I'm in a very similar situation to the original post. I own and live on 200 acres I own free and clear in southwestern Missouri. The land has been leased for a couple of years at $65/acre/year, but I am not satisfied with various aspects of leasing. Although the man leasing my place has good intentions, he falls short of his commitments every year. My land is good and produces a lot of grass, plenty of access to water, and is cross fenced. I figure I can stock the place with 50 cows and still keep 30 acres back exclusively for hay production. I have a tractor and bushhog, barn, etc. My plan is to purchase second period cows in about 6 months so they'd calve in the spring of 2018 or possibly purchase third period cows asap. I'd like to borrow the money from FCS to purchase the cattle and use a portion of the property as collateral. If they won't loan the money, I could draw out half of a retirement fund to pay cash for them. Additionally, I've got enough cash on hand to carry me a couple of years until I can sell some of the offspring. I've been out of work for 18 months so I've come to a crossroads - either get my own cows while the prices are down and run a cow/calf operation or sell the place and move on to where there are more opportunities. Thoughts? Ideas? :bang: