Nebraska North Star Neighbors direct market co-op's meat - Newsline - Brief Article

Rural Cooperatives, July-August, 2003 by Patrick Duffey

It took a neighborhood of frustrated family farms west of Fullerton, Neb., to find an answer to their collective desire to stay on the land despite depressed prices for their grain and livestock. They found the answer about four years ago, forming the North Star Neighbors Naturally Raised Meats cooperative. By direct marketing their beef, pork, lamb and poultry products, they not only added value but also put profits in their pockets. They were featured on a rural economic development workshop program sponsored by the Nebraska Farmers Union.

By turning to chickens rather than losing money raising corn, they again found profits from their farm operations. Their initial investment was low. They raised 4,000 chicks the first year, followed up with 6,000 the next and then cut back to 3,500 last year. But now the focus is on beef and hogs, their real specialty. During the growing season, members sold meat at weekend farmers' markets in Omaha, Grand Island and Lincoln and have since expanded marketing year-round with door-to-door deliveries.

They retained existing customers and gained new ones. To meet customer demand, the co-op offered one-pound packages of meat, specialty boxes with a combination of meat cuts and a family package plan. Looking ahead, North Star plans to begin marketing beef abroad and expand its membership base to meet customer demands while maintaining its quality reputation.