We own two small farms in the Omaha area. These places do not contribute one thin dime to our household incomes. We have been subsidizing these places for years because they are too small to compete in today’s conventional and specialty commodity markets. We have lots of company!
The USDA defines small farms as those earning less than $350K annually. They make up 86 percent of the 1.9 million working farms in the U.S. but capture just 17 percent of the total gross farm income (USDA charts 7 and 8) accessed 2-14-2026.
Rather than go out of business or continue to subsidize money losing farms, we are inviting our neighbors and other landowners in the Omaha area to combine nearby farms to from efficient “regenerative production units.” As used here, a production unit is a group of contiguous and nearby farms leased by the owners to one operator.
A Big Business Model for Small Farms
To encourage production unit formation, my business partners and I will prepare preliminary business plans for each farm in a proposed production unit, and for the unit as whole. We will write these plans at no cost to landowners who give serious consideration to forming production units. For landowners who can afford to stay in business, production units can reduce tax bills and real estate fees, and improve market access and profits.
Because of differing soil conditions and capital costs, each farm will have a separate lease. To help ensure a stable land base for unit operators and a steady income for farmland owners, our business plans will include cost and income projections based on five-to-seven-year leases tied to prevailing market prices indexed for inflation. My business partners will work with local attorneys, lenders, and financial advisors to incorporate each farm and prepare written succession plans. The production unit will also be incorporated. These legal structures are central to building buyer and investor confidence.
Markets
Business plans will include estimated savings from lower chemical, irrigation, equipment, and labor inputs. Lower unit costs and more volume will position production units to negotiate better forward contracts for crops and livestock. Our preliminary plans will be based in part on informal contract discussions with buyers of conventional and specialty crops and livestock.
However, to avoid over dependence on commodity markets, these plans will also outline product and market research projects for food ingredients and finished foods that can be sold under farmer-owned brands to food manufacturers and to retail grocery customers, starting in the Omaha area.
Meetings with Landowners
To test landowner interest I am scheduling informal meetings with farmland owners in the Omaha area. If there is sufficient interest, we will prepare preliminary business plans, as described above.
Meeting with Farmers
Once the preliminary business plans have been approved, our partners will invite experienced farmers to discuss production unit management and marketing. Interested producers will receive business plan summaries. My business partners and I will review qualifications and recommend applicants to the landowners.
Without landowner consensus on the operators, production units cannot be organized.
Public and Investor Meetings
With preliminary business plans in hand and with our support, landowners and production unit managers will host public meetings with a goal of attracting local risk capital. We must earn the trust of qualified local investors who can sit at the same table with landowners and farmers.
Without production units and qualified local investors, unorganized landowners and farmers will continue to lose money in commodity markets. We cannot afford to take on more debt and rely on nonprofits to build a visible presence in nearby urban and suburban grocery stores.
With sufficient investor interest, preliminary business plans will be refined prior to contract negotiations. These negotiations will include landowners and farmers (with their local advisors) along with commodity buyers, direct sellers, and of course, investors.
Fees for Planning and Organization
Since production units are new, we will not charge planning fees in the early going. ROI for our company and its partners will come from a negotiated share of new farm income as determined by audited financial reports that go to landowners, farmers, and investors.
Community Economic Development
With new farm profits in mind, I am asking farm organizations, county governments, churches, and civic organizations to help publicize information meetings for landowners and farmers.
Page two on this website explains marketing and related issues in more detail. Page 3 summarizes my qualifications, introduces my business partners, and outlines my family history in farming.
Please contact me for an appointment.
Thank you.
Jim Steffen, President
Massena Corporation
402-317-2639
jim@massenafarms.com
Revised: 02-15-2026