[Jacob-list] Checkers & Jacob Sheep

[Dave & Katrina]

Well said, Thom.  I couldn't agree more. I feel sometimes that we have
gotten tempted by the industry into believing that the more we spend on our
animals, the better care they are getting.  Not always true! Thanks for the
posts. 
 -Katrina Lefever,  Chicory Lane Farm


> [Original Message]
> From: Thomas Simmons <creaganlios at prexar.com>
> To: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
 > Date: 5/21/03 10:19:12 PM
> Subject: RE: [Jacob-list] Checkers & Jacob Sheep
>
> 
> Sue, that was a great post.  If you don't mind, I'd like to add my .02, if
> you don't mind me switching back and forth between my Shepherd's Hat and
my
> Economics/Business Prof Hat.
> 
> You can't "control" demand or prices or buying decisions for your product.
> But you *can* control costs.  The single biggest mistake I've seen small
> businessmen make over and over and over and over is to spend too much on
> advertising, and hoping that it will help them in the end.  Most
advertising
> is more expensive than the payback, and there are more cost effective ways
> to get your product out to the community than advertising.
> 
> For instance, I never once sold a sheep as a result of a paid ad.  But I
> sold 25 of them in one month by using free E-mail lists (This one, the
free
> New England Heritage Breeds Marketplace, and  the Northeast Spinners'
list).
> 
> I'm a cheap New England Yankee.  I actually turn a small profit on our
small
> farm each year.  But that means I've got to keep costs to nearly 0.  Part
of
> my downsizing last year meant that my hay costs through winter were
minimal,
> and, now that spring is here, nonexistant.
> 
> There are three main ways we can generate revenue from our Jacobs:
> breedstock, meat, and wool. As for breedstock, I mentioned my own method
> above.  At this point, I am *turning people away* who are looking for
> Jacobs, and they are still getting my name off of free websites.
> 
> As for wool: I pay my shearer, I clean the fleeces myself (skirt &
hand-pick
> only), and then I pay to have the fleece made into roving.  I get to use
my
> artsy side (LOL!) by seperating the black & white, and then recombining
them
> in various combinations to produce a standard "palate" of roving colors. 
I
> have the rovings made at Zeilingers (blended colors) or Acadia
(Variegated).
> 
> Then, I took several .15 cent blue school folders, and included a
card-board
> stock yellow card with some of each roving sample.  Next to the sample, I
> wrote the name of the sheep primarily responsible for that roving, with a
> bit of a bio (C'mon, wouldn't you want "Mist" from a Vermont ewe, or
> "Charcoal" from a Prince Edward Island matriatrch?!) And we threw in a few
> pictures as well.
> 
> Then, rather then buy a booth at a show ($$$$$$$$$$$$), I walked around
the
> show with an armful of these folders.  The long aand short of it is, a
> wonderful upscale  shop (Harrisvile Designs) agreed to take all the
roving I
> could supply them, on consignment.  They get to keep their showroom
stocked,
> I get an outlet and free "salespeople" to sell the roving for me.  The
sales
> *more* than cover the processing and shearing costs.
> 
> Meat?  Presales over the net to homeschoolers and other folks on local
email
> loops do the trick.  My rule:  For each lamb that goes to the freezer for
> me, there must be one sale that pays for the slaughter and butchering of
> BOTH the customer's lamb and mine.
> 
> Anyway, that's me.  I won't pay the mortage with these sheep, that's for
> sure, but I refuse to "lose" money on them.
> 
> Thom
> 
> 
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--- Dave & Katrina O. Lefever
--- oberlef at supernet.com
--- Chicory Lane Farm
--- http://chicoryjacobs.com