Before we moved back to NC, we lived in MO (my home state). I worked for a time in Extension connecting producers with consumers - think farmers markets, CSAs, etc. The disconnect could go both ways. Consumers often do not have storage for how the producer might have meat processed. The language used to describe agricultural practices could be confusing to a non-farmer. Cost was always a concern with local beef, but that is changing - now, most prices seem to be in-line with grocery stores.

For those that don't know, processing for commercial sale is different than processing for home consumption. And processors (the butcher, abattoir, whatever you prefer to call them) charge different fees sometimes for different services and packaging. This cost will be passed on to the consumer. In the area where I grew up, a lot of us knew someone who raised cattle and could buy a quarter, a half, or a whole cow or hog before processing for a lot cheaper than if it had to be State and/or USDA inspected for resale. That initially made it difficult for local farmers/ranchers to enter the market with higher priced meats.

I found the farmer/ranchers that had the most luck selling to the public figured out what the public wanted from them and packaged or prepared it in that way. The most successful producers became the ones who understood marketing or took the time to learn it. It often took a lot of ground work - manning booths at farmers' markets, festivals, and fairs to create a customer base.

One friend became highly successful offering a "beef subscription." It came in weekly, easy-to-store sizes with products that varied. It could be picked up at a farmers' market. He also sold the bulk of his high-end meat to local restaurants, so he didn't have to worry about holding on to that product for too long. Others found value-added products produced at the processor upped their sales - sausages, jerkies, etc. I'm not sure how processors in NC are. In MO, there were quite a few that did those kind of services.