Policy Resources

Alternative Enterprise Budgets

Beginning farmers, and in some cases existing farmers, often look for alternative ways to make an income farming. Their circumstances do not allow them to compete with the low margin, high-volume commodities being produced today. The problem for them is figuring out which alternative enterprise might work best for their operation.

These budgets were designed to give producers an idea of what might be available for their situation. The budgets were designed to quickly show the level of knowledge needed, level of capital, time to pay off, and other important factors that need to be considered when deciding if an enterprise is right for their farm.

If an enterprise appears to fit with your existing operation, resources for further information are provided for each crop. It is important to start by using this information to develop a sound business plan that would incorporate the enterprise into the existing operation.

These crop and livestock enterprise budgets were prepared by Mike Duffy, ISU Extension economist, with assistance from Jodi Calvert, ISU economics student. Production of the budgets was supported by funding from the Leopold Center’s Policy Initiative in partnership with ISU's Beginning Farmer Center.

• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Raspberries
• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Dairy goats
• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Christmas trees
• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Popcorn
• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Beekeeping
• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Sheep
• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Sorghum
• Alternative Enterprise Budget: Sweet Corn

Sustainable Agricultural Land Tenure (SALT)

SALT is a project of the Leopold Center Policy Initiative and Drake University's Agricultural Law Center. Here are a few of the resources created as part of the project. Find more at the project website, SustainableFarmLease.org.

• Landowners Helping New Farmers
• Rotational Grazing on Leased Land
• Iowa's Duty of Land Stewardship
• Land Contracts for Beginning Farmers
• NRCS EQIP High Tunnels 

Other publications, presentations and related reports

• Renewable Energy Incentive Rates: Potential Opportunities for Iowa Farmers, a white paper on feed-in tariffs (FITs) as a policy option for encouraging small-scale renewable energy projects
• Non-operator Landownership and Conservation, Materials from an April 2011 presentation to the Iowa Land Tenure Policy Working Group
• Why Don't We Have Sustainable Agriculture Now?, Dick Levins' prepared comments for the 2009 Shivvers Memorial Lecture at Iowa State University
• Farmland Ownership and Tenure in Iowa in 2007, ISU Extension publication that focuses on land ownership and tenancy issues
• Family Farms in an Era of  Global Uncertainty, John Ikerd's prepared comments for the 2008 Shivvers Memorial Lecture at Iowa State University
• Giving a Beginner a Chance in the 2007 Farm Bill, results of a study supported by the Leopold Center Policy Initiative, on how existing programs could help beginning and new farmers
• The Impact and Benefits of USDA Research and Grant Programs to Enhance Mid-size Farm Profitability and Rural  Community Success, results of a 2006 analysis by the Center for Rural Affairs and supported by the Leopold Center Policy Initiative
• Why Worry about the Agriculture of the Middle?, white paper led by Fred Kirschenmann and Mike Duffy for the Leopold Center
• External Costs of Agricultural Production in the United States, results of a study conducted by ISU graduate student Erin Tegtmeier and ISU professor and Leopold Center associate director Mike Duffy

Additional resources are on our Iowa Land Tenure Working Group page.