All farmers know that commodity markets, local food programs, and off-farm jobs don’t work for most smaller farms.
Make no mistake, we need small farms and local food entrepreneurs to develop interesting, healthy, and affordable foods for nearby cities. We also need commodity markets to help keep food prices down.
However, 90 percent of U.S. farmers will not survive by selling commodities and working local food markets (USDA, ERS, charts 7 and 8).
Our goal is to help keep valuable farmland in the hands of small producers – without selling land or taking on more debt.
Farmer-Owned Food Brands
Our main focus is on organizing land and money for high-value farmer-owned food brands that can compete with non-local brands in nearby cities.
To supply these brands, we start by working closely with local attorneys, city, and county governments to,
- Incorporate smaller family farms as shareholder-controlled businesses
- Develop farmland succession plans to keep farms in the hands of the current owners and their families – for generations to come
- Organize contiguous and nearby farms in commercial-scale regenerative and organic production units controlled by the current family farm owners
- Build farmer-owned retail food brands to support production unit farms
- Attract local investors to finance farms, production units, and brands
Landowners are Responsible
As small landowners, our most important job is to attract local investors. Without millions and then billions in local and regional financing, small farms like ours will continue to go out of business.
Please read on and then call me to learn how we manage small farms, build production units, and develop farmer-owned food brands.
Thank you.
Jim Steffen, President
Massena Corporation
402-317-2639
jim@MassenaFarms.com
Posted 05-21-2026