Sell Direct to Families Roadmap:
Your Step-by-Step Path from Auction to Direct

What's inside the Roadmap

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  The four stages, from Start Shipping to full USDA What each stage requires, what it costs, and what it unlocks: Start Shipping, Custom Retail Exempt, the USDA further processor pathway (no kill floor), and full USDA. Plus the seven-question self-assessment that tells you which stage you are in.
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  Pricing your animal right for DTC The full yield math from live weight to retail cuts. How to set a price your buyers will pay — and that actually covers your cost. Includes blended pricing by cut category.
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  Finding your first 10 direct buyers Where they are, how to reach them, and what to say. Most of them are closer than you think — and none of this requires a website or a social following on day one.
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  Setting up your processing chain How to find and work with a USDA-inspected processor, what lead times look like, how to lock in slots, and what questions to ask before you commit an animal.
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  Building a waiting list before your animals are ready How to take deposits, manage expectations, and build a list that makes your next run pre-sold before the animal hits the floor. Includes a simple pre-order script.
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  The DTC math that actually works Side-by-side comparison of auction net vs. DTC net after every variable cost. The number that changed how ranchers look at their operation — and why the gap is bigger than most expect.