CROPSHOP.2003 TRAINING

If you'd like to learn more about applying e.CLIPSE managerial accounting to your cropping operation, then you won't want to miss CROPSHOP.2003 the day before the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky on Febuary 11^th from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  The featured speaker's are: David Waits, President, SST Development Group, Dr. Howard Doster, Perdue University and Norm Brown, President, FBS Systems.

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If you're taking in this year's National Farm Machinery Show (Feb. 12-15), be sure to visit the FBS Systems booth.  You can register for the free Compaq handheld and find out how to take advantage of some great software specials.  The computerized drawing for the iPAQ will be held at 4:00 p.m. (CST), Mon., Mar. 3, 2003. The winner will be notified immediately.  No purchase is necessary.
    We'll miss you if you don't make it to the NFMS–but you can still sign up for the free iPAQ at the FBS Web site.  Registrations will be accepted through 12:00 p.m., Mar. 3rd. Don't miss this terrific opportunity.  Better click to it today!

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This month our managerial accounting case study turns to the "cattle" side of Jorgensen Land & Cattle.

Past issues have already covered:

•  Structure and management goals
•  Cost centers
•  Crop production projects
•  Crop marketing projects

"This is where the true 'fun' begins," says controller, Daryl Ellis.  While he had previously converted the Jorgensen farrow-to-finish hog operation to e.CLIPSE managerial accounting, their cattle center presented some unique challenges:

•	Unlike the National Pork Producers Council exhaustive guidelines, no specific managerial accounting standards have been promulgated for cowcalf through feedlot segments.
•	Pork has obvious production stages (i.e. nursery, finishing); beef's stages are not so well defined and may differ between the sexes.
•	Cattle groups are seasonal and can move between locations (feedlot, grazing) with differing cost drivers.
•	To make matters even more complicated, Jorgensen Land & Cattle produces seedstock with many sales configurations and cost structures.  Consequently cattle groups are managed like centers are managed in hogs, (major reporting differences!).

Note the relationship between crop production, cow-calf, animal development centers and various sales configurations.

Management's first objective is to determine which sales method–private treaty, auction or lease–is "best".&nbps; Next month we will examine how Daryl Ellis applied managerial accounting to begin solving this puzzle.

IT'S THAT 'SPECIALS' TIME OF YEAR, FOLKS. AND WITH SAVINGS THIS BIG ON MULTIPLE-MODULE BUYS, THE WORD ISN'T INTEGRATE – IT'S INTEGREATLY!

For a limited time—choose from two outstanding offers, each dispelling notions of price being a barrier to investing in ag's leading integrated management information system.

SPECIAL NO. 1: Buy one program, get a second at HALF PRICE; buy two, get a third program FREE!  Save up to $1,200.  Earn 60 days of free support.   Buy any FBS program listed on our offer page and you can get a second one of equal or lesser value at 50% OFF.  Or, buy two programs and you'll get a third one of equal or lesser value absolutely FREE.  A great opportunity to get started with your integrated MIS!

SPECIAL NO. 2: Buy the complete e.CLIPSE management information system. Save $1,390.  Get a FREE Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC.  Two days of on-site training are included in the package. (Free SST Stratus software is also included with crops version of e.CLIPSE.)  This is our first special on e.CLIPSE—and it hands you a turnkey integrated MIS at unprecedented savings.
    For full particulars on both specials, including details on individual programs, features and benefits, call 800.437.7638 ext 101 or 103.  But there's not a lot of time left, so don't wait till it's too late!

Have you checked your Client Appreciation Program (CAP) credit lately?  If you've been on the TiMEsaver Service Agreement for three years, paid each invoice by June 30 and haven't redeemed any of your CAP credit, you've accumulated the maximum 40% discount toward the purchase of any FBS program.  Amount of credit is determined by the number of years spent on TiMEsavr and accordingly would currently be 10, 20, 30 or 40%. If you don't know your actual TiMEsavr credit/discount, contact your FBS sales representative at 800.437.7638 or sales@fbssystems.com.  By combining this opportunity with Special Offer No.1 (above), you could add another module for extra savings up to $798!  So set your CAP for maximum savings. But here again, time is vital!  Contact us today.

