal’s stress.
-Maintain good relationships with the hogs. Keep them calm because ultimately they are big and you want them working with you.Visit www.permaculturevoices.com/14 for show notes.