We are inviting young beef cow-calf producers and their families to adopt a market-oriented approach to increasing household income from farming.
Household Income
It is well known that changing technologies, uncertain commodity markets, and ever-increasing land prices have forced low and moderate-income farm families to hold off-farm jobs and engage in risky business practices – just to stay in business.1 Without a path to more consistent household incomes young farmers and their families will continue to leave production agriculture while more pasture is plowed under.
How to Stop the Bleeding
Increasing income from farming depends on four interrelated actions, 1) Organizing enough land over time and under farmer control to reduce unit capital and operating costs, 2) Attracting qualified local investors to production and marketing ventures, 3) Negotiating forward contracts to supply commodity buyers and food manufacturers with high-value crops and livestock, and 4) Developing successful farmer-owned retail food brands.
As explained by Iowa State researchers, these actions underpin development of successful farmer-owned retail brands essential to living household incomes from farming.2
This website explains how land, money, and markets can be organized for the benefit of local farm families, investors, and consumers in nearby cities.
To learn more, please look over the rest of this website and then call me or send an email if you would like to join one of our brand development projects.
Thank you.
Jim Steffen, President
Massena Corporation
402-317-2639
jim@massenafarms.com
Posted 8/27/24