Search Results

Article Updated January 2025 Soil is the foundation of your farm, the living system that provides nutrition for all the plants and animals that live there. Healthy soil can mean increased yields (and profits) as well as fewer inputs like fertilizer or pesticides. Here are six ways you can improve long-term soil health on your farm: What is Soil Health? Soil health is a holistic measure of soil function. It's an assessment of how well your soil functions as a living, breathing ecosystem. Soil health can be thought of as an umbrella term for all the things that make soil healthy: nutrient cycling, water infiltration, microbial communities, and more. Soil health matters because healthy soils are better at storing carbon than unhealthy ones. Healthy soils also mean fewer pollution runoff problems into our rivers and lakes; they help us grow better crops without reliance on chemical pesticides or fertilizers; they provide habitat for pollinators like bees which are essential for many food crops grown around the world today; and they reduce erosion by holding onto nutrients in place until plants need them. Soil health is not just about organic matter content or nutrient levels in your fields or garden beds; it's also about how well your plants are able to access those nutrients and build strong roots that can thrive in healthy soil. What Are the Benefits of Healthy Soil? Healthy soils are: More resistant to erosion More fertile More effective at water filtration and storage Better at fighting pests and diseases Better able to store carbon from the atmosphere Healthy soil also helps plants resist drought conditions by retaining moisture in the top layer of soil where plants can access it. Soil health depends on several factors including soil type (clay or sand), organic matter content, pH levels, and nutrient availability. Rotate Your Crops. Rotating crops is one of the best ways to improve long-term soil health on your farm. It helps prevent soil depletion, erosion and compaction, pest damage, and disease damage. There are several types of crop rotation that farmers can implement to maximize the benefits of this practice. One common method is the traditional or sequential crop rotation, where different crops are grown in a planned sequence over a period of years. This can include a rotation of cash crops , cover crops , and even fallow periods to allow the soil to rest and rejuvenate. Another type is the alternate or two-crop rotation , which involves growing two different crops in alternating years. This helps break pest and disease cycles, as well as optimize nutrient utilization by varying the demands of different crops. In addition, there is the three-crop rotation , which involves a more complex rotation system where a third crop is added to the sequence, further diversifying the benefits and creating a more sustainable farming system. The choice of crop rotation method depends on various factors such as the specific crops grown, soil health, and farm goals. Regardless of the approach, implementing crop rotation is crucial for maintaining soil fertility, minimizing pest and disease issues, and ensuring sustainable agriculture practices. When you're deciding what crops to plant in a field each season, consider the effects of those choices on soil health over time. For example, if you've already got an area that's been planted with annuals for two years running, maybe it would be better for the long term if you rotated those areas out with perennial cover crops or other types of ground cover instead. Use Cover Crops. Cover crops are another excellent way to improve soil health and practice soil conservation. These are crops that are specifically grown to cover the soil surface during fallow periods or as an intercrop with cash crops. The importance of cover crops lies in their ability to protect and improve soil health. By covering the soil, they reduce erosion caused by wind and water, preventing the loss of valuable topsoil. Cover crops also help to suppress the growth of weeds by competing for resources and shading the soil, reducing the need for herbicides. Plus, they enhance soil fertility by fixing nitrogen in the soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. The root systems of cover crops also improve soil structure, increasing its ability to retain water and nutrients. Cover crops can also attract beneficial insects, provide habitat for pollinators, and promote biodiversity on the farm. They should be planted in the fall or spring, depending on where you live (soil temperatures must be at least 50 degrees F). Once they're established, cover crops will grow throughout winter — or until you decide to turn them under for planting another crop in springtime. Avoid Overgrazing Your Pasture Lands. Grazing is an important part of pasture management , but you must be careful not to overgraze your land. Overgrazing can lead to soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Balance grazing with rest periods for the grasses, so they can regrow and replenish their resources for next year's growth cycle. There are numerous benefits to avoiding overgrazing. Firstly, it allows for the preservation of grass and plant species diversity, ensuring a balanced and resilient ecosystem. When pastureland is overgrazed, certain plant species may dominate while others decline, reducing biodiversity. Additionally, not overgrazing prevents soil erosion and degradation. Grass and plant roots help bind soil together, and when those roots are damaged through overgrazing, soil erosion can occur more easily. This can lead to the loss of topsoil, which is essential for nutrient cycling and water retention. By properly managing grazing intensity, pastureland can maintain healthy vegetation cover and provide adequate forage for livestock. Overgrazing can deplete the available forage, leading to inadequate nutrition for your animals. Keep track of your grazing rotations with Farmbrite . Give it a try to see if it works for your needs. Avoid Tilling Excessively or Too Deeply. Tilling is a common practice among farmers and gardeners, but it can have major consequences for the soil. Not-tilling soil, also known as no-till or reduced tillage farming, has numerous benefits for soil health and the environment. One of the main advantages is the preservation of soil structure and health. Tilling can disrupt soil aggregates, leading to compaction and reduced porosity, which affects water infiltration and root development. By avoiding tilling, the soil structure remains intact, allowing for better water infiltration, improved aeration, and the retention of essential soil moisture. This means more water is available to plants during dry periods. No-till or reduced tilling also helps to reduce soil erosion. Tilling exposes the soil to the elements, making it more susceptible to wind and water erosion. Leaving the soil undisturbed with crop residue cover provides protection against erosion and helps conserve valuable topsoil. No-till practices promote the increase of organic matter in the soil as well. When organic matter decomposes, it contributes to the improvement of soil fertility, water-holding capacity, and nutrient availability. Lastly, not tilling can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tilling releases stored carbon in the soil, contributing to climate change. By adopting no-till practices, farmers can help to lessen climate change by keeping carbon in the soil. Don't Over-Fertilize. There are many reasons to avoid over-fertilizing your soil and crops. First, excess nutrients can harm the soil by creating a nutrient imbalance that can lead to deficiencies in other nutrients or even toxic levels of one or more elements. Second, over-fertilization can lead to increased competition between plants for available water and nutrients, which may cause some of them to suffer from a lack of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium. Finally, if you apply too much compost or manure into your fields when they're already saturated with nitrogen, you could end up trapping harmful gases like methane beneath the surface of your field, where it will continue contributing greenhouse gases into our atmosphere! There are many ways to promote long-term soil health on your farm, and they don't have to be complicated. Healthy soil is a key component of sustainability. It provides the foundation for healthy crops, which in turn feed humans and animals. Soil health is also essential for keeping carbon dioxide levels under control, which helps maintain climate stability and biodiversity. Soil health is an important part of sustainability because it affects everything from our ability to produce food and other resources, to the quality of our air and water. If your soil is not healthy enough to support healthy crops, you have to add fertilizer or risk losing your investment in seeds or plants. You can also lose valuable nutrients if they wash into waterways where they cause nutrient pollution problems in lakes and oceans that harm marine life. Luckily, there are several simple ways to practice healthy soil management, like planting cover crops, rotating crops, and not over-tilling. By following the tips we covered in this article, you’re sure to have healthy land, and in turn, healthy crops and animals. If you’re looking for a tool to help with soil and crop management , check out Farmbrite’s farm management software .

