How much would you pay for pork

[milee]

That would last my family for about 6 years, so probably not a good idea for us.

How many people are you trying to feed? That sounds like a lot of pork for one or two people. Maybe not the healthiest choice to eat quite that much pork (or beef or lamb).

[milee]

OK, makes sense. Pigs are a good, economical farm animal, so sounds like you're on the right track. Especially if you can make an arrangement with a local restaurant or grocer to get their leftovers that can be used as hog slop. Not as sure on the corn, though. Varies widely by area, but around here, it needs supplemental irrigation and a fair amount of fertilizer and pesticide, which really cuts into the profit. Maybe better around your area, though?

In our area, if I were to be more self-suffient in the form of raising food, I'd do pigs, chickens and an huge organic herb garden. Herbs are super easy to grow, don't need much water or fertilizing and command very high prices, especially the organic ones.

[susanb]

Steve, my parents raise cattle and sell them to friends and family. They use market prices (cattle market, not super market) and then have the person pay for the slaughter and the butcher. This is a generous, but feed prices are already baked into the pie. If you are selling to strangers you could always to market + x%.

[milee]

Just be sure to compost the manure before you put it on the garden. Raw manure can burn plants.

You also may want to do a little research on whether hog manure is recommended for gardens. Certain animals are too closely related to people and carrry similar, even communicable, diseases, so it's not recommended that you use their manure for compost. I know both dog and cat manure falls into that category, and pigs are fairly closely related, so it's worth checking.

Cow manure is commonly used and as far as I know not harmful, but it also isn't high nutrient manure.

[susanb]

Pig manure should not be used for compost. It has parasites that can make people sick.

[susanb]

From Washington State University's Master Gardening Page

"Do not use cat, dog or pig manure in gardens or compost piles, because some of the parasites which can be found in these manures may survive and remain infectious for people."

gardening.wsu.edu/stewardship/compost/manure/manure2.htm

[weltschmerz]

It would be somewhat free ranged.
------------
What does "somewhat free ranged" mean?

[Formerly SK]

Oct 17, 2012 20:16:03 GMT -5 susanb said:

From Washington State University's Master Gardening Page

"Do not use cat, dog or pig manure in gardens or compost piles, because some of the parasites which can be found in these manures may survive and remain infectious for people."

gardening.wsu.edu/stewardship/compost/manure/manure2.htm

[skubikky]

Oct 17, 2012 19:50:27 GMT -5 susanb said:

Steve, my parents raise cattle and sell them to friends and family. They use market prices (cattle market, not super market) and then have the person pay for the slaughter and the butcher. This is a generous, but feed prices are already baked into the pie. If you are selling to strangers you could always to market + x%.

I just bought 1/4 cow from a friend who raises Angus(organic) here in Western NY. Paid $3/lb hanging weight which included everything. It came wrapped in white butcher paper and labelled. I got to pick what I wanted and how big the packages were to be.

[Deleted]

You could use the composted pig manure for your lawn.

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

Oct 17, 2012 19:31:19 GMT -5 @bloomscuzzer said:

I am quitting in two weeks. I miss being home too much and am to far to go home weekends. I think I have a job close to home in January. But I need a way to make money.

My other idea is too plant corn. I have about 3/4 an acre of land that gets sun. I read where a guy who had about three acres planted corn and sold out in two weeks at aa road side stand. He made half a years salary. The numbers on that are two vague, so I need to figure out more.

I have been reading a lot about self sufficiency. I have sixteen acres, half wooded, half grass. I might move there and try farming. I could rent out the house I live in and along with the other rent house get by. But I want to try things out where I live first. I am raising chickens and ducks now. I planted a fall garden. I have a plan and am working it. I just need to find out if it will work.

I assume you have a short-term plan to get by without a job for the next months/year? These plans, while possibly good for you in the long run, don't sound like short-term moneymakers for you while unemployed.

[sheilaincali]

The Farmer I usually buy from has a working farm and raises 10 pigs or so twice a year. He has his folks, his family and 7 siblings that all buy 1/2 and the rest of the halves he sells to friends, people he knows etc. He brings the pig to the butcher- you pay him $75 for half of the pig and you pay the butcher directly for the processing. Last 1/2 I bought (in July) cost me around $150-$175 total. He didn't have one ready last time I wanted one so he suggested I ask the butcher. They have a network of farmers and put a call out stating how many they need and the first to have some ready gets to supply the pigs. Again- I wrote a check to the farmer and a check to the butcher.

Another friend of mine has a hog barn and a contract with a major pork company to raise their pigs. They have pretty much zero liability. The company trucks in the pigs and pays for their feed and vet bills. Friend takes care of the pigs and collects a monthly check for doing so. Plus he gets to keep all of the manure. To say that shit is like gold isn't an understatement. He sells that to another company for basically pure profit. He makes over $60,000 just selling the manure.

There is the potential for money but keep in mind- corn yields will be way down this year and the cost of feed will skyrocket. Earlier this summer farmers were selling off their stock because they feared it would be too expensive to feed them.

[andreawick]

I only will pay $1.99/pound for any meat.

