Niche Beef Production and Marketing in Colorado

Niche Beef Production and Marketing in Colorado

Summary

This project will provide training through workshops, field visits and networking to 120 agricultural professionals across Colorado interested in branded beef businesses. Niche-oriented production and marketing create an opportunity for producers to diversify and augment their income stream while decreasing their exposure to the market volatility of conventional beef production. Successful diversification depends on education and ongoing access to technical advice about adapting cattle production and product processing, pricing, storage, regulation and marketing strategies to ensure a revenue stream that meets producer objectives and needs, and a degree of liability and risk that fall within acceptable levels for the producer.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. At least 120 agricultural professionals across Colorado, including Cooperative Extension advisors, USDA field personnel, state agriculture agency and community organization staff, other professionals and ranchers will attend one of three two-day professional development workshops designed to assist livestock producers in developing and operating alternative beef production and marketing programs.

   At least 80 of all workshop participants will use the training materials to conduct their own educational programs by:
   a) providing assistance to ranchers who are starting or already operating a niche beef production and marketing process; or
   b) increasing community awareness about the importance of sustainable agriculture and the need to support local agriculture to keep land in agricultural use.

   At least 80 of all workshop participants will know how to contact fellow professionals for ongoing technical assistance on niche beef issues through:
   a) workshop materials and other resources via the Internet; and
   b) a network of state and regional contacts and resources.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1. The project planning committee has developed workshop curriculum on business organization and structure; dynamics of change and adaptive strategies used by the family and/or management; risk management needs and options; ethics of business practices and truth in advertising; monitoring a business; measuring and re-planning; product processing, pricing, storage, regulation and marketing strategies; production considerations for branded beef businesses and preparing for evolution in niche markets (see appendix). This curriculum also includes partial budgets based on a real niche business to help producers understand cost and pricing strategies.

   We have submitted the curriculum to 8 reviewers for comment and corrections and have received four sets of reviewed chapters to date (see reviewer list in appendix). We are in the process of entering those corrections and comments into the workbook chapters.

   Two workshop dates have been set (see appendix for agenda and speakers): Montrose, Colorado (February 11-12, 2004) and Colorado Springs, Colorado (February 19-20, 2004). We are in the process of inviting speakers and setting up field trips.

   Registrations forms are being mailed to Cooperative Extension, RC&D, NRCS, ranchers and other ag professionals in Colorado, Wyoming and northern New Mexico (see appendix).

   A Web site has been set up containing a project overview, profiles of existing branded beef businesses, and other resources (http://dare.agsci.colostate.edu/aftnichebeef/).

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

This project will benefit producers in the Western region by providing them with training and resources to:
1. analyze their individual objectives, financial opportunities and constraints;
2. understand the costs of start-up versus tie-in business development strategies; and
3. understand national, regional, and local area consumer preferences for branded beef products, including consumer willingness to pay for different products, including those with value added to them.

Following the workshops we anticipate observing these outcomes:
1. Several beef producers will begin the process of diversifying their beef operations to create additional and more stable income sources.
2. Existing niche beef operations will demonstrate the improved ability to make production, marketing, pricing decisions.
3. Agricultural field staff will demonstrate the ongoing ability to use educational materials, technical resources and emerging public and private resources to assist niche beef operators.

Collaborators: