The least successful area small farmers function in is marketing. The solution, in my opinion is co-ops. I market high quality beef, lamb, pork, and turkeys direct.
Every animal is sold before it is purchased.
That is done through print advertising and word of mouth. This allows me the opportunity to gain a deposit and be guaranteed a sale as well as set the price. Producing a prime product is the key to word of mouth sales. Development of niche markets is critical. The major difficulty in tapping these markets is developing contacts.