Planning and Record Keeping for Beginning Farmers

You completed your feasibility study for the type of farm you want to operate, and decided you still want to farm. Now you are entering the exciting phase as you prepare to follow your passion. However, you are now faced with two tasks that most producers find to be the hardest part of farming, planning and record keeping. It seems to be a waste of valuable production time to plan and record what has happened. However; these tasks are two of the more critical parts of farming.

Many farmers spend at least part of the winter months looking at seed catalogs, going to educational meetings, and trying to make the coming year better than the past year. Whether you realize it or not, you are planning. I do not know many farmers that set aside time to just think about how the coming year will go and what they will do. Usually, these thoughts and planning sessions occur while doing something else. Much of what you do after being in business is second nature and experience. You may need to spend time planning for the first year or two until you have more experience and have produced several crops or sold some livestock. Even existing farmers should do this.

For existing farmers, you know what sold well the past year(s) and what you need to produce to keep your marketing stream. You also need to plan when to plant each crop, so you have consistent offerings for whatever marketing outlet(s) you use. The Starting a Farm website contains a web page titled Start Farming-Planning a Crop Rotation for planning what crops will be planted when and where on your farm. For new farmers, this planning will help ensure success. Planning, whether setting aside time or doing it on-the-fly, will prove valuable to any producer.

You should take time to consider your record keeping system. There are as many systems as there are farmers and a quick Internet search yielded ten different software packages on the first page including one for cattle only; and I personally know of at least three additional products. The problem with record keeping is that it takes time. Most farmers I know feel that record keeping takes away from time spent in the field doing more productive work. I do not know any farmer that began farming because they liked to keep records. For beginning farmers, however, everything is new so you will need to record what happens each day. Good records are a key to predicting what may happen in the future.

Taking time to keep good records will pay huge dividends throughout the year. There may be considerable time spent on data entry in the beginning, but that will diminish over time. If you are certified organic, having good records will greatly reduce the time spent when completing the organic certification process. You may not need to spend one to two days preparing for the inspector to come and realizing the day before that you do not have the necessary information. If you are audited for the Worker Protection Standards, you will be grateful for good records. Food safety regulations also require extended record keeping.

Livestock come with their own record keeping requirements. You need to be sure you are keeping the bloodlines pure and you want to track all offspring. This is especially true if you are not using artificial insemination. Artificial insemination is not widely used on new farms outside the dairy industry. You will also be better able to determine feed efficiency by tracking date of birth and weight until the animal is sold.

When calculating your production costs, having accurate fertilizer and pesticide application records, planting and harvest dates, and yields are critical. Many of the software packages include applications for Smart Phones and tablets so you can enter the information in real-time while in the field. This information is then transmitted to your main computer and integrated into the program. Many of the software packages have a free trial for a week or two to see if you like the product.

A very low-tech method of field record keeping is the use of index cards. They easily fit into a pocket and can be readily available to record necessary information. The drawback is if you get caught in the rain, they can be difficult to read. However, a pack of index cards is much less expensive than a software package.

Your funding source will also require records to validate the funds you borrowed are being used for what you indicated when you received the loan. You will also need to track income and expenses to be sure you are being a good steward of their funds, and they will require these records. Be sure to record any changes to the collateral you pledged for the loaned funds.

Whatever method you use, set aside time each week to make sure your records are up to date. It is not difficult to remember what you did each week but can be more challenging to remember a month from now.