Riverslea Farm Case Study

Riverlea Farm is located in Epping, New Hampshire and is owned and operated by Liz and Jeff Conrad. Riverslea Farm has been a working farm for over two hundred years and Liz and Jeff have been operating it since 1991. The farm was purchased as a foreclosure and neither Jeff or Liz had any real prior farm experience. When Jeff and Liz acquired the farm it had previously been run as an orchard, but the soil quality was extremely poor, leaving animals as the only option for the Conrad’s. Liz and Jeff decided on sheep and goats because they were smaller and easier to handle than larger livestock. In the beginning, the Conrad’s had more animals than they needed. They were able to feed themselves and their neighbors and still have meat left
Liz and Jeff sell directly off of their farm, at farmers markets, in retail, and online. The skins and hides get sent to Bucks County Fur products in Quakertown, Pennsylvania where they are washed and sometimes colored. On the farm they have a farm store that is open most days and they sell animals by live weight directly to customers. Customers come to the farm and are able to pick out their animal. Riverslea Farm rents a slaughterhouse on a per animal basis. They used to slaughter directly on the farm, but seven or eight years in the USDA shut the operation down until Riverslea built a properly regulated slaughterhouse or took the slaughtering to a licensed butcher. Riverslea Farm’s largest target market is actually people who have newly immigrated to the United States because Riverslea allows them to choose their animal and have the entire animal carcass. This is a very important because grocery stores sell parts and cuts of animals but not the entire animal, which is what some newly immigrated people are used to. Riverslea Farm also caters to the needs of Halal practices. They have an agreement with a slaughterhouse that allows the customer to choose and kill the animals themselves in order to abide by Halal customs. There is an additional fee that is charged for the use of the slaughterhouse. Another large part of their profits come from various farmers’ markets. A friend of the Conrad’s introduced them to the world of farmer’s markets when they mentioned wanting to expand and try something new. Liz and Jeff now participate in farmer’s markets year round. They sell meat, washable skins, and wool at the farmer’s markets. Their tables display hand spun yarn, knit hats, gloves, socks, blankets, etc. The meat is sold in a variety of cuts per pound. The prices are devised based off of labor and raising costs, time, and competition. Riverslea Farm has a healthy following and a large pool of