Livestock Farming as a Collective
Episode notes
Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at cooperative farming and an inspiring example of what can happen when small-scale producers build something stronger together.
Thank you again to GrownBy for making this episode possible!
GrownBy is the first free and farmer-owned software platform built for local farm sales. By seamlessly connecting growers with consumers across America, GrownBy fosters a direct and fair exchange between farmers and shoppers. Learn more here.
Timestamps:
4:13 - Gabe Francisco’s origin story of Thunderfoot Farms
5:39 - Daniel and Emily’s origin story of Blooming Acres
7:17 - Origin story of A Common Pasture (ACP)
11:24 - Discussing selling wholesale vs. at market
12:49 - How they market their product as a collective
14:07 - Defining the idea of the “common”
15:33 - Discussing the business structure of the ACP
19:00 - How the financials of sales work out
21:28 - Explaining how the group plans to expand with growing demand
24:23 - How the formation of collective correlates to accessing CNG-approved feed sources
25:36 - Explaining the inestimable qualities of being apart of a collective
27:55 - How they handle uncertainties as a group
29:18 - Gabe explains how the landed on what breed of pig to raise as a collective
31:22 - What defines pasture raised pigs?
33:03 - Why did the collective land on raising pasture pigs as their main product?
35:56 - What have been the biggest challenges they’ve navigated as a group?
37:37 - Explaining how a typical ACP meeting runs
41:21 - Why did they choose to have each member farm become Certified Naturally Grown?
42:42 - Were there any significant hurdles to jump through in order to become certified?
45:55 - Explaining the benefits of working with processors as a collective vs as an individual small farm
47:27 - Discussion of pasture management for pastured pork
52:56 - Is there an animal they’d suggest starting with, if you were just getting into raising livestock?
57:27 - Where do they hope to see ACP in the next 5 years?
1:00:00 - What advice would they give to folks looking to form a collective?
1:02:00 - What advice would you give your first year farmer self?