Virginia Niche Producer Builds Pasture Pork Business Twice

Pasture-pork producer Larry Bright knew it was time to move on when urban sprawl pushed too close to his Pennsylvania farm. In 1997 he started over in Virginia, rebuilding his pasture-pork business one customer at a time.

“Marketing is where it’s at,” says Bright, who markets antibiotic-free, hormone-free pork from his farm near Floyd, Va. His business is listed on the niche marketing area of the Pork Checkoff Web site. “Customers can become your biggest marketing assets.”

Bright and his wife, Debby, say their customers’ willingness to distribute order forms to their friends is a huge business booster.

“When we started out we put some ads in the newspaper and at local heath food stores,” says Bright, who has six sows and markets about 50 hogs per year. “But word of mouth has been the best promotion.”

Poultry leads the way
Customers can buy the Brights’ pork direct from the farm, from two area health food stores, and from a nearby gourmet store. The Brights have also established a meeting point where they can deliver meat and eggs to customers once a week.

“Many customers start off buying pasture poultry,” says Bright, who has 300 laying hens and replacement pullets. “Then they’ll try some pork chops. The poultry leads the way in our pork sales.”

“Customers tell us the pork has much more flavor than pork from the supermarket,” he says. Once customers try the pasture pork, it sells itself, adds Bright, who also finishes about 25 cattle a year and sells the beef.

Producing in the pasture
Tamworths are the preferred swine breed on the Bright farm. “They are lean and have good marbling and deep-red meat,” Bright says. “They’re also hardy, which is important since we farrow and finish outside.”

The Brights raise their livestock on their 280-acre farm, which includes 100 acres of pasture and 180 aces of timber. Hogs farrow in the spring and the fall.

“We use 1950s-style A-frame huts for farrowing,” explains Bright, who farms full time. “You can build these yourself for about $100. We also use some Port-A-Huts.”

The Brights worm the herd before farrowing and have had few disease problems. “We rotate the hogs’ pastures, and the hogs stay healthy,” Bright says.

Setting a price
About three-fourths of the Brights’ hogs are processed at a USDA-inspected plant located three hours from the farm. The rest are processed at a non-USDA-inspected facility.

The Brights’ labor-intensive production system requires them to charge a premium for their pork. The hanging weight price is $2.10, Bright says. Prices by the piece range from $5.25 a pound for boneless loins to $3.75 per pound for sausage to $3 per pound for ribs.

“The tendency is not to charge enough when you start out,” Bright says. “It can be hard to get a handle on expenses and figure out how much you need to charge to make a profit.”

Bright suggests starting with half a dozen hogs and keeping track of all input costs, from housing to processing.

“We know we have to charge at least 60 cents per pound live weight to make a profit,” says Bright. He adds that the nearby city of Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech, provides a good market. “Our customers don’t expect to pay supermarket prices for our premium products.”

Price undercutting can be a challenge, though. “Some people around here will sell pork sausage for $1.50 per pound,” Bright says. “But that’s why you need to know your cost of production. You can’t stay in business if you don’t charge enough.”

Listen to the customer
Once customers try the Brights’ pasture pork, they come back for more. About 75 percent buy half a hog, while the other 25 percent buy pork by the piece.

To keep their name in front of customers and boost sales, the Brights send a newsletter and order form each spring to their mailing list.

“Don’t be afraid to ask what your customers want and try to provide it,” Bright advises. “In our area, it’s hard to find processors who do bacon. We’re trying to find a way to get bacon for our customers who want it.”

If you’re just starting out with niche production, go slow, Bright adds. “You don’t want to overproduce. It’s easy to raise more than you can sell.”

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. “All the successful niche producers I’ve met are very open and willing to share what they know,” says Bright, who plans to expand his niche business. “And don’t forget that marketing is two-thirds of a successful niche operation.”

Learn more
To contact Bright, call (540) 745-5790.


Producer Feature Archive

To find more niche producers in your area, select the “Niche Pork Production” section of the “Pork Production” menu on the left side of porkboard.org. Then, click on the “locate a producer” link on the top left.

All niche pork producers can be listed on the Pork Checkoff’s niche pork production Web site. To be included, contact the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-PORK.