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Center for Rural Affairs, www.cfra.org <br />meets family farm, humane, and environmental standards, that company is likely to use those claims in pro- <br />moting the product. They give that company an edge in the market. <br />Once that product is established using those claims, it will be hard for a corporate farm that doesn't meet <br />those standards to come in and take the market away. <br />There are still opportunities for farmers selling niche products individually in local markets, especially in <br />highly populated areas where they can cost effectively sell to one person at a time. But when family farmers <br />enter larger national and regional niche markets, collective marketing and bargaining pays. <br />Pitfalls to Avoid in Niche Marketing — There are also some pitfalls in niche marketing to avoid. Starting <br />out with a big debt to build or buy processing facilities has been the undoing of many new cooperatives. Like <br />commodity production, the processing business can be a high volume and low margin business. And it falls <br />outside the knowledge and expertise of most fanners and ranchers. <br />In many cases, the best way for farmers and ranchers to add value is by raising crops or livestock in ways that <br />make them worth more, while leaving processing to others who know that business well. If farmers and <br />ranchers need to do the processing, it may be best for them to find a small or mid -size processor that does <br />custom work at a reasonable price. <br />Resources at the Center <br />The Center is working with organizations and producers across the region to develop a multi -state regional <br />cooperative to capture national natural meats markets for family farmers and ranchers. To learn more, contact <br />Wyatt Fraas: ngttf(c cfra.org, 402.254.6983. <br />We are also working with several Nebraska cooperatives developing high value niche markets. To learn more <br />contact Mike Heavrin: mikeh a,cfra.org, 402.846.5428 x 15. <br />Finally, we're working for public policies that provide grants and assistance to family farmers and ranchers <br />in developing new cooperatives and higher value niche markets. <br />For information on the federal Value Added Agricultural Product Development Program contact Kim Leval: <br />kimlevaingwest.net, 541.687.1490. <br />To learn about our efforts to restore the Nebraska value added program, contact Jon Bailey: ionb(gcfra.org, <br />402.846.5428 x 26. <br />Page 9 <br />