With how heavily subsidised corn is in the US it would an achievement to fail at turning a profit.
AG 101 “How to lose money on corn”
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Rent more land than you own.
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Buy the cheapest seed you can find to “save money”
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Grow the corn non-irrigated
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Use custom operators to fertilize, plant, spray, and harvest but minimize what you put down to “save money”.
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Gamble the entire year on the commodities market selling your crop.
Even with subsidies this is a recipe for losing money. These “farmers” tend to consistently lose money until they eventually go under after all the equity in the land they own is gone.
My dude, what lemmies are you subbed to? I want to discuss these things somewhere, can’t find anything reasonable.
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…I should start growing corn
First you need a lot of land and some heavy farm equipment. Then a contract with Monsanto…
If anyone thinks farming is for simpletons, come fucking try it. Bring your tickets in heavy duty mechanics, welding, fitting, instrumentation, and millwrighting. An accounting degree with minors in veterinary science, commerce, soil biology, animal science and mychorrizhal studies will be an asset. Also, you’re going to need a CDL and the ability to operate about 30 types of heavy equipment without dying because there aren’t a lot of safeties on anything. If you’re slow, you’re dead.
Now take all that and add a credit score sufficient to borrow about $2 million for operating line, inputs, salaries, land rent, equipment maintenance and leasing and custom work. Then come talk to me about talents.
On the accounting, I’ve done taxes for a few cattle ranches. They do their bookkeeping with literal pencil and paper. The handwriting can be difficult to read, but lemme tell ya, they are always accurate to the penny and absolutely no nonsense. Far better than most of the urban small businesses out there.
