THE
FARMING GAME
You have just selected a 160 acre farm along the Platte River in Nebraska,
which you will farm for 3 years – 1885, ‘86, & ‘87. You have purchased all
the necessary farm equipment & you have come west on the Union Pacific
Railroad. Your homestead is one of the 1st in this area. You selected it
because you may graze your livestock on public land at no cost.
You have $1500 to start your farm,
but you must not invest $300 (which you will need to live on),
and $200 (which you must have at the end of the year to ship your crops.)
EACH year you will invest in some crops & livestock to see if you can make
any $$$ as a farmer in Nebraska!
You may only plant up to 160 acres!
After you choose what you will spend your $$ on,
I will read what happens to your area & which crops/livestock grow successfully…
Choose wisely, the fate of your homestead
& your family is in your hands!
Can you survive?!?
FARMING in 1885
Scoring Sheet
DIRECTIONS:
1. Your living expenses are $300 a year & your costs to ship by RR are $200 per year.
2. You may plant only 160 acres in crops on your homestead. You may plant on rented land
at $100 for 50 acres. Rented land must be in 50 acre units.
3. You must plant crops in 10 acre units.
STARTING CAPITAL FOR THE YEAR
188__
IS
(A) $ ________
Subtract the Following From line (A)
Cost of Living
(B1)
$ 300
Cost of Transportation – RR (B2) $ 200
Final AMOUNT Available for use on Farm this year:
(C)$_________
(Line A minus Line B1 and B2)
CROPS
# of Acres
Income
Planted
Corn
________
Cost Per
Total Cost
Acre
What’s it
of Crop
Worth?
$5
_________
__________
$5
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$1
_________
__________
$10
_________
__________
________
Beans
________
________
Wheat
________
________
Barley
________
________
Oats
________
________
Field hay
________
________
Tobacco
________
________
Field peas ________
$5
_________
__________
________
Rented Land _______
$100 for
_________
_____0____
____0___
50 acres
LIVESTOCK
Number of
Income
Animals
Cost per
Total Cost
Animal
of Animals
Investment
Return
Cattle
_________
$10
__________
___________
________
Sheep
_________
$5
__________
___________
$5
__________
___________
________
Hogs
_________
________
Savings
__________
_____1____
________
Total Amount spent for the year (including savings if any - Total must match line
(C)
$________
Total Income for 1885
$ _____________________
* this is your starting amount (A) for 1886
FARMING
in ‘86
Scoring Sheet
DIRECTIONS:
1. You may plant only 160 acres in crops on your homestead. You may plant on rented land
at $100 for 50 acres. Rented land must be in 50 acre units.
2. You must plant crops in 10 acre units.
STARTING CAPITAL FOR THE YEAR
1886
IS
(A) $ ________
Subtract the Following From line (A)
Cost of Living
(B1)
$ 300
Cost of Transportation – RR (B2) $ 400
Final AMOUNT Available for use on Farm this year:
(C)$_________
(Line A minus Line B1 and B2)
CROPS
# of Acres
Income
Planted
Corn
________
Cost Per
Acre
Total Cost
of Crop
Investment
Return
$5
_________
__________
$5
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
________
Beans
________
________
Wheat
________
________
Barley
________
________
Oats
________
________
Field hay
________
$1
_________
__________
$10
_________
__________
________
Tobacco
________
________
Field peas ________
$5
_________
__________
________
Rented Land _______
$100 for
_________
_____0____
____0___
50 acres
LIVESTOCK
Number of
Cost per
Total Cost
Investment
Income
Animals
Animal
of Animals
Return
Cattle
_________
$10
__________
___________
________
Sheep
_________
$5
__________
___________
$5
__________
___________
________
Hogs
_________
________
Savings
__________
_____1____
________
Total Amount spent for the year (including savings if any - Total must match line
(C) $________
Total Income for ‘86
$ _____________________
FARMING in ‘87
Scoring Sheet
DIRECTIONS:
1. You may plant only 160 acres in crops on your homestead. You may plant on rented land
at $100 for 50 acres. Rented land must be in 50 acre units.
