Farmer-Owned Retail Food Brands

Omaha and surrounding communities need profitable farmer-owned retail food brands to improve economic performance in two key areas: food security, and health among low- and middle-income residents.

This website explains how small landowners, farmers, and local investors can work together with locally owned food processors to build profitable farmer-owned retail food brands for nearby cities. Our two Omaha area farms will be part of a series of demonstration projects.

Local Food Production Units

Our production units will help increase local food chain capacity and food variety while reducing food costs. As used here, a production unit is a group of two or more contiguous and nearby farms managed together by one operator selected by the landowners.

These small farm management companies will cut farm-level production costs while attracting better contracts for a wide variety of field crops, livestock, and fresh produce – all without buying or selling farms and without taking on farm debt. Production unit landowners, farmers, and their families will  approve preliminary business plans and lead public information programs for investors and consumers.

Marketing

Once several production units are up and running, we plan to incorporate a separate farmer-controlled marketing company. This company will focus on transitioning farmer-owned direct sales brands to Omaha area retail food service and grocery markets. It will also work with vendors to reduce farm and production unit input costs and with commodity firms to negotiate forward contracts for specialty and organic crops and livestock.

For value-added products, we will start by organizing small product-specific food chains that integrate the local services required for product and market research and planning. Production unit farmers will control this regional company – with direct oversight by a board of directors composed of production unit landowners. Local contractors will conduct product research and prepare business plans. ROI for the food chain members (including Massena Farms) will be based on audited sales of commodities and direct-to-consumer products along with sales to local institutions, grocery stores, and restaurants.

Until the marketing company is incorporated, our farm corporation and business partners will support landowners and farmers who organize local food chains. We are inviting food related companies, investors, and organizations to become project partners.

Our Bennington Farm

Although our Bennington 78-acre organic farm is in Omaha’s suburban development path in northwest Douglas County, we intend to stay in operation by developing four farm-related businesses. To reduce production and marketing costs, the business owners will negotiate cost sharing agreements.

The first enterprise is a small pasture-based beef operation. An experienced cow-calf family that rents our 270-acre Massena, Iowa pasture will oversee the cattle project. I am inviting local cow-calf producers and farmland owners to discuss day-to-day operations, including intensive grazing on this farm and on nearby farms that are part of a grazing loop.

Next, I want to meet experienced gardeners to discuss organic fruit and vegetable production and marketing under one or more farmer-owned retail food brands. To be profitable, production, processing, and marketing will be combined under joint operating agreements with the owners and operators of other nearby orchards and gardens.

With support from my business partners, we are also planning a privately funded educational and event center dedicated to developing commercial-scale production units that supply farmer-owned retail food brands. Programs and services will focus on building relationships among farmland owners, farmers, and local investors. I am also inviting Omaha area food chain members to participate. These include food processors, distributors, institutions, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Fourth, we have started planning a residential “agrihood” that will be built around our pasture-based cattle operation, organic garden, and event center. The goal is a limited number of sustainably constructed “eco homes” that fit within a peaceful natural environment. These homes will be designed for individuals and families, including young farmers who handle cattle and vegetable production. Public information meetings that started in 2025 will continue this fall and winter.

Please read on and then contact me to arrange an appointment.

Thank you.