News

New farmers see great opportunity with cattle

Starting a farm with livestock continues to be a popular path for beginning farmers.

Brian Waddingham with the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers tells Brownfield he’s seeing a lot of interest in cattle.

“Whether it’s calving barns, finishing barns, open feedlots, I think cattle is a real bright spot right now. But also we are seeing some opportunities in turkey and poultry production as well.”

The Coalition helps farmers choose good locations for new livestock barns and feedlots.

Waddingham tells Brownfield regulations can present challenges at the start.

“By siting that barn in the correct location we can navigate the farmer through most of those rules and regulations. But soil types, separation distances to water sources, neighbors, churches, things like that, play a big part of how we site a barn.”

He says high interest rates and construction costs make borrowing more difficult, but there are programs to help offset some of those expenses for new and beginning farmers.