Running a successful farm operation requires efficient management of the many parts of your farm, including tracking farmworker hours, handling payroll, and tracking tasks to name just a few. However, traditional methods of manual record-keeping and payroll management can be time-consuming, error-prone, and easily lost or misplaced. This article will dive into the crucial topic of efficiently tracking farmworker hours and simplifying farm payroll management. We discuss some challenges farmers often face and some innovative solutions to help them streamline their ag operations, reduce administrative burdens, and ensure accurate and timely payments to their hardworking employees. Farm Payroll Management and Tracking Farmworker Hours Finding a system that easily tracks farm work and payroll is a big part of organizing employees and reducing your administrative work as a farmer. By leveraging modern technology and digital tools, farmers can automate the process of tracking worker hours, eliminate paperwork, ensure compliance with labor regulations, ensure fair and accurate compensation, and generally make life easier. Efficient payroll management systems can simplify calculating weekly wages, generating pay stubs, and handling tax withholdings, gathering weekly timesheets, making life easier for farmers and farmworkers. There are many benefits to streamlining farm operations with technology. The Challenges and Solutions of Tracking Projects, Farmworker Hours and Information, and Managing Payroll Running a farm operation is a complex endeavor that requires your attention in all of the many projects you have going on, managing people, and all the complexities of running a business. Here are some challenges and solutions to hopefully help you keep your farm more organized and avoid these common issues. Keeping Accurate and Up-to-Date Records One of the more frustrating challenges that farmers face is keeping accurate time tracking and task management data. Tracking farmworker hours and efficiently managing payroll and project management can be a tall task on farms. Traditional methods of manual record-keeping and payroll processing can fall short by being time-consuming, error-prone, and burdensome for farmers who are already juggling multiple responsibilities. One way to alleviate this is to offer farmworkers online timesheet software and task-tracking apps or utilize other farming apps to help manage this data. Many times these can be accessed conveniently on their mobile device. The farm workers can then log their times worked, on what projects from anywhere. This will not work for farmworkers who don't have a mobile device that connects to the internet but luckily mobile devices are relatively easy to get access. Remote Locations Farmworkers often work in remote locations, making it difficult to monitor their hours, attendance, and projects. Relying on paper timesheets or handwritten records can lead to discrepancies, lost documentation, and potential disputes over compensation. Finding a time-tracking app that can work offline will be important in this case. Then farm workers can add their attendance, times worked and any other details needed to the app. It will sync their data to the software when they get back to a WIFI signal. This will keep more up-to-date information, and reduce lost information and errors. Labor Laws and Seasonal Workers The seasonal nature of agricultural work brings added complexity, with fluctuating labor demands and varying pay rates, which can further complicate the payroll process and can lead to increased administrative tasks and risks of non-compliance with labor regulations. Some labor laws and compliance requirements to pay attention to are; minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance, and tax withholding. Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in costly fines, legal issues, and reputational damage to the farm. Staying on top of those requirements like I-9s can save you in the long run because fees or fines can be financially devastating to a small farm. Farmworker Skillset and Training The complexity of farming comes with both the need for knowledge, skill and the will and capacity to learn specific areas of farming. It's an integral part of hiring farmworkers to ensure that they have the necessary skills needed for tasks like; planting, cultivating, weeding, harvesting, taking care of animals, and equipment operation and maintenance not to mention more complicated tasks. Whether you hire someone who already has that skillset or you train them on the job, it's good to keep track of this information so you can hire them again for that same job and know what training they bring or have been given. Maintaining organized records of past seasons' employees, what training they've received helps ensure that you remember what work they did, what training they received, and how to reach them again. Being able to easily reactivate and update their information season over season makes for much smoother transitions and less overhead when workers arrive for the season. Keeping this in a searchable database is key so that you can easily find the information Manually tracking this data is not time efficient and can cause a lot of headaches in lost or incorrect data. The goal is to always find easy and smart ways to track things on the farm so you can maintain a thriving and sustainable farm operation. The Benefits of Efficient Farmworker Hour Tracking and Payroll Management Implementing efficient systems for tracking farmworker hours and managing payroll can unlock a multitude of benefits for farm operations, both in the short and long term. These advantages can have a profound impact on the overall efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of your farm. Accuracy One of the primary benefits of efficient farmworker hour tracking is the enhanced accuracy of payroll data. By transitioning from manual record-keeping to digital solutions, farmers can eliminate the risk of human errors, such as miscalculations, not entering hours, or lost timesheets. This ensures that farmworkers are paid accurately and on time, fostering trust and job satisfaction among your workforce. Compliance Streamlined payroll management also offers the advantage of improved compliance with labor regulations. Digital systems can automate the calculation of overtime pay, withholding of taxes, and adherence to minimum wage requirements, reducing the administrative burden on farmers and reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties. This protects the farm's financial well-being as well as giving you the security of being an ethical and responsible employer. Cost Savings Efficient farmworker hour tracking and payroll management can lead to significant cost savings for the farm. By automating these processes, farmers can reduce the time and resources required for manual data entry, record-keeping, and payroll processing. This, in turn, frees up funds that can be reinvested into other areas of the business, such as equipment upgrades, infrastructure improvements, or workforce development initiatives. Labor Visibility Improved data visibility and reporting capabilities are additional benefits of streamlining farm operations. Digital solutions can provide farmers with real-time insights into worker productivity, labor costs, and payroll trends, enabling more informed decision-making and strategic planning. This data-driven approach can help farmers identify areas for optimization, improve resource allocation, and make more informed business decisions. Tools and Technologies for Tracking Farmworker Hours Just like