BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : FEBRUARY 5, 2001 ISSUE
FRONTIER -- FEATURES An Emu in Every Pot? 6.22.98 You have to give ANNE GELLER credit for one thing: She's no quitter. Geller, 55, has spent nearly seven years trying to find a way to make money off emus--those cousins of the ostrich whose meat could be a low-fat stand-in for beef. Geller spent $50,000 for four birds in 1993; she now has a herd of 400 nesting on her 27-acre farm in Manassas, Va. The original plan was to sell emu steaks. Unfortunately, most chefs care only for the fan filet, a tender cut from the emu's thigh. ''They weren't interested in the rest of the bird,'' says Geller. Now, she's betting on a line of emu oil-based skin-care products to treat burns, scars, and other skin conditions. She has landed accounts in some 70 stores and 2 catalogs and hawks the stuff at farmers' markets and health fairs. No profits yet. But Geller remains confident that somehow this flightless bird will soar. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _					RELATED ITEMS Where Are They Now? Spin Master Plays to Win Even Cowgirls Pay Their Dues The Art of the Startup A Seat on the Roller Coaster Broken Headbone He's Got Ink in His Veins An Emu in Every Pot? Now He's Talking California Dreaming It Wasn't About the Money The Crunch at Emergency Solutions ONLINE EXTRA: For a Candymaker, Success Is Sweet ONLINE EXTRA: Questing for Profit in Child Care ONLINE EXTRA: A Bicycle Builder Peddles Her Own Wares ONLINE EXTRA: A Web Designer's Minimalist Approach INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

Copyright 2000-2009, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use   Privacy Notice