24 MISC. PUBLICATION 7 02, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



a year on the farm. Before this kind of beef-feeding program could 

 be handled on the 240-acre cash-grain farm described, changes in 

 the cropping system would be needed. Alternative production plans 

 developed for this farm are on the basis of a 3-year crop rotation of 

 corn, oats, and hay or rotation pasture. With this rotation of crops 

 a third of the cropland would be in grasses and legumes. This propor- 

 tion is indicated as generally necessary in this area if maximum crop 

 yields are to be maintained (36, p. 1$8). Plans 2 and 3 of table 6 

 show the more important details of the alternative plans. 



Table 6. — Comparative data of alternative production plans for a 

 acre cash-grain farm of the central Corn Belt 



Item 



Crop acreages: 



Corn 



Soybeans 



Oats 



Hay 



Rotation pasture- _ 

 Permanent pasture. 



Important kinds of livestock: 



Hogs 



Milk cows ,. 



Feeder steers bought 



Fat cattle sold 



Laying flock 



Receipts and expenditures: 

 Medium price level: 



Cash receipts 



Cash expenditures 



Net cash farm income- 

 High price level: 



Cash receipts 



Cash expenditures 



Net cash farm income. 

 New investments needed 

 present plan: 

 Medium price level: 



Limestone 



Machinery 



compared with 



No. 1 pres- 

 ent plan 

 cash- 

 grain 



Acres 

 70 

 100 

 25 

 20 

 5 

 15 



Head 



38 

 3 



100 



Dollars 

 7, 108 

 2, 782 

 4,326 



9, 903 

 3,405 

 6,498 



No. 2 plan 

 with feeder 



cattle 

 wintered 

 on hay and 



finished 

 on pasture 



Acres 



75 



75 

 25 

 50 

 10 



Head 



38 



2 



60 



59 



100 



Dollars 

 11, 426 



1 6, 372 



2 5, 054 



15, 714 

 3 8, 137 



2 7, 577 



1, 250 

 1,300 



No. 3 plan 

 with feeder 



cattle 



wintered 



on corn 



silage and 



finished 

 on pasture 



Acres 



75 



75 

 14 

 61 

 10 



Head 



38 



2 



70 



69 



100 



Dollars 

 12, 724 

 i 7, 077 

 2 5, 647 



17, 402 

 3 9, 018 



2 8, 384 



1, 250 

 1,700 



1 Includes cost of feeder cattle bought, $3,100 under plan 2 and $3,600 under 

 plan 3. 



2 Excluding any interest paid on necessary investments in feeder cattle, lime- 

 stone, or additional machinery required to carry out the production plan. 



3 Includes cost of feeder cattle bought, $4,300 under plan 2 and $5,000 under 

 plan 3, 