when you choose a tool to till the ground you want to choose the best tool for the job. This will be different for each farm operation. Digital technologies have revolutionized the way farmers can track hours, offering a range of innovative solutions that can streamline this critical aspect of farm operations. From mobile apps to cloud-based platforms, these tools provide farmers with efficient and reliable methods for monitoring worker attendance, timekeeping, and payroll processing. One of the most popular solutions for farmworker hour tracking is the use of mobile timekeeping apps. These applications allow farmworkers to clock in and out using their smartphones or tablets, providing real-time data on their work hours. Many of these apps also offer features such as GPS location tracking, task management, and automated payroll calculations, simplifying the entire process for both workers and farm managers. Another technology-driven approach to farmworker hour tracking is the implementation of biometric time clocks. These specialized devices use fingerprint or facial recognition to accurately record worker attendance, eliminating the need for manual sign-in and sign-out procedures. Biometric time clocks can be integrated with payroll software, ensuring seamless data transfer and reducing the risk of errors or discrepancies. In addition to these digital tools, some farms have also explored the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology for farmworker hour tracking. RFID tags or badges can be assigned to individual workers, automatically registering their arrival and departure times as they move around the farm. This hands-off approach can provide a high level of accuracy and efficiency in tracking worker hours. You might decide to try a few and see if they work for you or pick one. Whichever option you choose for your farm make sure that you have everyone on board for how to use this new tool. Read on for more information. Timesheet Apps Finding the right app that works for your business is just as important as getting your employees to use it. Digital tools such as payroll software, mobile timekeeping apps, and biometric time clocks can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of the payroll process. These solutions can automate calculations, handle tax withholdings, and generate detailed pay stubs, reducing the administrative burden on farmers and minimizing the risk of errors. Here are several time tracking and employee-management apps to take a look at in your search for one that works best for you. Microsoft and Google Sheets: If you just need a quick and free timesheet template, take a look at these timesheet templates  or you might use Google Sheets timesheets Free Timesheet Apps: Jibble.io is a free app with paid add-ons. You can use it to track timesheets mobile app, attendance, and project management, and integrate with other apps. Clockify is also a free timesheet app where you can enter hours in an online timesheet app, track attendance, add time off, utilize timers, and calculate work hours and projects. Timely helps you keep track of automatic time tracking, timesheets, tasks, and projects. FieldClock FieldClock saves you time and money by relieving your administrative burden, not adding to it. If you have a mobile device, you now have the power to manage your farm in real-time and access that data from anywhere. Farm Management Software: Another popular solution for farmworker time tracking is a Farm Management Software that offers time tracking as well like Farmbrite . Farmworkers can clock hours and update the times they worked through the app. This also shows what they worked on the farm through task management. You can also keep a record of training and farmworker information through the Farmbrite CRM and integrate it with other apps through an API. Employee Management Software: You can also utilize more sophisticated employee management software like Gusto  or ADP  that will help you keep track of timesheets, run payroll, withhold and pay taxes for you, and help you stay compliant. Choosing the Right Software for Farm Payroll Management With a wide range of options available, it is essential for farmers to carefully evaluate the features, functionality, and compatibility of these solutions to ensure they meet the unique needs of their farm operations. Here are some key features to look for that might be a benefit to your farm. Agricultural Software One of the primary considerations when choosing payroll software for a farm is its ability to handle the complexities of agricultural work, such as variable pay rates, piece-rate compensation, and seasonal labor fluctuations. Finding software for the needs of your farm operation is important. You can choose software that is very complex or more simple. Whichever software you choose, it should be designed to accommodate the unique aspects of the agricultural industry, automating calculations and simplifying the payroll process. Integrations Ease of use and integration with other farm management systems are also crucial factors. Farmers should look for payroll software that offers a user-friendly interface, intuitive workflows, and seamless integration with existing tools and technologies used on the farm, such as timekeeping apps or inventory management systems. This level of integration can help eliminate manual data entry, reduce the risk of errors, and streamline the overall farm operations. Compliance Depending on the complexity of your farm operation, another important consideration of the software's compliance features is to ensure the payroll system adheres to relevant labor laws and tax regulations. More complex payroll software should automatically handle tasks such as tax withholding, overtime calculations, and the generation of pay stubs and W-2 forms, reducing the administrative burden on farmers and minimizing the risk of non-compliance penalties. Customer Support The level of customer support and the availability of training resources to your team is vital. Reliable and responsive customer service along with comprehensive training materials can help farmers and their staff quickly adapt to the new system, maximize its benefits, and get your team up and running. Implementing a Streamlined Process for Tracking and Managing Farmworker Hours Implementing a streamlined process for tracking and managing farmworker hours is a crucial step in optimizing your farm operations. Here are some helpful steps to get you started implementing one of these apps into your organization. Step 1: Assess Your Existing Practices The first step in this process is to carefully assess the farm's existing practices for tracking worker hours. This may involve evaluating the current methods, such as paper timesheets or manual sign-in/sign-out procedures, and identifying areas for improvement. You should consider the specific needs and challenges of your farm, such as the size of the workforce, the diversity of job roles, and the geographical distribution of work sites, etc. You might find that with just a few changes you don't need to implement a whole new system or you might find that there is more that isn't working and could be streamlined. Step 2: Explore All the Options Once you've figured out what problem(s) you're trying to solve, you can begin selecting a solution. This might be for time tracking, employee management, task tracking, or all of them together. This step may involve researching and evaluating various mobile apps, biometric time clocks, or cloud-based workforce management platforms, as discussed in the previous section. The chosen solution should be