Anyone raised grass feed beef commercially, small farm, gentleman farm.

I am looking at buying some land (hopefully) and want to just get some ball park rules for raising cattle to get some return on the land. I am doing some interest searches too but real information from someone who has done it counts a lot.

Land would be in North Florida. I have heard Florida is very good for raising grass feed beef. Green stuff (grass weeds) just grows in Florida.

Thanks,

Mike

Man...broad topic, here. There are about a thousand different ways to go at this, and about as many opinions of the "right" way. I wasn't raised on a farm and when I became interested in cattle I made the usual stupid mistakes, mostly based on co-workers input. I finally wised up and went to one of the best sources for such information, Texas A&M University. They've tried everything under the sun and freely share what worked best for them. Here is a link that I use frequently:
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/livestock-species/beef/
You can find just about anything you need to know about breeds, health issues, vaccinations, etc.
Also, you might check on Florida's ag exemption policies, I've been told they aren't the most lenient.

quote:

Originally posted by K Evans:
Man...broad topic, here. There are about a thousand different ways to go at this, and about as many opinions of the "right" way. I wasn't raised on a farm and when I became interested in cattle I made the usual stupid mistakes, mostly based on co-workers input. I finally wised up and went to one of the best sources for such information, Texas A&M University. They've tried everything under the sun and freely share what worked best for them. Here is a link that I use frequently:
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/livestock-species/beef/
You can find just about anything you need to know about breeds, health issues, vaccinations, etc.
Also, you might check on Florida's ag exemption policies, I've been told they aren't the most lenient.

Thanks for the lead. I will start reading up.

Also trying to figure out if it makes sense to buy land and have it leased out to someone who is in the business.

Mike

Lots of absentee owners do just that in my area, lease rates vary according to the quality of pasture, size, access, water, pens, etc. also the lessee usually gets any proceeds from government forage programs (and some can pay pretty good). My limited experience with leasing to others shows the renter treats your land just like he would a rental car...abuse the hell out of it and turn it back in.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Anyone raised grass feed beef commercially, small farm, gentleman farm.

I am looking at buying some land (hopefully) and want to just get some ball park rules for raising cattle to get some return on the land. I am doing some interest searches too but real information from someone who has done it counts a lot.

Land would be in North Florida. I have heard Florida is very good for raising grass feed beef. Green stuff (grass weeds) just grows in Florida.

Thanks,

Mike

Unless you're going to live on or near the "ranch" and you're talking about a relatively small tract, file this under "Really Stupid Ideas".

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Anyone raised grass feed beef commercially, small farm, gentleman farm.

I am looking at buying some land (hopefully) and want to just get some ball park rules for raising cattle to get some return on the land. I am doing some interest searches too but real information from someone who has done it counts a lot.

Land would be in North Florida. I have heard Florida is very good for raising grass feed beef. Green stuff (grass weeds) just grows in Florida.

Thanks,

Mike

Unless you're going to live on or near the "ranch" and you're talking about a relatively small tract, file this under "Really Stupid Ideas".

I have a file cabinet full of really stupid ideas

Was thinking like 400 acres. Just trying to see if the land can generate any cash flow to justify its valuation.

Mike

Buy the land and rent it out to someone for pasture or cropland. Guarantee the income, reduce the risk.

Tom

quote:

Originally posted by TWall:
Buy the land and rent it out to someone for pasture or cropland. Guarantee the income, reduce the risk.

Tom

Your best bet and you can still hunt on it.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by TWall:
Buy the land and rent it out to someone for pasture or cropland. Guarantee the income, reduce the risk.

Tom

I'll agree with that, but the most important factor, by FAR, is to buy an attractive piece of land, preferably with surface water, but not a swamp, for a reasonable price per acre. The closer to major population areas and still be affordable the better.

BTW Mike, the "stupid idea" was not in any way meant to be personal. Raising cattle is not a weekend or monthly effort. Within reason, someone needs to be checking on them everyday or nearly so. Small tracts or small herds don't generate enough income to pay for overseers or managers. That's what I meant. OTOH, if you've got good fences, and want to have a few cattle for tax purposes or to look at, such as Longhorns, you can probably get by with minimal care and, if worse comes to worse, you won't be out much when they disappear one night. Cattle rustling didn't disappear in the 1800s but we can't hang them anymore, more's the pity.

