About - Sustainable Food Systems: Marketing and Finance

We are developing integrated marketing, finance and production management programs for sustainable farms in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. This website explains the underlying economics and our marketing strategy. Our farm website, www.massenafarms.com has information on specific projects.

For more information, please contact me, Jim Steffen at jimsteffen@localfoods.org or 402-317-2639.

History

The motivation for our work is tied in part to our small family farms, one East of Council Bluffs, near Massena and the other West of Bennington, near Omaha. I am also influenced by my late father and his work as the farm manager for Father Flanagan at Boys Town, where I was raised. Some readers may remember Bob Steffen as one of the early leaders in sustainable agriculture in the Midwest. He was a founding member of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, one of the early board members of the Center for Rural Affairs and a contributor to publications and journals on organic and Bio Dynamic agriculture.

After Dad’s retirement from Boys Town in 1978, my parents moved to our Bennington farm where Dad grew certified Bio Dynamic grain for specialty markets, and fresh vegetables for white tablecloth restaurants in Omaha. This 80-acre farm is being converted to permanent pasture for intensive meat and poultry production. Tree, vine and cane fruit may be added in the future. Our 320 acre farm near Massena, Iowa is also fenced for intensive grazing.

Thank you.

Updated 06-24-2011