11/5/2008 10:08:00 AM Healthy soil is foundation of beef business
Meat Marketing Advice
Karl Dallefeld of Prairie Creek Cattle Co. in Worthington, Iowa operates a grass-fed beef operation that direct sells beef. He offers this marketing advice:
• At the beginning avoid marketing by the cut. You need to be able to market all the cuts and utilize the whole animal. If you do have to sell by the cut, offer some type of package that you can include those undersold cuts in later.
• Don't promise people an exact date for their beef to be ready. "Communication is really the key with clients," says Dallefeld. "You can't be 100 percent sure of when the cattle will finish, so just keep in communication."
• Don't let the specialty beef sectors (organic, natural, etc.) scare you. "There are several natural tools out there that can be used to help your cattle gain weight," says Dallefeld. "There are various natural fly control products out there. We use kelp to help with pink eye and Basic H can be used for deworming."
• Do have a backup marketing plan. Dallefeld says the cost of selling direct beef is high, but the premiums are well worth it. However, he advises having a Plan B and Plan C waiting in the wings to help sell your beef.
• Do everything you can to have the animals as healthy and comfortable as possible and qualify your practices by becoming certified through an animal welfare program.
"People want to know where their meat comes from and they want to know how it was raised," says Dallefeld. "Origin and animal handling outweigh organically raised products in consumer preference."
By Codi Vallery
A driving desire to educate others about sustainable agriculture is one of the reasons that Karl Dallefeld freely talks about direct marketing his beef, which is raised on what he refers to as a salad bar mix of grasses, legumes and forbs.
"I really want to help the agricultural community realize that they can be sustainable operators," says Dallefeld. "And also to help young people be able to start farming."
Raised on a corn and soybean farm in Illinois, he worked for several years as a crop seed District Manager in the region. Slowly reaching burnout, he found hope in Midwest BioAg, which many will recognize as the soil-consulting firm created by Gary Zimmer, author of "The Biological Farmer."
Now Dallefeld works for Midwest BioAg as their forage specialist and owns a cattle farm, Prairie Creek Cattle Co., in Iowa where he and his son Kyle operate under the concept, "everything starts with the soil" - healthy soils, healthy crops, healthy livestock and people.
The Dallefelds finish 120-130 calves each year and then direct market the beef through on farm sales, local grocery stores and regional food service entities.
"Direct marketing takes an exorbitant amount of time," says Dallefeld. "The costs are also high, but the premiums generally make up for it."
Consistency in tenderness and quality is the goal for Prairie Creek beef. Dallefeld says the management of the soil and grasses, along with an intensive grazing system and mineral program has allowed the cattle to finish around 22-24 months and be on target for tenderness and quality. They ultimately need to finish cattle in 18 months and have achieved this with some genetics.
A bounty of grasses and forbs are found in the pastures of Prairie Creek, including orchard grass, tall fescue, timothy, bromegrass, clover, birdsfoot trefoil, chicory, alfalfa, big and little bluestem and side oats gramma.
For pasture supplements Dallefeld turns to kelp, Redman Salt, a balanced mineral, Dynamin clay, and Charcal.
Dallefeld is a self-educated man when it comes to raising grass-fed cattle. He says he has surrounded himself with knowing people, taken it upon himself to attend workshops and conferences and subscribes to trade publications focusing on the topic.
Cattle genetics have been the topic of learning in recent years. Both Karl and Kyle have taken it upon themselves to learn which cattle work best in their sustainable farming operation and marketing time frame.
"In order to finish in a timely manner we have stayed with the smaller, 4-5 framed, size cow," says Dallefeld. "We have also found that Hereford crossed with Red Angus genetics are working the best."
Prairie Creek is in the phase of expanding, with a second farm recently purchased and son Kyle working on his college degree in conservation with the desire to return to the farming operation full-time in the future.
Grass farming is the most economical way of cattle production and the most earth friendly, according to Dallefeld. He hopes others in agriculture will see its benefits and is more than willing to talk to others about sustainable farming practices and selling beef direct. He can be reached at karld@iowatelecom.net.
