People who are interested in branching into the cattle business should first consider why they have this interest. The reason, or reasons, should be the individual’s, not an idea relayed by another person trying to sell a bill of goods. The tax incentives for this type of operation are not as good as they once were, so if this is the main motivation, the individual should consult with a CPA prior to embarking on this journey.

In order to make the venture profitable, individuals should consider the input costs, marketing programs, operational costs, product sales, and other relevant factors. These should be included in the business plan that is developed. This plan serves as a roadmap to follow and assists the business owner in securing financing.

Individuals should consider in which segment of the beef industry they would like to be involved. These include seedstock, commercial cow/cattle, stocker cattle, feedlot, preconditioner/backgrounder, and meat packer. There are many variations on this and the decision may be determined by the amount of money, time, and labor available. Individuals should consider land, environmental issues, source of supplemental feeds, and the harvesting and storage of these feeds.

Considerations regarding amount and type of handling equipment as well as methods of supplemental feeding must be considered. Those who are engaged in commercial operations should determine how the cattle will be sold to generate income. Each segment of the industry has specific options to consider and both negative and positive aspects.

There are over 40 state agencies and private organizations that certify organic food. However, their growing and labeling standards vary. The Organic Food Production Act of 1990 required that a list of  synthetic substances that are and are not permitted during the organic production and handling processes be developed. On December 21, 2000, the National Standards on Organic Agricultural Production and Handling was issued. The standards used in this rule are similar to the standards used by most producers and handlers of organic foods use. Neither rule addresses the topics of nutrition or food safety.

Consumers may notice that organic foods are more expensive. This is partially due to the higher production costs inherent in organic farming. Since organic farmers do not use herbicides, they must hand-weed crops like carrots and onions. This labor-intensive method results in higher product costs. The cost difference is most pronounced in those products whose production requires more hand labor.

The yields of organic crops are also approximately ten to twenty percent lower than for conventional agriculture. For crops like potatoes, this figure is closer to 40 percent lower. It is therefore more expensive to produce an organic crop than one that is mass-produced. In addition, organic agriculture does not receive federal government subsidies, making it more expensive for the farmers and consumers.

Organic farming can be just as profitable as conventional farming. However, positive results are often not achieved until two to three years after the organic farm begins production. Organic farming can increase profits over a time by shortening the time to produce certain crops.

Nearly all foods come from some natural product of a plant or animal. Defining natural foods leads to a somewhat arbitrary inclusion or exclusion of ingredients. In addition, almost all foods are subject to some form of processing, whether it is through chemicals, machines, or temperature. This makes it difficult to define what type of processing is considered natural.

The United Kingdom defines natural foods by product and process. Its Food Standards Agency states that natural foods contain ingredients that are produced by nature and are not “the work of man or interfered with by man.” Different types of foods and processing techniques have different agency standards.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency claims that natural foods are those that are not altered significantly due to processing. The agency provides examples of processes that alter and do not alter food. It also provides the requirement that the item not contain an added mineral nutrient, vitamin, food additive, or artificial flavoring agent. In addition, the item may not have an entire constituent or portion of a constituent significantly changed or removed, with the exception of water removal.

Within the U.S., the rules for natural foods have not been determined by the USDA or FDA. In fact, the FDA discourages the food industry’s use of this term. Since natural foods have no legal meaning, food manufacturers sometimes place the word “natural” on foods that contain ingredients that are in fact heavily processed.

Within the agriculture industry, there are different types of associations, each with different purposes. There is CropLife America, formerly the American Crop Protection Association, which represents the manufacturers, distributors, and formulators of pest control and crop protection products. There is also the American Seed Trade Association, which promotes the development of better seeds to produce better crops. There is even an association, the National Agri-Marketing Association, dedicated to professionals within marketing and agribusiness.

The American Society of Agronomy deals with those who apply plant and soil sciences to the production of crops like corn, soybean, rice, sunflowers, cotton, and coffee. Agronomists enhance the production of feeds, fiber, and food products. They work hand in hand with farmers to enhance crop yields while preventing crop damage resulting from disease and pests.

In the specific area of active farming, a Web search will reveal the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants, Farmers of North America, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and the National Farmers Union, to name a few. The association dealing with farmer co-ops is particularly interesting because this type of business allows farmers to participate in every step of the food system.

There are also state and product-specific farming associations like the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the World Cocoa Federation. Organic farmers can join groups like the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association and the Northeast Organic Farming Association. There is even an association dedicated to family farm and rural groups, called the National family Farm Coalition.

Once they are enrolled in a program, students will take general science courses in biology and chemistry. They will then move on to take more targeted courses in the fields of animal physiology, animal nutrition, animal genetics, animal behavior, and genetic engineering. Students will also need to build their skills in the areas of business, communication, and writing.

These degree programs provide students with a general knowledge of the animal science field, while also allowing them to tailor their education to specific areas of focus. For example, a livestock production manager will take different elective courses within the major than a veterinary technician. Large universities usually offer a wide array of concentration areas, allowing students to pursue their specific career interests.

As students move to the graduate level, the animal science degree programs offer additional areas of research specialization. These include topics like lactation biology, animal health, and animal production system and management. Students may also select from interdisciplinary options such as food safety and environmental toxicology. In tight job markets, it is often beneficial for a student to have more than one area of educational focus because it makes the individual more marketable.

Those who wish to teach animal science rather than practice it can partake of the certificate programs in college teaching offered by some schools. They can also go on to pursue a Ph.D. in animal science, allowing them to teach at the four-year college or university level. Whatever the desired path, having a solid educational foundation in animal science is a prerequisite.