tailored to the farm's requirements, offering features that streamline the hour-tracking process and integrate seamlessly with the farm's existing systems. Once you have all the information, sit down with your team and make sure that the solution you're choosing fits your needs. No software will have everything for every business. Businesses are complex and each one will have unique needs and challenges. So choose one that meets most of your needs and listens to their customers to develop for their needs. Step 3: Implementation and Training During the implementation phase, it is crucial to involve farmworkers in the process and provide comprehensive training on the new system. This not only ensures that the workers understand how to use the technology effectively but also fosters a sense of ownership and buy-in, which can contribute to the long-term success of the streamlined hour-tracking process. Providing comprehensive training and education for farmworkers is not only a necessity but also a strategic investment in the farm's long-term success. Step 4: Policies and Procedures Farmers should also establish clear policies and procedures for how farmworkers track and maintain hourly tracking, including guidelines for reporting discrepancies, handling time-off requests, and addressing any issues that may arise. By setting these expectations upfront, you can promote transparency, maintain compliance with labor regulations, and create a positive work environment for your employees. E stablish clear communication channels and provide ongoing support for your farmworkers as they transition to the new hour-tracking process. This may involve designating a dedicated point of contact or a team of "super-users" who can assist their team members with any questions or issues that may arise. Make sure they have a way to get support from whichever app you choose so workers don't feel frustrated. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions can also help identify areas for improvement and ensure that the system remains user-friendly and effective. The Future of Streamlined Farm Operations Streamlining your farm operations is just one way to make your daily work easier by working smarter, not harder. As the agricultural industry continues to evolve, the importance of streamlining farm operations, particularly in the areas of farmworker hour tracking and payroll management, will only become more pronounced. By embracing innovative technologies and implementing best practices, you can unlock a wealth of benefits that can contribute to the long-term success and sustainability of your farm business. The emphasis on data-driven decision-making and real-time visibility will become even more crucial in the years to come. Farmers who can leverage the insights and analytics derived from their streamlined farm operations will be better equipped to make informed decisions, respond to market changes, and adapt to the shifting demands of the agricultural industry. You can empower your farmworkers with user-friendly technologies and provide them with the necessary training and support to create a work environment that promotes trust, job satisfaction, and long-term loyalty – all of which are essential for the continued success of the farm operation. By embracing the power of technology, implementing best practices, and prioritizing the needs of your workforce, you can position your businesses for long-term growth, resilience, and sustainability in the ever-evolving agricultural landscape. Happy Farming!

Running a successful farm or ranch is about more than just tending to the land and animals. It involves smart financial management and accurate farm records. Farmbrite, a powerful farm and ranch accounting software , is designed to help agricultural businesses streamline their financial processes and gain valuable insights into their operations, ultimately increasing profitability. In this blog post, we'll explore how Farmbrite can simplify financial reporting, improve cost management, and enhance your decision-making process. Understanding Your Costs of Production with Farmbrite Farmbrite is all about helping you gain a deep understanding of your costs of production. By tracking input costs, break-even points, and profit margins for each animal and field, you can make informed decisions about resource allocation. This insight is invaluable for reducing costs and boosting your bottom line. It simplifies financial reporting and cash flow analysis, making tax time a breeze. Cindy, a cattle rancher, shares her experience: "The Farmbrite farm accounting software is very user-friendly! Farmbrite makes my bookkeeping job simple! When tax time rolls around, everything is accounted for, and I can simply press the Generate P & L button! This program has made the bookkeeping portion of our ranching operation so easy!" Making Informed Decisions with Farmbrite Farmbrite doesn't just help you manage your finances; it empowers you with insights into your farm's production and productivity. By analyzing key data, you can make informed decisions about your crops, livestock, and other aspects of your business. This data-driven approach allows you to adjust your strategies and optimize your operations for increased efficiency and profitability. Insights into Top Performers with Farmbrite Customized reports and performance records provide deep insights into your business. These insights allow you to identify top performers, spot areas that may need improvement, and make data-driven decisions that can positively impact your bottom line. The investment in Farmbrite's farm accounting software quickly pays off through the valuable business insights it provides. Streamlining Accounting & Sales with Farmbrite Farmbrite offers a suite of features that covers your entire sales process, from farm to sale. You can track your earnings, report on your season's performance, and maintain a year-over-year history of your sales. Plus, with Farmbrite's online store, you can launch your own e-commerce platform to sell your products directly to customers. This feature includes inventory management, pricing options, delivery fees, taxes, and secure payment collection using Stripe. Additionally, Farmbrite offers Quick Pay, which is ideal for roadside farm stands or pop-up selling events. Customers can easily make payments by scanning a QR code and entering the amount to pay, making transactions quick and hassle-free. Scalability for Your Growing Business with Farmbrite Every agricultural operation is unique, and Farmbrite understands that. The farm accounting software is designed to be flexible and grow with you as your business expands. It provides the tools to keep you organized, allowing you to log important historical information, manage your farm, and keep records safe. Whether you're a small family farm or a large-scale operation, Farmbrite adapts to your needs. With Farmbrite, you can start with an affordable plan, priced at just $9 per month, and upgrade as your farm or ranch grows. This scalability ensures that you always have the right tools to manage your finances effectively. In conclusion, Farmbrite's farm and ranch accounting software is a valuable asset for any agricultural business. It simplifies financial management, provides key insights for decision-making, streamlines accounting and sales, and is adaptable to your business's growth. With Farmbrite, you can take control of your farm's financial health, increase profitability, and make tax season a breeze. Start with a plan that suits your needs and watch your bottom line improve with the power of Farmbrite's farm management software .