If someone doesn't have a bunch of stupid ideas, then they're not trying hard to make money. The key is to have the file cabinet for them and to act on relatively few.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Originally posted by TWall:
Buy the land and rent it out to someone for pasture or cropland. Guarantee the income, reduce the risk.

Tom

I'll agree with that, but the most important factor, by FAR, is to buy an attractive piece of land, preferably with surface water, but not a swamp, for a reasonable price per acre. The closer to major population areas and still be affordable the better.

BTW Mike, the "stupid idea" was not in any way meant to be personal. Raising cattle is not a weekend or monthly effort. Within reason, someone needs to be checking on them everyday or nearly so. Small tracts or small herds don't generate enough income to pay for overseers or managers. That's what I meant. OTOH, if you've got good fences, and want to have a few cattle for tax purposes or to look at, such as Longhorns, you can probably get by with minimal care and, if worse comes to worse, you won't be out much when they disappear one night. Cattle rustling didn't disappear in the 1800s but we can't hang them anymore, more's the pity.

If someone doesn't have a bunch of stupid ideas, then they're not trying hard to make money. The key is to have the file cabinet for them and to act on relatively few.

Thanks for the info Tom and Gato.

There is on tract of land that belongs to a old cattle family that is 400 acres. They want like 4K an acre which is over priced but the land is nice rectangle shape and has good pastures and fencing.

I also meet a Zim guy who is a close buddy with guys I hunt in Zim. He has moved to US and is working on a project to convert timber land and swap land into pastures. That is real work but it is transformational and value creation. I am going to drive up and see what he is doing in next month or two.

There are some big guys in North Florida land - Cascade (bill gates family office), ted turner and other deep pocket players. I am not sure what their angle is.

I agree the size of the parcel matters - a some point you reach a size where it makes sense to hire someone to run it. I am just looking at different angles.

I have a very bias view on hunting properties. I see my friends in MS who are developing these high fenced properties. The poaching is terrible and they generate no cash flow.

Also I have a worry that I my some land and its not put to ag use and the local county tax guy decides to kill me on property taxes.

Mike

quote:

If someone doesn't have a bunch of stupid ideas, then they're not trying hard to make money. The key is to have the file cabinet for them and to act on relatively few.

Tru Dat.

I think it was Will Rogers who is attributed with saying "Buy land. They aren't making any more of the stuff" and he was right, if you can get it cheap enough (or reasonable enough), chances are you can do OK with it whether you put cattle on it or not. I have a couple of places quite a few miles from my house that have cattle on them and I check the cattle at least once a week plus I have a neighbor near the places that buys/sells/hauls cattle and one of his guys checks on them also (they also check my fences after a storm for trees blown over and will capture a calf that might decide to wander - first time back in the pasture, second time - trip to sale barn). So, while having cattle "away" from where you live is probably not the best or easiest plan, it is doable.

Mike, get a few more acres and you can raise your favorite animals!!!:-)

The fencing might be a problem.

Biebs - some of us look to land as a cash flowing investment. Big shot retired corporate executives like you just look as your vast land holdings as a excuse to dress up like downtown abbey and walk your estate

Mike

I come from 4 generations of Cattle ranchers--one thing I can promise, is that if you don't have an emergency right now---you will tomorrow.

Cows define Murphy's law-

that said i love them.

My brother near Dime Box got out of the cattle business. He lets his neighbor run cows on his place now. His "emergencies" get solved with a phone call.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

I also meet a Zim guy who is a close buddy with guys I hunt in Zim. He has moved to US and is working on a project to convert timber land and swap land into pastures. That is real work but it is transformational and value creation. I am going to drive up and see what he is doing in next month or two.

Careful about wetland reclamation...

Two days ago, I was sitting on a Kansas farm pond shooting doves with my brother who is a farmer/rancher and has been since the 70s. He has a sizeable cattle herd and they were wandering around the pond we were watching for doves. I asked how he would fare on the cattle that he planned to sell later in September. He said he thought last years was bad when he broke even. This year he will not recover the original purchase cost of his cattle.
You better be prepared for a business that has very deep cycles. The good times are good, the bad times are real bad.