The farm manager career is one of the most popular in animal science. The farm manager directs the farm operations and may specialize in a certain area like animal care or finance. Those who have animal science degrees are often qualified to work as a farm livestock manager. This individual directs the watering, feeding, breeding, and transport of herds of livestock located on a large farm (or farms). The number of farm manager jobs is predicted to grow slowly through 2014.

Schools like Argosy University, Anthem, and Sanford-Brown offer online associate’s degrees in veterinary technology. Ashworth College has a non-degree online career diploma in veterinary assisting. These schools allow students to perform studies from home on their own time. They are perfect for working professionals with busy schedules.

Other schools offer classroom-based degree programs in animal science. Recommended schools include University of Arizona, North Carolina A & T State University, Michigan State University, California Polytechnic State University, and Oklahoma State University. Prospective students may find undergraduate and graduate degree programs at these schools. Some also offer non-degree and post-degree certificate programs in animal sciences.

The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges published a list of top animal science schools and colleges. This list includes Cornell University, the University of Florida, and the University of Georgia. These schools receive millions of dollars in funding for extensive research in the animal science field. Students benefit by using cutting-edge equipment and the latest technologies. They learn from professors who are experts in their field.

If you live in China or India, you will be pleased to know that you should not run out of food anytime soon. China is the country that produces the most food and India comes in second. Unfortunately, the food in India is often sold at such high prices that most Indians cannot afford it.

Gains in production will mainly result from more intensive forms of agriculture and increased crop yields, not from farming new lands. Increased yields represent more than 60 percent of the growth in crop production within developing countries. This factor is also responsible for over 80 percent of the crop production increase within South Asia.

According to an October 2009 statement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, global output increased 12 percent to a record of 682.3 million metric tons from January through May. It was predicted that during the fall 2009 season, output would total 668.1 million, the second highest figure attained. According to the Department’s July 2010 Food Security Assessment, the number of people considered food-insecure decreased from approximately 953 million to 882 million between 2009 and 2010.

Various groups point to trends in production of different types of food. For example, the worldwide production of fish currently stands at 160 million tons, eight times 1950 levels. As the global population increases, food production will need to exceed that pace.

Texas is the state with the most farmland, totaling 130,500 acres. Kansas uses the largest portion of its land for farming, an impressive 90.1 percent. Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, and Wyoming are other top states for farmland cultivation.  The increase in the number of farms between 2002 and 2007 occurred in the eastern-central U.S., particularly within Tennessee, Northern Georgia, and Western North Carolina.

As of 2008, there were approximately 2.2 million farms in the U.S. with a total net farm income of $87.3 million. The final crop output of these farms totaled $182.7 million, representing big business to the national economy. In 2007, the top five counties in terms of agricultural sales were all located in California. The average farm size is 418 acres, with 54.4 percent of farms occupying between one and 99 acres, and 31 percent spanning 100 to 499 acres.

The top five agricultural commodities produced by U.S. farms in 2009 were:  cattle and calves, corn, soybeans, dairy products, and broiler chickens. Soybeans and products, feed grains and products, live animals and meat, and wheat and products were in the top five U.S. agricultural exports in 2009. Soybean exports far outnumber the others on the list.

Organic agriculture experienced a substantial increase between the years 2006 and 2008. The total acres of farmland used for organic agriculture increased from 2.9 to 4.8 million acres. The number of acres used for  organic crops rose from 1.9 million to 2.7 million, supporting nearly 13,000 certified organic operations.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recently released a study documenting foreign investor purchases of 2.5 million hectares of African farmland. In Zimbabwe, China bought 100,000 hectares, one of a series of investments resulting in over one million Chinese farmers relocating to Africa. The governments of South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar also recently purchased hectares of African farmland.

Private investor groups are also jumping on the bandwagon. Indian companies are purchasing large amounts of land in Africa and South America.  Well-known investor George Soros recently raised $350 million for the purchase of Asian, Central Asian, and Eastern European farmland. World Bank agricultural expert John Lamb points to reports that indicate that large investors and foreign countries have recently purchased over 125 million acres of farmland worldwide, equating to a land area over one-third larger than the country of Germany.

How do average people like us find farmland available for purchase? We may not have the networks of these governments and wealthy investors but we do have the power of the Internet. All that needs to be done is to search the Web for available farmland. There are realtors that specialize in the sale of farmland throughout the country and the world. They can point us in the right direction based on our budget and geographic preferences.

There are also sites that feature online classifieds for farmland. A Web search will even reveal these sites located in other countries like the UK. Those desiring farmland within the local area can just drive around to find land posted for sale.

Examples of commodities include milk, gold, petroleum, and crop products like soybeans, rice, sugar, and coffee beans. The prices of commodities are frequently higher than their marginal production cost. This is due to the abilities of the company producing the item and the barriers to entry into the market. The price of a commodity good is determined as a function of the market for the item.

Rising commodity prices can influence the value of a unit of currency. For example, Canada exports commodities such as timber and natural gas to the U.S. When the U.S. has increased demand for timber, timber prices rise and more timber is used. When a Canadian company sells more timber at a higher price to America, the Canadian dollar rises in value compared to the U.S. dollar.

To find the prices of commodities, individuals can go to an investment-related Web site like Yahoo! Finance and search for commodities futures. They can then see the near-term futures price, which is the price usually quoted in the media. Sites such as CNNMoney.com display the latest trading prices and related data for commodities.

Bloomberg Academic and Bloomberg Professional also contain data on commodities prices. Those seeking historical prices of commodities can refer to Global Financial Data or the CRB Commodity Yearbook. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service provides worldwide prices, yields, and production data for agricultural commodities. Individuals can also refer to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service PSD Online. The U.S. Geological Survey provides price information regarding minerals and metals.