Accounting may not be the most fun part of your work week but it is a very important part. Understanding and adopting farm-specific accounting methods can mean the difference between living your dream or just dreaming about it. At the end of the day farming is a business and accounting (for better or worse) is a big part of that. Read on for some tools, tips and key agriculture accounting standards to adopt for your farm or ranch. No matter what type of business you're running, it's critical to keep detailed records of your income and expenses. So whether you keep your farm records in a spreadsheet, online accounting system (like Quickbooks or Xero), or use a farm management system or farm accounting software keeping detailed financial records is critical to understanding the health of your farm business. Farm Budgets for a Profitable Farm Business Budgets are crucial to making sound agricultural decisions. They help you evaluate your business venture before committing to them. They also provide the framework to keep on track as you move through the season. What is this magic I'm describing? Why, it's a budget. There are two types of budgets that small farms and ranches use the most often. They are: 1) An operating budget— budgeting for cash flow. 2) An Enterprise Budget — budgeting for a new agricultural product/project. Farm Cashflow Management Cash flow refers to the net balance of cash moving in and out of a business at a specific point in time. This could be monthly expenses or savings for future unknowns. All of this goes into a cash flow budget. One way to get your budget in check is to write out a budget or add one to an online app. There are lots of free resources out there that can help you with this. What's important is that you write down your income (in) and expenses (out) to make sure you're covered for the month. It's important to get all the spenders in the household involved in this process. Then (hopefully) there won't be any oops moments where you overspend and can't pay for something important. It's also great to have multi-streams of income in case the market dries up or you aren't able to sell an item. Here are a few ways to keep the cash flow streaming on the farm: Offer a CSA- It doesn't have to be a year-long CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). You could choose a weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly CSA. This keeps funds rolling in (even in the winter). Sell seasonal items (plan ahead) Like seedlings or holidays gift items. (Christmas trees or pies anyone!?) Sell greens (all year long) Sell herbs or flowers: Get creative about what might grow well in your area. (Dry the flowers and sell dried bouquets in the winter. Grow some garlic and scapes Start a herd share or breeding services Add some online or in-person classes. You also might offer both for folks that can't make it to you. (This might broaden your reach.) Rent a barn stall or two These are just a few ideas but there are a ton of ideas that could help keep the funds rolling in for your farm all year long. Think about your market and listen to what your customer wants. Evaluating The Next Greatest Thing One of the most addictive parts of farming is dreaming about all the possibilities. Before you take that leap into the next market or next great idea be sure to run your idea through an enterprise budget exercise. Should you build a new hoop house for early tomato production? Should you sell pastured chicken eggs? How about adding turkey this year? Or what about adding flower production to your vegetable farm? While the opportunities for new income streams are exciting, it is also incredibly easy to waste a lot of time and money on a new venture that may end up being unprofitable and just cost you money. Enterprise budgets are a way of helping you break down the expenses and income that come with a specific crop/livestock project. They have been developed by agricultural producers, extension specialists, government agencies, and financial institutions to help farm and ranch managers evaluate new agricultural opportunities. You can use them to help find a budget that matches the crop or livestock you may be considering. Here is a link to some free enterprise budgets. Enterprise budgets were initially created for large-scale farms, but many have been developed for small, specialty operations. Most land-grant universities have a selection of enterprise budgets to choose from. Go HERE for more information on using budgets for agricultural decision-making. Understanding Your Farms’ Profit and Loss Your farm’s income statement (aka profit and loss) allows you to determine whether the farming operation is making money. It also allows you to evaluate the difference between your gross income (total sales) and net income (gross sales after expenses). Your P&L includes the same income and expense categories as your annual operating budget minus capital purchases with the addition of depreciation expense and interest. Once you determine what your “profit” is, it is up to you to decide what to do with it. Some beginning farmers will put all that money right back into the operation, electing to grow the efficiency of the business, investing in new equipment, or building a packing shed, for instance. Others may take that income out as an “owner draw” for household income. Finally, some may hold that money in reserve for future investments or cover next year’s expenses. Preparing for Taxes — Your Schedule F Ranchers and livestock, including poultry farmers, vegetable and fruit growers, nursery owners, and even fish farmers running a business need to report their net profit or loss for the tax year using a Schedule F (Profit or Loss from Farming) form. A Schedule F also allows you to take advantage of farm-specific deductions. The income (or loss) from your Schedule F will then be carried over when you file your personal 1040. Most farmers will find it easier to employ a tax professional to finish their annual Schedule F. However, the record-keeping of income and expenses will need to be kept and gathered to provide to the hired accountant. Paper receipts may be provided, but most farmers find it easier to use software developed for farm accounting to keep track of income and expenses. This farm accounting software will help you if you categorize your income and expenses throughout the year, the same information used to formulate budgets, keep track of your cash flow, and run your P&L will also fill out your Schedule F when tax time comes around. If you'd like to find an easier way to do this give the farm accounting software , Farmbrite a try! We help you just print out that Schedule F at tax time. Learn more about accounting needs for small farmers and ranchers . We hope you found this introduction to farm budgeting and accounting helpful! In addition to helping farmers and ranchers keep track of their crops and livestock, sell online, run reports and analytics, and issue work orders, Farmbrite offers farm bookkeeping and accounting functionality that streamlines your farms' taxes and bookkeeping needs.

