Liabilities of Owning a Farm

In 2002 wheat was $3.80 a bushel so farmer’s received $.06 for the difference in the guaranteed price and $.52 for every bushel of wheat they sold (“Farm bill resources, 2008”).

Corn is a versatile crop, and that is why we grow so much of it. However, many people believe that corn should be used as a system and not as American agriculture. Due to this, people think this is the problem with food prices increase and causing hardship problems. I’m here to tell you the facts about corn ethanol is far more greater in negativity and that corn ethanol is being put into bad use.

Although a 2002 agriculture law superseded many parts of FAIRA, acreage was still increased because of the growing demand for corn in animal feed, the need for corn in ethanol manufacturing, and the increased possibility to make food with corn byproducts. These seem to be good and fair reasons to focus our efforts on increasing output, however, the same issue arises: the more corn that is made, the less stable a livelihood farming becomes, regardless of the subsidies that the federal government provides.

the farmer only eats what he can afford to eat. He has to sell most of

Grappling with the potential purchase of Olive Hill Farm, we decided to conduct a financial analysis to determine whether the project should be taken or not. Our financial analysis include scenarios for the best, worse, and most likely outcomes of purchasing the farm. For each scenario a Net Present Worth (NPW) and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) was calculated and compared. This revealed that there was little gain for the worst case scenario and large gains for the other two scenarios. A sensitivity analysis and a break-even analysis was also conducted. The sensitivity analysis identified the most influential factors on the NPW. In the end, the analysis favored buying Olive Hill Farm because it would be a low risk, high reward investment.

At this point you must be wondering, whats the issue with corn? Frist let me point out when I say corn, I am not speaking of sweet corn that you eat a bowl of for dinner. We are talking about field corn, which is primarily grown to fed animals, that we then eat. The problem is with feeding animals field corn. Here 's the problem with feeding animals (particularly cows) field corn: animals are not supposed to eat corn!!!! As a result we have meat products that are wreaking havoc on our health. First, understand cows are meant to eat grass and other foraged materials. Cows are not supposed to eat corn, when they do a plethora of things happen. The first is that it makes them sick. Cows fed corn become bloated, are more susceptible to liver abscesses, and e.coli. Also, because Corn is high in phosphorous and low in calcium which is a recipe for kidney stones. You must also understand to combat all the damage the corn does to cow, farmers then pump their animals full of drugs to

From A.J Cotton’s practice, breaking extra land for cultivation provided for maximum crop output during harvesting, and the proper utilization of farming costs. But for expansion to be realized, the farmer would require extra credit, which meant being indebted at high interest rates. The extra land also increased costs of farming such as additional hired hands for plowing, threshing and harvesting the crop. Furthermore, maintenance of farm implements and equipments could prove disastrous to a new farmer especially if it had to be done during the first few years of the venture. The example of Mr. and Mrs. John Hilsop depicting their experience of farming in Canada explains in detail just how hard it was to raise capital for farming. Only with the assistance of A J. Cotton did they realize growth and prosperity.

Farming involves many risks and dangers. According to “Farm Safety - Risks and Hazards,” farming is a very threatening activity to anyone. Most people that get injured on a farm are either under the age of 15 or over the age of 65(Better Health Channel). Additionally, farming has multiple other reasons it is and can be a danger to anyone, such as long hours and working with dangerous machinery. According to Bethany Baratta, a reporter for the Iowa Farm Bureau, “It only takes 14 seconds for a person working inside of a grain bin to be pulled under the surface of the corn pile. With more than 60 percent of the grain in the United States being stored on farms, there’s a greater chance that farmers and farm workers may be tasked with checking the condition of the grain inside the bin. But with that chore comes the risk of a grain engulfment” (Baratta). This can be a huge problem for Austin when he farms during harvest season because like the quote says it only takes 14 seconds to be consumed by grain, and Austin works a lot with the bins around the farm, so he is always putting himself in danger. Farmers also help with our economy in Iowa and around the world. Austin explains, “The land we farm has CRP (conservation reserve program) strips and CRP waterways bordering the creeks and streams providing wildlife habitat and preventing soil erosion and contamination of the stream.” This is positive because this ensures that farmers don’t damage the water in our creeks and streams which flows into our rivers and eventually into our oceans. They’re also providing habitat for wildlife so they can prosper; therefore, providing food for some people in Iowa and food for many others around the

“Farming is risky, you’re at the mercy of the weather and market prices. Insurance helps manage the risk, it takes that factor out of it,” Becton said. “You’re not going to get rich collecting your crop insurance, but you’ll be able to stay in business.”

The price per acre of farm land doubled to $2,140 over the last 10 years. A lack of health care also hurts farmers as farming ranks as the fourth most dangerous occupation in the country, and young farmers often must choose between health care and paying for their farm. All of these obstacles and more make farming a difficult occupation to enter. We need organizations such as Young Farmers’ to provide support, education and training to help our nation’s most important

Some farmers have witnesses great benefits from transitioning their crops from wheat. One benefit has been that farmers retain more corn per acre in comparison to wheat.

Introduction      Today, when we hear the slogans "better farming, better food," or "proud to be farmer owned" one company comes to mind, Farmland Industries. We may think of this of this fortune 500 company as a leading agricultural powerhouse, which it is, however, it was not always that way. Background      Farmland Industries Inc. was founded by Howard A. Cowden, who was born and raised in Southwestern Missouri. Cowden started young in the cooperative business by working for the Missouri Farmers Association (MFA). However; in October of 1927, he had resigned from the position of secretary for the MFA and started out on his own.

Growing up on a small family wheat farm in southwestern Oklahoma, I have experienced the harsh conditions of farming firsthand. The job that used to employ the largest amount of people in the United States has lost the support and the respect of the American people. The Jeffersonian Ideal of a nation of farmers has been tossed aside to be replaced by a nation of white-collar workers. The family farm is under attack and it is not being protected. The family farm can help the United States economically by creating jobs in a time when many cannot afford the food in the stores. The family farm can help prevent the degradation of the environment by creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the people producing the food and nature. The family farm is the answer to many of the tough questions facing the United States today, but these small farms are going bankrupt all too often. The government’s policy on farming is the largest factor in what farms succeed, but simple economics, large corporations, and society as a whole influence the decline in family farms; small changes in these areas will help break up the huge corporate farms, keeping the small family farm afloat.

The demand for corn has greatly increased because of its many new found uses but mainly because it has been discovered that corn can be use as an alternate energy source. This great demand for corn has increased many area of farming and production of corn here and other countries such as Mexico and South America. This great demand has lead to an increase in farmers who are willing to cash in on these cash crops and try to earn a few quick dollars because of the great demand for it. In 2007 Corn farmer saw record profits because famer where getting twice as much for corn as they did in previous years. The same trend continued but farmers dealt with so many obstacle such as weather, bugs and lack of

The Agriculture sector has changed monumentally over the past century in response to vast economic change and technological advancements. Farm subsidies are various forms of payments from the federal government put in place in an effort to stabilize prices, keep farmers in business, and ensure quality of crops. The federal government currently pays $20 billion in cash each year to US farmers and spent an estimated $250 billion between 1995-2005. Presently, a new farm bill is passed every five years