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Direct beef marketer says know costs, keep accounting simple

Since COVID, more producers are learning how direct marketing of beef can help their farm’s bottom line. 

Grace Link from Bosben Road Beef Company near Deerfield, Wisconsin is a producer who started selling on the farm.  She tells Brownfield it’s often hard for producers, especially when starting out. “We’re selling a very simple product, beef, but there are a lot of ways to sell it and a lot of different ways to price it and I find that other farmers and producers often don’t know if they’re making a profit or not.”

Link says like any other enterprise, the producer must know the cost of production, including animal and feed costs, licenses, insurance, and processing. “No matter how big or small, we certainly don’t want to lose money at this and so it’s very important to be aware of your numbers and to price your product so the consumer understands what they’re paying for in your beef as well.”

And, she says establish an easy accounting system. “Keep it simple and keep it managable, and as long as you know you’re a little bit in the green, you’re good to go.”

Link spoke to Brownfield during the Wisconsin Beef Council’s Direct Marketing Workshop in Middleton, Wisconsin Friday, April 11th.