Thinking Beyond QuickBooks
If you find yourself using QuickBooks®, it’s time to consider other options to better position your farm for the future.
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The Real Cost in Skipping Soil Sampling
Fertilizer decisions for 2022 Aaron Young of Edd’s Supplies suggests taking a hard look at soil test results when making fertilizer decisions for 2022. With news of looming supply shortages and increased costs, farmers are trying to find ways to cut 2022 production costs. Low budget items like soil sampling, which costs an average of $0.50 to $8 per acre (or roughly $10-$16 per sample), are often the first things to be eliminated. However, since maintaining optimum soil health can actually save producer’s money on expensive inputs, soil testing is a worthwhile investment. “In years like this, soil sampling is a tool that can help you save on fertilizer bills and possibly be the difference between simply breaking even and turning a profit,” says Aaron Young, agronomist at Edd’s Supplies, Inc. It may be tempting to consider limiting, or eliminating, your fertilizer purchases for 2022, but before making those decisions, Young encourages producers to look through their soil test data and make informed decisions. Using soil tests to identify levels of P and K, helps farmers identify which fields can withstand lowered fertilizer rates while still maintaining yield levels. “I would strongly recommend looking through soil test
Leveraging Farm Data to Make Better Decisions
High Emphasis on Farm data It’s been said knowledge is power and that is especially true for farmers. On any given day, farmers make a number of decisions – some big, some small. Every decision a farmer makes has an impact on the farming operation, which is why making informed decisions is critical. When it comes to making those decisions, farm data is king and good data management is paramount. “Frankly, the last few years we’ve had a more difficult farm economy with six or seven years of low margin operations,” says Paul Gorman, owner of ELCEL Solutions Inc. and a long-time farm business management instructor. With extreme market swings, rising input costs and severe drought impacting much of the country, having sound financial management practices is pivotal, perhaps more today than ever before. “People cannot afford to be sloppy,” Gorman says. That’s where a powerful farm data management software program is helpful. Computerized farm management software has been around for decades. These programs have enabled farmers to make informed decisions, allowing them to be more efficient and make decisions based on accurate information. “[Farm management software] definitely gives you a truer picture,” explains Mitch Konen. “Instead of
Cloud-Based Farm Accounting Enhances Collaboration, Increases Efficiency
The Changing World of Farm Accounting Just as farm equipment has evolved from horse and plow to powerful 4-wheel drive tractors and 48-row planters, farm data collection has experienced its own revolution. What started with pencil and paper before transitioning to desktop software has now advanced to a cloud-based farm accounting application. With the use of cloud-based services in agriculture on the rise in recent years, the introduction of this new accounting solution, Traction, is a welcome addition to farmers who are looking for enhanced accessibility, added security and peace of mind. For most farming operations, one person assumes responsibility for data entry and has access to day-to-day financials and reporting. Beyond that, current farm desktop accounting software programs are archaic and not user friendly and non-farm specific applications make it extremely difficult for farmers to capture field-level accounting analysis. A cloud-based platform, like Traction, enhances collaboration and team engagement for all stakeholders on the operation. While Traction is relatively new to the market, Laura Ehnle, Edelstein, Ill., has already experienced increased collaboration since implementing the application on her family’s farm. A long-time user of a popular farm data management software program, Ehnle admits she and her husband could
Field Operations (BETA) Now Available
Basic Field Operations We are very excited to release Traction Basic Field Operations this week. Once activated, you’ll have 30 days to use it. You can start your trial anytime, just let us know when you’re ready. With Basic Operations, you can: Setup your fields, equipment and personnel Add your products from a standardized database which includes EPA labeling, active ingredients and other details Add custom products specific to your farm Record your field activities for seed, chemicals and fertilizer applications Enter date, time and weather conditions Assign costs to inputs, equipment and personnel and apply these to fields to manage your cost of production Currently optimized for tablets in the field or enter the data back in the office This initial BETA release allows seed and application records, tillage and harvest to follow later with a host of other features. The advantage of starting now is to familiarize yourself, getting more value from your data completing this season’s field records. Basic Operations does not require Basic Accounting. Traction will offer integration in the future. What does it Cost? Basic Operations costs $950/year which includes 2 manager logins. A First Year Discount is available. How Do I get Started?
Top 5 Reasons Why Cloud is Better
The use of cloud services in agriculture has been on the rise in recent years, and for good reason. Transitioning from desktop software to cloud-based tools and services offers your farm business accessibility, added security, and peace of mind. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should consider the cloud. Why is Cloud-Computing Better? Team Engagement. As farms continue to grow in size and complexity, cloud services can make team engagement much easier. Multiple team members can access and enter data at the same time, avoiding situations where one person handles all the data workload. By having complete team engagement, you are able to leverage your data in different ways to improve decision making. Data Access. Access to data is a huge advantage over desktop software. With a cloud-based solution, your data is available anywhere with an internet connection. You can securely login to any connected device (including phones and tablets), complete your tasks and securely logout. Data Security. We’ve all been there; the headaches in changing computers, dealing with hard drive crashes, or finding a backup when a USB flash drive is missing or corrupted. Data security should be your #1 priority. Your data is professionally managed and
