By Juliana de Groot
NC Choices is a project of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and NC Cooperative Extension, focusing on promoting and supporting small-scale niche meat producers and processors in North Carolina. The North Carolina Natural Hog Growers Association (NC NHGA) is a 19-member farmer-owned agricultural cooperative that grows and sells pasture raised hogs in North Carolina. NC NHGA is 3rd party animal welfare certified, and is transitioning all member farms to non-GMO certification as well. They formed in 2007 when Niman Ranch pulled out of their operations in North Carolina which left a number of hog farmers without a market. Rather than all going under, they band together to collectively develop markets to sell their hogs wholesale. NC NHGA farmers raise hogs from farrow to slaughter, and the cooperative sells whole hogs to small meat processors and distributors.
NC Growth analyst Juliana de Groot is working closely with NC Choices and NC NHGA to develop a best-practices report for niche meat cooperatives, which focuses on best practices for growing and maintaining young cooperative businesses focused on pasture raised meat and collaboration between various stakeholders. Information from the report has been gathered from interviews with cooperative developers, consultants, managers and board members throughout the country.
Many small scale agricultural cooperatives face similar problems during growth and niche meat cooperatives face uniquely specific issues. Agricultural cooperatives allow small scale and larger scale farmers, producers and processors to strategically pool resources and capital in ways that allow them to capitalize on their collaboration to collectively foster opportunity and success. For regional or niche product farmers, cooperatives can provide services that allow small and local businesses to thrive. Small scale meat cooperatives can solve logistical challenges that individual farmers may face, such as transportation to slaughterhouses, quality processing, feed and equipment purchasing, start-up cash flow for new farmers, education and consulting, marketing and sales services, among others. Cooperatives are unique in each application, however, there are several aspects that might allow small meat producers to capitalize on the services provided; pooling products, opportunities to build equity and hired management.
Juliana de Groot is an NCGrowth Analyst and a masters' student in public health in Health Behavior at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health