Last year's drawing for this $599 top-of-the-industry item from Compaq spurred such interest that we've decided to do it again.  All you do to qualify is fill out a brief form you'll find at the FBS Web site.  Takes you about a minute and a half.  No purchase is required.  The drawing will be done on computer at 4:00 p.m. (CST), Mon., Mar. 3^rd, 2003.  The winner will be notified immediately.  Registrations will be accepted through 12:00 p.m., Mar. 3^rd.
    Don't miss this opportunity to earn a premier prize for a pittance of information.  Visit our Web site to register now!

SOFTWARE Q&A – WITH Q'S FROM YOU, OUR CLIENTS!

Send us your questions/problems–be they short, long, simple or downright frustratin'!–about SeRVware and we'll handle them right "on the air" for the benefit of all.  This month's question represents a "group" effort among four different clients.

Q.

Can I save data to a CD through the FBS 7.4 program?

a.

Maybe.  The save data routine (under TopManAGement Utilities) will not work on a CDR drive but may work on a CDRW drive.  You need to designate the correct drive destination.  If you have a CDR or the FBS routine doesn't work on your CDRW use the software that came with your CD drive to backup your X:\FBSWIN\DATA (Windows) directory or your X:\FBS\DATA (DOS) directory to a CD (where X is your source drive designation).  You can zip the files through the FBS save data routine and save them to another directory on your hard drive.  Then save that zip file to your CD.  With CDRW drives you can also drag and drop or copy and paste the data directory through Windows Explorer.  You can use the save routine within FBS to save to a zip drive.     It is important to make regular backups of your data.  Computers are machines and they do break down, usually when you need them the most.  We recommend a rotation of 4 daily backups (diskettes, CD's, tapes or zip media), 3 weekly backups and 3 monthly backups.  Never use your last backup for your new backup.  How often should you make a backup?  How much would you like to reenter?  There is not a way to determine if your backup is good until you have to restore a file.  This one of the reasons we recommend multiple sets of backups. – Cheryl Brown, Support Technician Call in your questions (800.437.7638) or e-mail them to support@fbssystems.com.

•  Congratulations

Theresa Sander is a newly elected member of the Missouri House of Representatives.  She and husband Ted have a hog and grain operation near Moberly.
    Two client-owned operations are in the Farm Progress Companies' Top 30 Best Managed Farms of 2002.  Capturing 7^th place were David and Nancy Meyer, Sterling, Ill.  George and Kim Hupman, Loretto, Ky., rank 13^th.  Both placed in last year's contest.  The Meyers and three other entrants also received Innovation in Agriculture Awards.  We join Farm Progress in saluting the "top 30" whose success has come through focusing on cost control.

•  Welcome

New clients Carthage Veterinary Service, Carthage, Ill.; Imperial Beef, Imperial Neb.; River Valley Cooperative, Eldridge, Iowa; and Roger and Sharon Safranec, Merna, Neb.

•  In the NEWS!

Rob Brenneman, Washington, Iowa, is featured in a recent presentation in Progressive Pork on FAST (Farmweld Automatic Sorting Technology).  Described as a "classic hands-on manager," he relates his experiences with the FAST scale, designed to eliminate the need to mark pigs and reduce sorting and loading time.
George Holsapple, Jewett, Ill., participated in the most recent F.I.R.S.T. (Farmer's Independent Research Of Seed Technologies), an extensive on-farm soybean variety test embracing 7,000 individual tests of 24 varieties on 66 farms in 8 states.  Sponsor was Syngenta Crop Protection.  The results were published in a Jan., '03 Soybean Digest insert, "On-Farm Results Of Top-Yielding Varieties."  George's farm was in the Illinois South test zone.