MARKETING   One might think that marketing would go toward the end, when you finally had a product to market.  The reality is that you need to have a product that someone is going to buy at price you can hopefully make money at, so………. checking out markets before you jump in is a prudent thing to do.  A good example of this was when we formed Pride of Vermont.  We planned on producing an 80 lb live weight lamb on grass and marketing it as a natural product to restaurants.  This would give us about a 35 lb carcass to break down and sell as cuts of lamb.  We soon discovered that the processing fee was the same for a 80 lb lamb as it was for a 120 lb lamb.  With a 120 lb lamb, we did okay with a 50 + lb carcass, but with a 80 lb lamb and a 35 lb carcass, we were loosing money.  Consequently, conditions beyond our control dictated what we had to produce if we were going to be profitable.

Doug Wright, Shepherd at the Windham Foundation in Grafton. Doug’s advice is, “Be sure to start off with healthy sheep and keep them healthy.”

The price you receive for your products often is proportional to the amount of time and effort you put into selling them.  The easiest and quickest way to sell animals is through an auction.  The problem is you never know what price they will bring until your animal is sold.  You can get some idea by looking at the past weeks auction prices, but it is still a gamble.  Unfortunately the nearest auction to Vermont that has a large sheep component is North Hampton Cooperative Livestock Auction in Whately, Massachusetts.  They hold an auction every Tuesday and the animals have to be there by 12:00 pm (noon).  For more information you can call them at 413 665 8774.

A good place to check for current prices is the New Holland Livestock Auction in New Holland, Pennsylvania.  It is the largest auction in the Northeast and probably reflects the current prices as accurately as any.  You can access it at:  http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/LN_LS140.txt

There are individual buyers in the state that will buy animals.  The following are ones that I am aware of and have given me permission to list their names and numbers.  (To be added)  But once again, what they pay is going to be based on market price.

There are several groups in the state that have taken marketing into their own hands and have had some degree of success.  This usually takes a commitment on the producer’s part in time or money or both, but the reward is a higher price for your product.  As I mentioned above, Pride of Vermont is marketing a somewhat natural lamb that needs to weigh over 100 lbs live weight.  Vermont Quality Meats and Vermont Fancy Meats are marketing much smaller milk and grain fed lamb.

Pride of Vermont (POV) markets lambs that weigh approximately 110 lbs live weight. A monetary commitment is needed and slaughter dates need to be scheduled in the spring.  For more information, you can contact Laini Fondiller at 802 744 6365.

Vermont Quality Meats (VQM). Contact Paul Paulsen at 802 747 5950

Vermont Fancy Meats (VFM) markets lambs that are between 45 and 80 lbs live weight.  They will accept larger lambs.  A monetary commitment is needed to market with VFM.  For more information contact Lydia Ratcliff at 802 875 3159.