Smaller owner-operators, renters, and retired farmers and their families control over 92 percent of the two million remaining farms in the United States. According to the USDA, these farms gross less than $1m annually and earn just 36 percent of the total gross cash farm income from, crops, livestock and government programs. The other 65 percent goes to farms that earn more than $1m annually. 1
My children and I are part of this small landowner group. We own a 320-acre pasture south of Massena, Iowa and an 80-acre pasture west of Bennington, Nebraska. These farms are held by our family farm corporation and rented to local beef cow-calf producers. Although both farms are too small to be profitable in today’s commodity and high value specialty markets, we do not want to sell.
Instead, we are inviting our rural neighbors and food processors along with Omaha area residents and investors to join us in developing regenerative production units and farmer owned retail food brands.
As used here, a production unit is a group of contiguous and nearby farms leased by the current owners to one experienced local operator selected by the owners.
Farmer owned food brands will be designed to improve farm cash flows and profits by systematically (measurably) increasing consumer support for foods sold through three market channels, 1) Direct sales, 2) Volume sales to cooperating institutional food services, and 3) Sales through retail grocery stores. Initial investments in consumer market research and development will focus on direct sale brands with measurable retail potential.
Regenerative Production Units
On the supply side, initial market research will focus on production capacity. Our goal is to organize a large number of highly efficient “regenerative production units.” that operate under local farmer-controlled companies.
These farmers will use affordable technologies and farm management systems that increase cash flow and profits by reducing net energy consumption while rebuilding soil, water and wildlife resources. These commercial-scale units will supply high volume and high value commodity markets as well as consumer market research projects managed in cooperation with local food processors.
Production unit landowners and farmers will approve and oversee commodity and brand development research contracts. The bulk of this work will be privately funded.
Consumer and Investor Support
As of this writing (April 2026) we are focused on organizing production units. The goal is to build locally controlled production capacity that will allow smaller farms and their current owners to compete in local, regional, national, and international markets – without selling land or taking on crushing debt loads.
I am asking commodity groups, farm organizations, city and county governments, churches, and civic organizations, etc. to help us get the word out on meetings with Omaha area residents, landowners, farmers, and investors.
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 read on and then contact me for an appointment.
Thank you.
Jim Steffen, President
Massena Corporation
402-317-2639
jim@MassenaFarms.com
Posted 04-04-2026