Small-Herd beef sold direct to customers

Households wanting local beef for the freezer, plus some restaurants, small shops and farmers' market shoppers.

You sell quarters, halves or whole animals, or cut-and-wrapped boxes, at a higher price per pound than selling live animals to dealers. Most income arrives in a few lumps each year, after finishing and butchering.

• Comfortable handling large animals
• Basic animal health and feeding knowledge
• Planning feed and pasture through the seasons
• Selling and keeping in touch with customers

• Rules on who may slaughter and sell beef differ by province, and selling across provincial borders generally needs federally inspected processing. Check with your provincial agriculture ministry and the CFIA
• Cattle usually need approved ID tags and a registered premises, so check the traceability rules in your province
• Municipal zoning and bylaws on livestock numbers, and whether farm liability insurance is needed
• Winter feed costs, drought and vet bills can eat the margin, so budget for a poor year
• Butcher slots can book up months ahead, so reserve dates early

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $8,000 to $40,000 CAD, depending on whether you rent or own land, how many animals you buy and what fencing and equipment you need.

Rules on who may slaughter and sell beef differ by province, and selling across provincial borders generally needs federally inspected processing. Check with your provincial agriculture ministry and the CFIA, plus cattle ID tag, premises registration and municipal zoning rules.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue typically around $1,000 to $5,000 CAD, depending on herd size and how many shares you sell. Winter feed, drought and vet bills can eat the margin, so budget for a poor year.