Essential farm records and data to keep track for your farm's success As a farmer, managing your farm efficiently is key to success. One crucial aspect of effective farm management is keeping thorough and accurate records and data. Tracking and analyzing valuable data about your operations can provide valuable insights and help you make informed decisions. In this article, we will discuss the essential farm records and data that you should be tracking, along with the benefits of using a farm management software like Farmbrite to simplify the process. We admit that we're biased but even if you don't use software like Farmbrite, there are always other options as well. We've listed a few in the article below. 1. Financial Records Managing your farm's finances shoul be a top priority for your farm. Keeping detailed financial records allows you to better understand your farm's profitability, monitor expenses, and plan for the future. With farm management software, you can easily track and organize your farm financial records. These software solutions often provide features such as: Income and sales tracking: Monitor all sales, including product type, quantity, and price, to have a clear overview of your farm's revenue streams. Expense management: Record all expenses, such as inputs, equipment costs, labor, and overheads, to ensure accurate budgeting and cost analysis. Cash flow analysis: Generate cash flow statements to understand how money flows in and out of your farm, helping you identify potential cash flow issues and make adjustments accordingly. Tax document management: Keep track of all necessary tax-related documents, receipts, and expenses in one central location, simplifying tax preparation and ensuring compliance. 2. Crop and Livestock Records Tracking records specific to your crops and livestock is vital for managing their health, productivity, and overall performance. Farm management software can be a game-changer in this aspect, providing seamless data recording and retrieval. Consider these essential crop and livestock records: Planting and harvesting dates: Easily record and access when you planted and harvested different crops to evaluate their performance and plan future planting. Crop yields and quality: Measure and record the quantity and quality of your crops to assess their profitability and identify areas for improvement. Livestock health and breeding records: Maintain easily accessible records of vaccinations, treatments, births, and deaths to track the health and productivity of your livestock. Spot patterns, detect issues early on, and make informed breeding decisions. Feed and medication usage: Keep track of the quantities and types of feed and medication provided to your livestock. This information helps manage costs and monitor the health and performance of your animals. Temperature logs and production performance. This helps you know if your herd or crop is being affected by weather or temperature changes in the environment. Check out Farmbrite to help you manage your crop and livestock records. 3. Equipment Maintenance and Usage Farm equipment plays a crucial role in your farming operations. Keeping records of equipment maintenance and usage enables you to maximize their lifespan, minimize downtime, and make informed decisions about equipment investment. Farm management software can help streamline this process with features including: Maintenance schedules: Set reminders for routine maintenance tasks within the software and track their completion dates to ensure regular upkeep of your equipment and prevent breakdowns. Repair history: Record any repairs or equipment failures, including dates and costs. This information enables you to identify recurring issues and make more informed decisions about repairing or replacing equipment. Usage Logs: Track hours or miles operated by each piece of equipment within the software. This data helps determine the efficiency of your equipment and can guide decisions about upgrading or downsizing your machinery fleet. Check out Farmbrite to help you manage your farm maintenance schedules . 4. Labor and Employee Data Keeping farm labor and employment records is of utmost importance for effective farm management. These employee records play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with labor laws, managing payroll and employee benefits, monitoring workforce productivity, and maintaining a safe working environment. By systematically documenting employee details, work hours, wages, and employment contracts, farmers can ensure fair treatment of their workforce and minimize the risk of labor disputes or lawsuits. Labor and employment records also provide valuable insights into labor costs, helping farmers make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, labor planning, and budgeting. Utilizing software like Gusto or something similar can further streamline these processes, allowing you to easily track and update employee information, generate accurate payroll reports, and ensure overall farm productivity and efficiency. Farm management software makes record-keeping a breeze Tracking essential farm records and data is crucial for making informed decisions and successful farm management. The use of farm management software can greatly simplify this task, providing you with a centralized platform to record, organize, and analyze your farm's vital information. By keeping accurate financial records, crop and livestock data, and equipment maintenance and usage records, you can gain insights into your farm's performance, identify areas for improvement, and make strategic decisions to maximize productivity and profitability. Embrace the power of farm management software, and watch your farm thrive! If you’re looking for farm management software that can handle it all, from breeding schedules to income records, check out Farmbrite and its list of Farmbrite features that can streamline your data recording and tracking on the farm! If you aren't using a farm management software like Farmbrite we do suggest using something that works for you to help you keep these numbers. Many of our customers have started out by using spreadsheets they have created. If you don't want to jump into software right away, give that a try. A spreadsheet will be better than pen and paper because you can use in it multiple places. Whatever you use, we wish you the best in your farm endeavor.

Layer Chickens We all want flocks of healthy, happy chickens producing lots of delicious eggs. We have found that the key to a flock's health, is monitoring. If you are monitoring your flock, as soon as you see a problem, you can work to fix it. In this article, we will highlight some key aspects of your flock to watch. Keeping a close eye on these metrics will keep your flock in optimal health as well as in optimal egg production mode. Top 6 Items to Track to Raise Healthy Layer Chickens: 1. Monitor the Environment of your Layer Chickens Chickens are pretty adaptable but they will have the best lay rate when their environmental temperature is between 59°F to 75°F. In extremely hot or cold weather, and if hours of daylight drop below about 14, your chickens will stop laying. Chickens can also experience temperature stress in extreme weather and it will signal their bodies to conserve energy and stop laying eggs. Monitor the temperature of your flock's environment with a temperature gauge and take a record of three things daily: The average temperature of their environment Number of eggs produced Average amount of feed consumed Average weight General health scale 1-5 (Were there deaths, changes in attitude, etc.) Watching how your flock reacts to their environment can help you stay ahead of changes that might occur. You might find that making your flock more comfortable with a heat light, fan, or extra ventilation when you know these environmental changes are coming will make take away some of the extreme changes they are feeling and will help reduce your loss of laying. 2. Track your Chicken Feed The two aspects of chicken feed that can affect the health of your flock are the amount they consume and the quality of the feed. The Amount of Feed: Chickens generally eat 1/4 lbs of feed per day or 1.5 lbs of feed each per week. Overfeeding can cause obesity which can cause a number of health issues like, pressure sores, mobility issues, and becoming egg-bound. You want your chickens to be at their optimal health for both body mass, life stage, and egg production. Keep track of how much feed they're consuming at what stages and what types of feed produce the best laying results. One example of this is, if a feed type doesn't have enough calcium your egg shells will be too brittle but too much and they will be very hard. Chicken feed producers have spent a lot of time and money researching the best ratio, take advantage of that research. The Quality of Your Feed: The type of food your chickens eat affects their health. Keep track of what type of feed your flock ate and how their production was so that you can measure the outcome. Here are some different types of feed and supplements. Pellet feed - pellets processed and added to molds Crumble feed - pellets broken up Whole grain feed - unprocessed ingredients mixed together Mash - whole grain feed, ground up Fermented mash - whole grain feed, ground up and then fermented Fruits and Vegetables -table scraps/a treat Corn scratch - a treat Insects - what they can catch or supplied by you Grit - a hard insoluble substance that helps with digestion The recommended layer diets should have about 16% protein, 3-4% calcium, and 0.4-0.6% Phosphorus. Whether you are buying pellet feed at the store or making your own mix you should make sure you have those ratios in mind. Also, something to note, depending on your market preferences you may not want to feed your chickens soy or corn to address allergies in your customers. You can find feed that has pea protein and other grains in place of corn and soy. Organic vs non-organic, all vegetarian, etc. may also play into markets where customers are looking at those labels for allergies. These are all just considerations as you purchase feed for your flock. The Quality of your Water: Water is used in most processes in the body; keeping normal temperature, getting rid of waste, and adding cushion to joints. So, keeping clean water is important. Chickens consume about 33.8 ounces of water each day depending on if they are foraging or confined. You can also keep track of how you treat your water and how much they consume. This is also going to help keep a healthy flock. 