Are you a farmer or rancher looking to connect directly with consumers? Are you curious on how to get started or what it takes? Join us for an immersive tour and workshop designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to produce and sell direct-to-consumer products successfully.

Come participate in this tour and workshop to discover the journey that Brian and Mary took as they built Five Marys into a successful direct-to-consumer ranching operation!

About M5 Ranch to Retail Tour & Workshop

M5 Ranch to Retail will be a comprehensive tour and workshop designed for producers seeking insights into running a successful vertical integrated operation. Led by Brian and Mary, you'll gain invaluable feedback and firsthand experience on each step of their operation.

Day 1, May 22nd: Tour

Mary will guide you through each of their facilities, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the ranch, harvest trailer, butchery, shipping distribution, restaurant, and camp.

Day 2, June 19th: Workshop

Participate in an immersive workshop tailored specifically for small businesses like yours. Mary will lead a hands-on workshop covering essential aspects of branding and marketing. Learn about website development, brand identity, effective marketing techniques, and more!

Don't Miss Out! Attendance on both days is encouraged to maximize your learning experience and gain a comprehensive understanding of the ranch to retail process. Join us and take the next step towards success in your farming venture.

M5 RANCH TO RETAIL TOUR INCLUDES:

RANCH OPERATIONS TOUR: Deep dive into the heart of Five Marys Ranch with an exclusive tour of the facilities. Explore rotational pastures, innovative pivot gates, feeding pens, on-ranch operation, and learn about their annual patterns for raising beef year-round.

USDA MOBILE HAVREST TRAILER TOUR: Tour a Friesla mobile USDA harvest trailer and learn more about options for harvest that don’t need to be onsite or built by you. Hear about the numbers involved in building, buying a mobile unit or using another facility for custom USDA harvest with capabilities to kill, chill & quarter.

CUSTOM MEAT CO BUTCHERY TOUR: Step behind the scenes of their state-of-the-art meat processing plant built in 2021. Discover the intricacies of their design with high-end dry-aging rooms. See the "medium size plant" design versus bigger and smaller versions they considered, hear how this was their third permitted location and why they chose it. They will talk about staffing, operations, USDA requirements, and more.

FARM STORE TOUR: Witness the streamlined but homespun set-up and logistics for shipping over 250,000 insulated boxes of their meats, on dry-ice from the farm store in a small town. Gain valuable insights on understanding relationships and rate negotiations with shipping carriers like UPS and FedEx and how to make shipping more affordable, as well as sourcing for the best custom liners for shipping boxes and recycling them for multiple uses.

FIVE MARYS BURGERHOUSE RESTAURANT TOUR: Thinking of adding a restaurant or food service component to your operation to serve your own meat? There will be a behind-the-scenes tour and learn from their experiences, including financial considerations and operational challenges.

CAMP FIVE MARYS: Engage in a discussion on how to include agritourism on your farm and building brand awareness through hospitality and experiences.

LIVE Q&A with Brian & Mary: Ask your burning questions! See how you can adapt your operation from one of these different components. Talk about the hurdles to consider or where to start!

M5 RANCH TO RETAIL BRANDING & MARKETING WORKSHOP:

Are you wanting to establish and promote your brand? Unsure of the initial steps or seeking expert guidance? Participate in this hands-on workshop where the M5 team will dive into branding and marketing strategies and helping your product stand out in the market.

Craft your unique brand identity and design an e-commerce platform that aligns with your objectives. Come gain insights into essential marketing tactics, such as email marketing and effectively sharing your narrative with the media. Participate in this immersive workshop that will be tailored for your business needs.

What do you get out of this?

Get your questions answered, should you do it or how to do it? Understand the basic numbers and hurdles of selling direct or building a UDSA meat plant.

Get hands-on help to market and brand your product.

LIVE Q&A - with Brian & Mary - ask all of your questions to make your operation the best it can be!

Cost

NO-COST tour & workshop for farmers and ranchers in Siskiyou, Trinity, Shasta counties and producers in business less than 10 years from Rouge Valley or Shasta Cascade region. This is provided by CalOSBA and USDA.