Part-Time grain farm on leased acres

Local grain elevators, co-ops, feed mills, ethanol plants and grain merchants.

You sell the harvest by the bushel at market or contract prices. Income arrives in a few large payments after harvest, and margins can be thin, so costs and prices matter a great deal.

• Basic crop and soil knowledge
• Budgeting and record keeping
• Machinery handling or managing hired operators
• Negotiating with landowners and buyers

• Get a written lease and check how long it lasts, since landowners may sell or end it
• Crop and liability insurance, and ask about federal crop insurance through your local agent
• Spraying restricted-use pesticides may need a state applicator license, check your state's agriculture department
• Weather, price swings and input costs can wipe out a season's profit, and you pay costs long before you are paid
• Check zoning, water and any conservation rules that apply to the land you rent

Startup costs are typically around $15,000 to $80,000, depending on acreage, rent, seed, inputs and whether you hire custom operators. These are estimates. You pay costs long before you are paid, so plan your cash carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on your acres, crop and prices. These are estimates. Weather, price swings and input costs can wipe out a season's profit, so budget with care.

Get a written lease and check how long it lasts. Also check crop and liability insurance, including federal crop insurance through a local agent, whether spraying restricted-use pesticides needs a state applicator license, and local zoning, water and conservation rules.