If you are a farmer or rancher interested in direct marketing your meat:
- The CSA Innovation Network is an excellent resource for anyone looking to start a Good Meat CSA.
- For farmers who are solely selling direct to consumers, check out this excellent guide: The Direct Market Farmers Guide to Covid-19. Also, check out this Guide to Direct Sales Software Platforms put out by National Young Farmers Coalition.
- If you are considering launching a CSA, check out some of the online-marketplace platforms built for this like Local Food Marketplace or CSAware.
- If you are looking for processing in your region. Visit the Food Safety Inspection Service and Meat & Poultry Inspection Service's database of USDA processing facilities in your area.
- The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense fund maintains a Red Meat Map that offers state-by-state review of custom facility regulations.
- The Niche Meat Processor's Assistance Network (NMPAN) keeps a separate database of state-inspected and custom processing facilities and you can search for a facility near you.
- NMPAN is also maintaining its own resources page, mostly geared toward processors, but worth it for producers to check out.
- An increasing number of farmers are beginning to sell direct to consumer online using platforms like Grazecart and/or Barn2Door.
- Community Alliance with Family Farmers is working to connect producers with retailers. Fill out their form here.
- Our colleague and friend, Olivia Tincani, has compiled this excellent list of resources and advice, geared toward farmers/ranchers in California, but still helpful to producers who are elsewhere. It includes a lot of resources for small businesses who are struggling to get federal and state help, as well as private loans and grants.
- Are you looking to get into or improve direct-to-consumer sales and marketing? Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance offers a great on-line Business Training Series.
- To learn from other direct-to-consumer Good Meat farmers and ranchers, check out our peer-to-peer learning series, The Lowdown.
- We've built consumer-facing education toolkits for you to share with your customers. Check them out here.
We built the Good Meat Breakdown as a jumping off point for consumers who want to find, buy and cook Good Meat. Check it out!
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