My children and I own a 320-acre pasture south of Massena, Iowa and an 80-acre organic farm west of Bennington, Nebraska. Our Iowa farm is rented to a local beef cow-calf producer. Our Bennington farm is being converted from organic field crops to permanent pasture.
Like 90 percent of U.S. farms, ours are too small to be profitable in today’s local food markets or in commodity markets.1 Rather than selling these farms my company is working with experienced farmers and local food processors to supply Omaha area food service and retail outlets.
Production Units
To build production capacity and cut costs, I am inviting farmland owners and farmers to join us in organizing regenerative production units that supply farmer owned retail food brands for local food markets. These units will also supply selected commodity markets.
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. Farms will be leased from five to seven years at market rates – adjusted annually for inflation or deflation.
Market Research
Our local market research is focused on building production and processing capacity for direct sale brands with retail potential, while at the same time reducing costs and increasing production for established conventional and specialty commodity buyers.
Our marketing strategy will develop four related market channels, 1) Conventional and specialty commodities, 2) Direct sales brands with retail potential, 3) Branded sales to cooperating institutional food services, and 4) Branded sales through retail grocery stores.
Meetings with Landowners and Farmers
Production unit meetings with landowners and farmers will focus on finding farm families who want to stay in business by working with their neighbors and qualified local investors to build economies of scale for farmer owned food brands and commodities.
We want to organize a large number of highly efficient production units managed by local farmer-controlled companies. In time, these companies will cooperate on supply contracts and marketing. Larger commodity contracts and farmer owned retail brands will increase local GDP and reduce capital, operating, market, and weather risks.
Our business partners offer affordable technologies and farm management systems that increase cash flow and profits by reducing net energy consumption while rebuilding soil, water and wildlife resources.
Building Support Among Farmers, Consumers, and Investors
I am asking local commodity groups, farm organizations, and elected officials to help get the word out on public meetings with farmers on production units and brands. To date, farmers in eight counties around Omaha have expressed interest.
I also want to schedule meetings with residents of Omaha and nearby cities to discuss markets and the role private risk capital in rebuilding local food systems.
More Information
Page 2 on this website explains production units and related public information, legal and financial requirements. Page 3 is on markets and market barriers to local beef. Page 4 summarizes my qualifications, introduces my business partners, and outlines my family history in farming.
Please read on and then contact me to schedule a public meeting.
Thank you.
Jim Steffen, President
Massena Corporation
402-317-2639
jim@MassenaFarms.com
Posted 04-09-2026