Aguiar, Priscila; Lawrence, John D.; Edwards, William M.

ISU Extension: Iowa Beef Center, (2006)

Managing risk is required for farm enterprises to be profitable. Contractual agreements - such as livestock leases - can be crafted to loan or transfer assets, while also sharing risk. The beef cow share agreement is one example that allows individuals with complimentary inputs to benefit from working together. Share agreements can also help younger producers enter the beef industry by providing labor and daily herd management to the agreement in lieu of a significant investment in land or breeding stock.