[tskeeter]

Oct 17, 2012 19:38:01 GMT -5 milee said:

OK, makes sense. Pigs are a good, economical farm animal, so sounds like you're on the right track. Especially if you can make an arrangement with a local restaurant or grocer to get their leftovers that can be used as hog slop. Not as sure on the corn, though. Varies widely by area, but around here, it needs supplemental irrigation and a fair amount of fertilizer and pesticide, which really cuts into the profit. Maybe better around your area, though?

In our area, if I were to be more self-suffient in the form of raising food, I'd do pigs, chickens and an huge organic herb garden. Herbs are super easy to grow, don't need much water or fertilizing and command very high prices, especially the organic ones.

To add to Milee's comment on raising corn, remember that most people don't raise corn on the same land year after year. Corn draws lots of nitrogen out of the soil. Most folks rotate the crops on a given piece of land. Corn is often followed by soybeans. Soybeans replenish the nitrogen in the soil. Sometimes green crops, such as clover, are raised, not harvested, and tilled back into the soil to increase nitrogen levels.

As far as yield goes, you won't get the 120 bushels and more an acre that you see reported in the ag reports. Those yields are the result of heavy irrigation, and heavy use of fertilizers and herbicides. I seem to remember Dad talking about getting 35 - 40 bushels an acre back in the days when you only used manure for fertilizer.

If you're thinking about a truck garden, go visit your country agricultural extension agent for advice. They should be able to recommend crops appropriate for your land and give you some advice on how to re-mediate problem soil conditions that you may have. They may also have some ideas on how to market your production.

[Deleted]

Oct 18, 2012 21:35:10 GMT -5 andreawick said:

I only will pay $1.99/pound for any meat.

what can you buy for $1.99 or less? I don't think I've even paid that or under for any meat.

[resolution]

Oct 19, 2012 12:46:57 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Oct 18, 2012 21:35:10 GMT -5 andreawick said:

I only will pay $1.99/pound for any meat.

what can you buy for $1.99 or less? I don't think I've even paid that or under for any meat.

Food Lion has boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99 per pound this week.

[Bob Ross]

I would buy 7000 lbs of pork, but only if I could drive around town hucking pork at people, and get off scot free.

[Deleted]

Oct 19, 2012 15:23:57 GMT -5 resolution said:

Oct 19, 2012 12:46:57 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

what can you buy for $1.99 or less? I don't think I've even paid that or under for any meat.

Food Lion has boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99 per pound this week.

I've never seen them for less than $2.99 and they don't go on sale all that often - usually legs and thighs.

so looked at their ad (didn't even know there was a food lion near me - I shop at trader joes) and of what they had that was $1.99 or less, the boneless, skinless breast is the only thing I eat. so does steak go on sale for $1.99 or less or pork tenderloin or 93% lean ground beef?

[Chocolate Lover]

Oct 19, 2012 15:27:24 GMT -5 Bob Ross said:

I would buy 7000 lbs of pork, but only if I could drive around town hucking pork at people, and get off scot free.

I wanna see that! Are you going to get someone to video it so you can post it on YouTube?

[resolution]

Oct 19, 2012 16:14:52 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Oct 19, 2012 15:23:57 GMT -5 resolution said:

Food Lion has boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99 per pound this week.

I've never seen them for less than $2.99 and they don't go on sale all that often - usually legs and thighs.

so looked at their ad (didn't even know there was a food lion near me - I shop at trader joes) and of what they had that was $1.99 or less, the boneless, skinless breast is the only thing I eat. so does steak go on sale for $1.99 or less or pork tenderloin or 93% lean ground beef?

I am so jealous that you have a Trader Joes. I get my sirloin steak and pork tenderloin from Martins, but it only goes on sale for about $3.50 per pound. The boneless skinless chicken breast is the only thing that is under $2. I have gotten whole chickens for about 80 cents a pound on sale at Food Lion but they are so much trouble and I throw so much bone and fat out that I am determined to not get tricked into the cheap whole chickens again.

And now that I have gone off topic, we have a farmer down the road that will sell a whole or half cow for $2.50 per pound hanging weight. I expect I would pay the same for a pig since the pork and the beef I buy are usually about the same price.

[cronewitch]

I knew a hog farmer who sold whole hogs to Chinese restaurants. She raised them then her son delivered the fresh whole, gutted hogs for her. That way she didn't need to deal with butchers at all. Her son collected used oil from restaurants for recycling too.

[Deleted]

You should find out where your closest USDA Farm Service Agency is. They give TONS of advice on this kind of stuff & will know your area best. It would be wise to get educated on the crops & animals you want to raise BEFORE you bail out on your job.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Okay, so years ago in a former life, I majored in Agricultural Economics. One course I took had us play a farm game where we selected crops and/or livestock and variables were thrown into the mix over the course of several weeks. My career took many very different turns over the years so my recollection of the Ag stuff is stuffed way into the dusty recesses of my brain and I can't find them. But, that said, you should not bank on 100% success. Farming sounds really straightforward, when, in reality, there are many, many variables completely out of the farmer's control. When they run numbers, the smart, veteran farmers always include a margin for loss. You should too. Climate, crop damage due to climate/pest/animals, bad seed, etc. should be part of your calculations for the corn. And, disease, parasites, death due to either or animal attack need to be included in your calculations for the pork.