Niche market producers must have a higher return per pig sold in order to make a living selling fewer pigs. Non-feed costs can quickly grow out of balance in a small operation. Efforts need to be made to stay on budget. Non-feed costs are managed by spending less, by producing more, or by some combination of both. Successful niche pork producers find the optimal levels of labor, scale, and efficiency for their operation. Each operation is unique; however, there are some considerations that all producers should take into account.
