SUCCSSFUL FARMING COMPARES (FARM?)  ACCOUNTING PACKAGES

Once again, Successful Farming Business Editor, Dan Looker, has compiled the definitive list of farm and off-the-shelf accounting packages used by farmers in SF's Mid-February, 2008 edition.  FBS users Randy Gangwish and Ron Swanson are mentioned in the article, as are users of competitive systems.  We encourage you to read the article by clicking on this link:

http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ag/story/data/1203439512482.xml

Better yet, contact the FBS sales department (800.437.7638 / sales@fbssystems.com) to further explore the possibilities of FBS Integrated SeRVware modules.

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Thanks to everyone who attended CROP$HOP.08 and stopped by our booth in Louisville earlier this month.

Paul Hey describes the new TerraVerde aerial imaging technology at CROP$HOP.	Bernard Peterson tweaks his LifeCycle Budget
Matt Downey greets Farm Machinery Show guests at the FBS booth.	Faith Fuller from Worth and Dee Ellis Farms give Norm Brown a dose of reality.

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See what's new and say, "hi" to Norm and Cheryl at the FBS booth (745) at the 2008 Commodity Classic at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, February 28-March 1.

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Last month we covered the initial step in creating a budget-gathering the "known facts"— by:

•	Rolling bank and loan balances forward into the new budgeting year.
•	Adjusting the loan schedule to reflect repayment terms.
•	Creating projected income and expense lines and schedules from the prior year's accounting data.

We'll refine these schedules later to reflect changes in costs, production levels and capital purchases.  This month, though, we'll focus on the real reason you're farming:  production management and planning.

The Crop Production Budget
While it's possible to do "dirt simple" crop budgets with a single field and "generic" seed, chemicals and fertilizer, the full power of the LifeCycle Budget becomes evident when it parallels actual production practices.  Spin-off benefits include:

•	Itemized product purchasing list
•	Field work orders
•	Meaningful supporting schedules for rate and yield assumptions
•	Monitored marketing plans
•	Ease of mid-year modification

Setup
As described in the last chapter, for the ideal crop production experience requires the setup of :

•	Fields
•	Crop Production and Marketing Centers
•	Center/field Assignments or Projects
•	Specific seed varieties, chemicals and fertilizers
•	Crop Macros (recipes/production plans)
•	Owner splits (when working with split-billed crop-share leases)

Crop Production Entries

1. To begin entering crop production entries, select Budget Entry type #1 and click on the Budget Record Input menu option.

2. For planting and fertilizer/chemical applications:

•	Enter the approximate planting or application Date.*
•	Select record type "I" for Inputs.
•	Choose Division, Center and Field.
•	You can let LCB fill in acres based on Project or Center/Field defaults or overwrite with manual entries.
•	Hours are optional
•	Select the appropriate Crop Macro.  (While you won't see the details on this screen, the products defined in the macro will be "applied" to the field based on the macros' pre-defined rates.)
•	Crop share Splits are optional and are used to deduct the landlord's share of inputs from the purchasing requirements while still planning on a "whole field" basis.

* Unless you intend to print work orders, the date does not need to be specific. In fact, you can combine all springtime applications into a single macro if you wish.

A running inventory of every product (in purchased units) used during the year is displayed in the scrolling window at the top of the page.  These values will be reduced as each new production entry is recorded based on Acres x Rate per Acre from the macro.  If you enter production entries prior to purchasing inputs these values will be negative.

3. For entering projected harvests:

•	Enter the approximate harvest Date.*
•	Select record type "H" for Harvest.
•	Choose Division, Center and Field.
•	You can let LCB fill in acres based on Project or Center/Field defaults or overwrite with manual entries.
•	Hours are optional
•	Select the appropriate Crop Macro or "0 First Entry" for no macro.  (With the exception of defoliants, no chemical applications occur at harvest so macros normally aren't required for this entry type.)
•	Crop share Splits are optional and are used to deduct the landlord's share of inputs from the purchasing requirements while still planning on a "whole field" basis.
•	Select a Marketing Center to transfer multiple production centers into a single marketing inventory.
•	Enter a projected Yield for this field.
•	Unit Price is optional.  Normally this will represent the projected market value at harvest.  This is not a cash flow entry; it is only used in the projected balance sheet.

A running inventory of crop marketing centers is displayed in the scrolling window at the top of the page.


Viewing or Changing Crop Production Entries

4. To edit crop production entries, select Budget Entry type #1 and click on the Budget Record Edit menu option.


Results

Through recording budget crop applications and expected yields you have now created all the background data necessary to complete the input purchasing and crop marketing plans, which we will cover next month.

For a limited time, LifeCycle Budget is ½ price (normally $995.00) when purchased with an FBS module of equal or greater value.

To view the LCB product sheet and sample reports, click here.

To purchase and activate your LifeCycle Budget, call the FBS Sales Department at 800.437.7638.

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