Tusky Farms

Problem

  • CAFOs and the industrial farming system is bad, actually. (important for modern civilization, yes)

  • Industrial Scale favors Centralization. It makes it difficult to make micro/small scale farming viable

  • Industrial Ag kills soil. It is almost as if they see the soil as a sterile substrate rather than a biological entity

Mission:

  • Bring Premium Meat to Market

  • Build Alternative Infrastructure for Small Farms

  • Repair Soil through Agriculture

Approach:

  • Rotate Cattle, Bison, Whitetail Deer, Elk, Poultry through Pasture

  • Direct-to-Consumer (with In-house Delivery, maybe)

  • Eventually, provide Logistics and Processing Services to Backyard-Small Farmers

Market

  • The market size of the Meat Processing industry was $312.7bn in 2022. source

  • As of 2023, nearly 70,000 bison are processed annually in the United States. source. Min. market value of $260m (estimate)

  • Organic chicken is expected to reach a market size of $4.68bn by the end of 2033. A lot of room for growth. source

FAQ

Where Are you Located?

On the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Western New York. We have 50 acres under management. Access to so much more.

How Will You Begin?

For alternatives, we'll start with bison. Plenty of precedent. It's the most frictionless alternative protein to sell. Close to perfect substitute of beef.

How Much Money Do You need?

All of it. This is a large, lifelong undertaking and it is hard to give a number.If a number needs to be given, the number will be $1,500,000. That is the number for a long enough runway to become a viable business, but progress can be made with a $100 donation.

What will you do with this Money?

It depends how much we will receive. Order of operations: land improvement, fence installation and pen construction, truck and livestock trailer, and finally, livestock acquistion.

What are the biggest risks?

Disease is the biggest risk. Animals are resilient for the most part. The primary question is not how to prevent disease, but instead how to prevent disease from affecting the entire herd or flock?Then, the question is what to do with sick animals.The answer is simple - put them in another pen for quarantine. If needed, give them medication and antibiotics and then we will remove them from "production."There is some basic disease prevention. For example, frequent rotation, interspecies (poultry & bovine), and space. Deworming medication, too.We are not too concerned with the market or regulations at this moment, but we recognize they could pose problems.Customer acquisition? Well, if you're reading this, then you might become one.

Team

  • Logan Hill, Founder. Researched and Implemented Small Farm Strategy. Attended Cornell.

Contact/Links

Email: [email protected]Substack - For more frequent updates and information