3. Tracking Average Daily Gains in your Flock Layer feed consumption is an important metric. This goes into Average Daily Gains (ADG). The amount of feed consumed by a layer per day is a key performance indicator. then the average amount each chicken gains in a day is something you'll want to track. This calculation is called Average Daily Gains (ADG). The amount of food ingested will hopefully produce gains in a relatively short amount of time. Depending on the type of chickens you're raising for this purpose this can be something you need to watch closely. Remember; you don't have to weigh every bird. Take an average: catch 3-5 and take a measurement of them and divide that by the whole group. Here is another article we wrote and a free calculator to help find feed conversion rates . 4. Tracking Egg Production for Layer Chickens Different types of chickens will lay different amounts of eggs per year. First, you should choose the breed best suited to your climate and the egg production you're looking for. Then keep track of how many eggs they are producing each day. You may also want to keep track of how many eggs you have lost to breaks, drops, pecks, freezing temperatures, or other accidents. This gives you an idea of how many eggs you can expect and the profit/loss from them. If you have overflow, you can expand your egg sales into other markets. But not knowing how much you will produce will make it hard to expand. Keeping track of losses is also valuable information. It tells you where you can improve. 5. The Longevity of your Chicken Flock Layers live between 3-10 years depending on their breed, how they are kept, and other factors. Most layer breeds will start laying around 6 months old and have top production for the first 2-3 years. Egg production will start to drop after that. If you're keeping track of their production you will start to see trends in the types of chickens you raise and their production. Keeping track of it is key. When your chicken's egg production starts to taper off, as it will as they age, you can choose to sell those hens to local backyard chicken enthusiasts, keep them, or butcher them. A chicken that is 2-3 years old can still produce as many 200+ eggs a year and that's more than enough for some small farmers or backyard flocks. 6. General Health of your Flock Even the best-laid plans sometimes go wrong but with tracking and management, you can keep on top of these issues. Mortality rates for layers in a normal poultry farm can be in the 1-5% range. To calculate the mortality rate in your flock take the total deaths divided by the number of chickens you have that day, multiplied by 100. This is a number that you want to track. If you are losing a lot of chickens you may have an illness going through your coop. This is something you need to catch early. Using an online farm record keeping app can help. Mortality can also depend on the way you are keeping chickens. For instance, if you have free-range chickens you face different challenges than those who are managing chickens in confinement. Be aware of these challenges and the impact it's having on your profit and loss. Then you can make changes to protect your investment. Take a record of these 5 things daily for key chicken health: The average temperature of their environment Number of eggs produced Average amount of feed consumed Average weight General health scale 1-5 (Were there deaths, changes in attitude, etc.) Overall the most important things to keep track of for your flock are temperature, environment, feed, average daily gains, egg production, weight, longevity, mortality rate, and overall health. Take a look at Farmbrite for your farm record keeping . Whether you are tracking your chickens, crops, or both, Farmbrite can help. Start a free trial today.

As the sun sets over the rolling hills and the cattle graze peacefully in the meadows, it's easy to appreciate the timeless beauty of ranching. For generations, ranchers have been stewards of the land, providing us with not only delicious beef but also a glimpse into a way of life that's deeply rooted in tradition and a profound connection to the environment. In today's world, where sustainability is a growing concern, ranchers can play a crucial role in preserving the land they love through sustainable grazing practices. In this blog, we'll delve into the Rancher's Guide to Sustainable Grazing Practices, exploring the benefits, techniques, and the essential role ranchers play in environmental conservation. The Importance of Sustainable Grazing Sustainable grazing is not just a buzzword; it's a vital approach for ranchers who wish to ensure the long-term health of their land, their cattle, and the environment. Sustainable grazing practices help maintain healthy pastures and ecosystems, reduce the environmental impact of ranching, and enhance the overall well-being of the animals in your care. Healthy Pastures: Overgrazing can lead to soil erosion, reduced plant diversity, and degradation of the land. Sustainable grazing practices, on the other hand, ensure that pastures remain lush and fertile by allowing plants to recover and regenerate. Environmental Impact: Sustainable grazing practices can mitigate the environmental footprint of ranching. By preventing soil erosion and minimizing water pollution, ranchers contribute to healthier ecosystems and cleaner water sources. Animal Welfare: Well-managed grazing practices ensure that cattle have access to fresh forage and clean water, which directly impacts their health and well-being. Economic Benefits: Sustainable grazing practices can also benefit ranchers economically. By maintaining healthy pastures, ranchers reduce the need for costly inputs like supplemental feed and can even increase the carrying capacity of their land. Techniques for Sustainable Grazing To implement sustainable grazing practices on your ranch, consider the following techniques Rotational Grazing: Divide your pasture into smaller sections and rotate cattle through them. This allows for periods of rest and recovery for the land and helps maintain healthy forage. Stocking Density: Adjust the number of cattle in a pasture-based on its carrying capacity. Avoid overstocking, as it can lead to overgrazing and land degradation. Water Management: Ensure that cattle have access to clean water sources to maintain their health and encourage even grazing distribution. Fencing and Corrals: Properly constructed fencing and corrals can help manage cattle movement, reducing the risk of overgrazing in one area. Monitoring and Record-Keeping: Regularly assess your pastures, record data on forage growth, and adjust your grazing management plan accordingly. Use a herd management software to keep track of herd movements, inventory, and more. The Rancher's Role in Environmental Conservation Ranchers are not just livestock producers; they are stewards of the land. By implementing sustainable grazing practices, they contribute to environmental conservation and protect the ecosystems they rely on. Ranchers can also engage in additional initiatives to further promote sustainability: Wildlife Habitat Preservation: Set aside areas for wildlife habitats and conservation. These spaces provide essential ecosystems for native flora and fauna. Education and Outreach: Share your knowledge of sustainable grazing practices with other ranchers and the public. Raising awareness can inspire positive change in the industry. Collaboration: Partner with conservation organizations and governmental agencies to access resources, funding, and technical assistance for sustainable ranching practices. The Rancher's Guide to Sustainable Grazing Practices is not just a manual for maintaining a successful ranch; it's a call to action for preserving the land, wildlife, and traditions that make ranching so special. By adopting and promoting sustainable grazing practices, ranchers can continue to thrive and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come. Sustainable ranching is more than just good business; it's a commitment to the land and a testament to the enduring spirit of the American rancher.

