>>2572501I already have family that raises cattle. Everything depends really on what you are growing, and whether you are an agriculturist or pastoral farmer.
Cattle requires a good deal of land, about an acre per cow, except for factory farms or some indoor farms. Although, factory farms are usually run by faceless giant food corporations and not families.
Something like corn, beans, or onions? Corn is grown as a "monocrop" like wheat, it is the most widely grown grain in the world. The low cost monsanto grain yields little proit per acre, but the government subsidizes corn production to feed our civilization.
As a family farmer or small farmer, that is, a revenue under $300k (before costs), it's wise to go with crops or animals that can provide a living using less resources.
For example, you can raise roughly 30 pigs on a single acre paddock.
Picrel is a hoop barn, which is an indoor structure for whatever purpose, including raising animals or keeping them safe from the elements. This is similar to how Wagyu are raised, and you can fit like 250 pigs in a decent hoop barn or equivalent space.
Each pig would yield about 100 to 500 net profit normally, so let's estimate the average as 300, giving you $9k after six months for 30 pigs on a paddock or $75k in your hoop barn. If you run two batches of hogs per year, that's $18k per acre of open pasture or $150k per hoop barn per year.
However, with the pasture, your costs are just leasing or owning the land. A few acres of pigs or the equivalent yield per acre would be enough to live on, with low costs like feed and water. A hoop barn with straw, water, feed, even ceiling fans or what have you, that's an initial investment and an ongoing cost.
