A chance to support a farm family doing paature-finished organic beef

[eridani]

Would you like to see...

...Locally-raised Certified Organic beef sold in your neighborhood grocery store?
...Sustainable family farms like Thundering Hooves continue to grow?
...Your money working toward making this a reality?
...A fair return on your investment?

If so, then here is an opportunity you may wish to consider.

Our goal over the next few months is to procure $400,000 for the purchase of old-style, moderate-framed Hereford heifer yearlings. These heifers will be purchased over the summer of 2007, bred in September of 2007, and will calve out for the first time in June of 2008 (to match nature's abundant grass supply at that time of year). The calving cycle for approximately 400-500 heifers will continue like this for approximately eight years, by which time their 3,000-4,000 Certified Organic calves will have fed thousands of families throughout the state. Plus, the best of each year's heifer calves will be kept to produce more organic calves. This is what can be created from the initial (collective) investment of $400,000.

How can you participate? The first step is for you to determine how much money you would like to loan Thundering Hooves and for how long you want to let us use it. Your fixed rate of return will depend precisely upon how long you let us use your money. For a 4-year loan, you will earn a 4% annual rate of return (simple interest). For a 10-year loan, your money will earn 10% annually for 10 years (effectively doubling your money). You get to choose the amount (anywhere from $1,000 to $400,000), the term (anywhere from 3-10 years), and the rate of return (anywhere from 3% to 10% - depending upon the term length you have chosen). Annual payments will begin to be paid out after the first calf crop has been harvested in 2011.

What is your risk? Your money will be used to purchase heifers and to cover the direct costs of maintaining the herd. The herd, which will nearly double in size within one year and nearly triple in two years, is the collateral for your loan. (The average death-loss for heifers (and cows) is around 2% and the average rate for successful calving is over 90%.) So long as the herd exists, your money is secure. If you are interested, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this or any other aspect of the program.

The bottom line is that if you want to use your money to support family farms, animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, and healthy eating, and if you would like to see locally-raised, 100% grass-fed, Certified Organic beef more easily available for you and your neighbors, then together - with your money and our expertise - we can make all of this happen in the next few years here in Washington State. For questions and more information on how to get started, email us at info {at} thunderinghooves.net or give us a call at 1-866-350-9400.

[Kali]

1. Is this your operation or are you posting for someone else?

where are you located? why herefords? and a 2% death loss on borrowed money is pretty confident, over-confident in my opinion. But I confess to having run this scenario through my mind as well. Good luck!

[eridani]

2. I'm posting for someone else

I've been ordering meat from them for about a year now, and it's of excellent quality. They make weekly runs from Eastern Washington to Seattle, and have recently started shipping meat frozen by mail as well.

[achtung_circus]

3. I figure

a 2% death loss at calving alone is probably more accurate. Herefords aren't the easiest calvers. And a 90% weaning percentage is waaayyy optimistic. 82-85% in the real world.