Adding Value to Grassfed Beef Niche Marketing Efforts

Project Overview

EW04-012
Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2004: $60,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2006
Region: Western
State: California
Principal Investigator:
Cynthia Daley
Email
California State University, Chico

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Animals: bovine

Practices

  • Education and Training: extension, networking, participatory research
  • Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, budgets/cost and returns, marketing management, market study, value added
  • Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities

    Proposal abstract:

    Summary of Accomplishments

    We have provided 4 producer reports on lipid profiles of grass-fed beef products. These lipid reports can be used in promotional materials for marketing purposes.

    At present we are working on finalizing two lipid studies to address the lipid profile differences between grass-fed and grain-fed beef to determine if grass-fed beef has a healthier lipid profile. These data will be used to pursue a label claim for grass-fed producers that will indicate or designate grass-fed beef as having a healthier fatty acid profile.

    The outcome of these studies will be posted to our grass-fed website (http://www.csuchico.edu/agr/grasfdbef/)

    We are working to update the website with a user-friendly menu-driven label-submission form.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    1. Provide training and educational material to producers and extension personnel related to the potential health benefits of grass-fed beef.

    We have organized a Niche Marketing Seminar for March 18 and 19, 2005 to further assist producers with grass-fed beef marketing efforts.

    We continue to update the website with our information. Upon the conclusion of our lipid trials, we will post that information along with the publications.

    We are looking forward to working with USDA on special label claims that may be useful to grass-fed producers once our studies are completed.

    2. Provide producers with complete reports of lipid analysis.

    We have provided 4 lipid reports to interested producers, information they will use in their marketing efforts. Three more on in the process.

    3. Maintain website.

    Website has been updated with proceedings from previous Niche Marketing seminar. We are working on developing a user-friendly label-submission form that is menu driven.

    4. Provide one-on-one support to producers.

    I answer emails regularly to support producers, along with my colleagues Glenn Nader, Roger Ingram and Stephani Larson. We will provide a session on label submissions in March Workshop.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.