November 2019 FarmSmart Newsletter

Harvest Sunset - LM

The Sun Sets On Harvest. (Courtesy of Larry McAuley)

Dear Friend,

Harvest 2019 has been a long, hard slog, but we hope that you're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and can joyfully offer thanks to the Lord of the harvest.

You can still catch up with two full days of free educational videos recorded at the August Ag Software Success Summit or learn more about the Mutual Agricultural Software Alliance (MASA).

In this month's newsletter:

Don't Get Trapped on the Wrong Side of the Tech Wall.
Important News for All FBS Software Users.
Trade Show and Seminar Calendar.
Reports For Your Accountant.

SDG

Das Wall

Don't Get Trapped On the Wrong Side of the Tech Wall

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall in Berlin. This notorious barrier sprang up overnight in 1961 in the form of a barbed-wire barricade that was soon transformed into two 12' concrete walls that trapped the citizens of East Berlin from escaping to the freedom of the West.

Tech progress and the cybersecurity "Cold War" can also lead to collateral damage to the unprepared. Don't get trapped on the wrong side of these update walls:

Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 End of Life

After midnight, January 14, 2020, Microsoft will discontinue support for these widely-used operating systems. The most critical risk for users is that Microsoft will no longer issue security patches. Your only options to protect yourself are 1) purchase Windows 10 or Server 2012 or newer or 2) disconnect your computer from the internet.

Current FBS Version (11.3)

FBS Software is only being developed and updated for Windows versions that are currently supported by Microsoft (Windows 8.1/10, Server 2012/2016/2019). If your operating system is older than these versions the latest version of FBS (11.3) will not install and/or update from patches, even assuming you take the risk of connecting to the internet.

Next FBS Version (11.4)

In the first quarter of 2020 FBS will ship Version 11.4 upgrade to all customers. Once that upgrade is distributed it will be the only FBS version we will support or patch. We plan to drop support for Windows 8.1 in FBS 11.4; however, Microsoft plans to support that operating system until January 2023. Also when you receive your 11.4 disc, don't forget to install it--it will not work in the drawer!

Prior FBS Versions (11.2 and lower)

We can't and don't support or patch FBS versions prior to 11.3.

Why does FBS only support its current version?

We've made a deliberate choice to remain on the modern, "friendly" side of the the tech wall rather than fighting unwinnable wars with unsupported operating systems, outdated third-party apps, security holes and virus software that "shoots first and asks questions later" when it encounters "legacy" software. Make sure you always stay on the safe side of this technology wall by staying current with your operating system and FBS software.

Here's some important news for all FBS users regarding support for your software version.

Trade Show and Seminar Calendar

Show	Date	Location	Booth
	January 22-23	Des Moines, IA	302
	January 22	Coralville, IA
	January 23-24	Coralville, IA
	February 12-15	Louisville, KY	1009
	February 27-29	San Antonio, TX	224

FBS will be sponsoring or exhibiting at these outstanding national events. Click on the logos for more information.

Q&A: What Kind of Reports Will My Accountant Need?

Q. What kind of reports will my accountant need to do my taxes and how do I get them those reports?

A. We cannot speak for what all accountants will need or want for tax preparation, so please ask yours to find out for sure what they will need.

Sarah Dixon,FBS Support Coordinator

But as a rule of thumb your accountant will want to see a detailed account of your ledger to ensure that you have coded items properly. The best report for this is a Ledger Detail Report. If you are maintaining full double entry accounting they might also want to see a Balance Sheet.

If you are using the Accounts Payable and or Accounts Receivable modules and reporting taxes on a cash basis run these reports using Date Cash Exchanged Option 3.

Your accountant may also ask for a Trial Balance or Income Statement. Be sure to use Date Cash Exchanged Option 3 for these reports.

You can submit these reports to your accountant printing them to the Microsoft PDF Printer or copying them to Excel through your computer's clipboard. Just press F11 when viewing a report, then open Excel and paste the report to the page. You can then email these reports to your accountant.