They are different. They require different decisions. They require investments that vary in size from several thousand to nearly a million dollars. Nature of farming Farming today, whether commercial or part-time, has some exacting requirements. Numerous pitfalls are lurking for the unsuspecting person.
Crop production varies widely because of weather conditions.
Prices farmers receive for livestock and crops often drop to disastrously low levels. And, because farmers are now buying more of the inputs used in farming, farm costs have increased rapidly. Large annual cash outlays are required to grow crops or to raise livestock. Farm income varies widely from year to year. The knowledge, skills and time required to produce high yields of quality farm products are very exacting.