The problem with the local farms that I have is that they do not yet cater to me as a consumer. They want to sell me animals by the whole, half, or quarter. They can't get brains, testicles or bone marrow. I can buy some grass-fed beef cuts, but they are priced much higher than buying out of state (shipping included). To get what I want as a consumer, I have no choice but to order from out-of-state. Hopefully, a local businessman will see the profit to be made in acting as a middleman between farmer and consumer, and sell different cuts locally. I have bought a quarter of beef in the past, and it was pretty cheap, but I ended up with cuts I didn't want and not enough of what I did want.
Just today I was talking about opening a butcher shop and basically being a middleman, selling nothing but grass-fed meats, pastured pork and free-range chickens and eggs, then expanding if business went well. I think I could do quite well with the right business model.