2. You must plant crops in 10 acre units.
STARTING CAPITAL FOR THE YEAR
1887
IS
(A) $ ________
Subtract the Following From line (A)
Cost of Living
(B1)
$ 300
Cost of Transportation – RR (B2) $ 600
Final AMOUNT Available for use on Farm this year:
(C)$_________
(Line A minus Line B1 and B2)
CROPS
# of Acres
Income
Cost Per
Total Cost
Investment
Planted
Corn
________
Acre
of Crop
Return
$5
_________
__________
$5
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$2
_________
__________
$1
_________
__________
$10
_________
__________
________
Beans
________
________
Wheat
________
________
Barley
________
________
Oats
________
________
Field hay
________
________
Tobacco
________
________
Field peas ________
$5
_________
__________
________
Rented Land _______
$100 for
_________
_____0____
____0___
50 acres
LIVESTOCK
Number of
Cost per
Total Cost
Investment
Income
Animals
Animal
of Animals
Return
Cattle
_________
$10
__________
___________
________
Sheep
_________
$5
__________
___________
$5
__________
___________
________
Hogs
_________
________
Savings
__________
_____1____
________
Total Amount spent for the year (including savings if any - Total must match line
(C) $________
Total Income for ‘87
$ _____________________
1885
A serious lack of early spring rain followed by too much rain in
July almost destroyed the wheat, barley, and oat crop in central
Nebraska.
The Prices paid for corn, beans, field peas, and tobacco are up
because of drought east of the Mississippi.
Cattle prices are depressed because of large herds of range
stock being sold in Texas.
The price for sheep is up and the price paid for hogs is at an
all time high.
CROP
INVESTMENT RETURN
(MULTIPLY BY)
Corn
2
3
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
2
3
Beans
Wheat
Barley
Oats
Field Hay
Tobacco
Field Peas
Cattle
Sheep
Hogs
’86
The coldest winter in history with temperatures 60
below zero destroyed most of the sheep and hogs.
Cattle prices are high
Abundant spring and summer rain through out most of the
state has produced excellent crops.
The price of corn, wheat, barley, and oats is good.
The prices of tobacco & field peas remains the same.
The bean crop has produced a small yield because of late
frost.
The field hay prices are depressed because of limited
demand for hay.
CROP
Corn
Beans
Wheat
Barley
Oats
Field hay
Tobacco
Field peas
Cattle
Sheep
Hogs
INVESTMENT
RETURN
(MULTIPLY
BY)
2
1
2
2
2
1
2
2
3
0
0
’87
Nature deals a crushing blow to farmers in Nebraska.
After a hot dry spring with little rain, a plague of
grasshoppers infested the crops.
Most crops are badly damaged.
Cattle prices are very good, as the range herds have not
yet recovered from the killing winter of ’86.
Sheep prices are depressed by Hog prices are good.
CROP
INVESTMENT RETURN
(MULTIPLY BY)
Corn
Beans
Wheat
Barley
Oats
Field hay
Tobacco
Field peas
Cattle
Sheep
Hogs
1
1.5
2
1.5
1
2
1
1
3
1
2
NOW, INVEST THE REST!
You now have $1000 to invest in crops or livestock. Write that on line (A) on your scoring
sheet for 1885. You may only spend this amount when choosing your crops for the year.
Listed on the scoring sheet is the cost-per-acre for each crop. You may also spend some of
your money for livestock. The scoring sheet lists the price per animal. Animals may be
grazed on public land at no cost (you don’t have to have acres for them!). All costs, such as seed,
labor, supplies, taxes and maintenance are included in your cost per acre, or per animal.
*If you wish to farm more than 160 acres, you may rent it from the government at $100 for
each 50 acre block.
FILL OUT YOUR SCORE SHEET…
Look at the sheet entitled “Farming 1885-1887.”
1. On the line at the top fill in $1000 as your capital & the year 1885.
2. Select which crop or crops you wish to plant.
EX: If you plant 160 acres of corn and use all your land, the cost will
be 160 x $5 = $800. You will have $200 left to invest in livestock. If you select
cattle and spend your remaining $200, you may purchase 20 cows (20 cows x
$10 = $200)
3. After you have selected what you will grow, use the square on the scoring sheet &
divide your land & label the various crops.
FIGURING YOUR PROFIT: When everyone in class has spent their capital, I will read what
happens to your crops & your “investment return” (the amount which you multiply times the
amount you invested in a crop)
EX: If you spent $800 on corn and the Investment Return for 1885 was
2, you would multiply $800 x 2. $1600 would be your profit on corn. If you had
invested $200 in cattle and the 1885 Investment Return for cattle was 1, you
would multiply 1 x $200. This would be your profit on the cattle.
When you have calculated your profits, total them. This becomes your capital for the year
1886. In the earlier example, the total profits made for 1885 for raising corn and cattle (corn
$1600 and cattle $200) were $1800. Using your total profits from 1885, allocate your money