Water. Rest. Shade these are the three components of OSHA's heat illness prevention campaign that they launched in 2011. They are a good reminder for those of us who work outside in the heat. Every year thousands of cases of heat illness are reported and unfortunately, many of them result in a loss of life. Heat illness can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or physical ability. When you're working out in the field it's good practice to understand the symptoms and what to do in case someone is suffering from them. Tips for staying cool while working outdoors: Keep a wet cloth and sunscreen in a cooler and use on breaks Wear breathable clothes Mist yourself with water Apply ice or cool water to pulse points Stay hydrated Wear a hat Dress appropriately Take breaks in the shade or cool area Signs of heat exhaustion: * Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat * Heavy sweating * Faintness * Dizziness * Fatigue * Weak, rapid pulse * Low blood pressure upon standing * Muscle cramps * Nausea * Headache What to do if you have heat exhaustion: + Move the person to a cooler area + Let the person lay down and loosen the clothing + Apply cool, wet clothes to as much of the body as possible + Fan or move them to an air-conditioned or cooler area + Offer sips of water + If the person vomits more than once seek medical attention Signs of Heat Stroke: (Heat stroke is much more severe and should be treated by a medical professional) * Throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, shallow breathing * Body temperature of above 103°F * Extreme thirst * Red, hot, dry or moist skin * Rapid pulse * Fainting, convulsions, or loss of consciousness What to do if you have heat stroke: + Call 911 emergency + Reduce temperature until the ambulance arrives A good way of preventing heat exhaustion or heat stroke is to provide a cool, place in the shade. Here are some other ideas and ways to prevent workers from experiencing heat illness. Ways to prevent heat illness: Provide workers with water, rest areas, and shade. Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimate to the heat (while they build a tolerance for working in the heat.) Plan for emergencies and train workers on prevention. Monitor workers for signs of illness. Or have them check in with each other. Need a way to keep track of your tasks, schedule,e and farm work? Try Farmbrite! Get started today.

Food waste is a problem that we all face, even if you don't have a farm. Inevitably, food will spoil. As farmers, we have the complex job of balancing growing the right amount of food so that our customers will be satisfied and yet, not leaving anything on the table to waste. Food waste is also one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters on the planet. According to the U.N. Environment Programme, 1.3 billion tons, or one-third of all the food produced in the world is lost or wasted every year . Unfortunately, the current food manufacturing process is not helping these numbers. Farmers know there are a significant amount of resources put into producing food; from water, land use, time, and energy harvesting, packaging, selling, and moving the food. There are many situations in farming where food is left unharvested or becomes unsellable. This is part of the risk of producing food, but we can be smarter. What we're suggesting here are some ways to reduce the amount of loss before we have to add to the waste pile at all. One of the biggest ways that we might reduce greenhouse gases is by reducing food waste through the food production cycle. In this article, we will outline several ways to eliminate food waste through the farming process while creatively turning that into a profit. Top Ways to Reduce Food Waste on Your Farm - Before The Growing Season The way you plan your growing season can significantly reduce food waste on your farm. This means planning what to grow, when to grow it, for how long, when to harvest, and the best ways to store and sell it. Here are some steps before you even plant to reduce food waste during the growing season. Do Your Research: Before you purchase seed you need to understand what your customers want to buy, roughly how much they will pay for the item, and if that item grows well in your area. By doing this research before you start growing, will reduce the amount of waste you might end up with because of overages and un-marketability. Estimate What You Need to Grow: This is another step in the market research, finding out how much you might need to grow. One of the top areas of food waste is overproduction. No one wants to grow food that just sits wasted in the field, but it happens due to overproduction of an item and not enough places to sell it. To combat this, do your research, and find places where you know you will be able to sell your item . You can sell wholesale as well as retail, don't limit yourself. Doing your research and understanding your market will go a long way to growing what you need. This doesn't mean that you can't try new things and add to your farm line-up but if your goal is to reduce waste, that's not the place to start. Use Technology: The use of digital technology in farming has skyrocketed over the past decade. You can smartly use farm technology to help you produce and distribute your food more efficiently. This goes from seed to sale; using tools to estimate how much you will need to grow, to selling online and expanding your customer base . Technology has more and more applications in farming. Secure Buyers Ahead of Time: Being able to plan for your customer's needs ahead of the season gives you a huge advantage in reducing food waste as well as knowing how much you will make in a season. You can do this by using things like community-supported agriculture (CSA) and speaking with local chefs and other businesses to set up agreements to purchase the items before you even grow them. Top Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Planting Planning how you grow your produce can help you more effectively plan your season and can significantly reduce food waste on your farm. This also just generally makes life easier during the growing season. Of course, there will always be things that you won't expect but here are some steps you can take to better plan your growing season: Crop Selection: It starts with your crop selection. Choose crops that have a longer shelf life, are more stable, can be harvested easily, or can be easily preserved. Seed Selection: Choose high-quality seeds from reputable suppliers. Opt for varieties that are well-suited to your local climate, soil conditions are more disease-resistant. This improves germination and growth rates, and overall crop health. Soil Testing: Conduct regular soil tests to assess nutrient levels and pH balance. Amend your soil as needed with organic matter, compost, or appropriate fertilizers to optimize nutrient availability for optimal plant growth. Plant at the Right Time: Plant seeds when soil moisture and temperature conditions are optimal for germination, and early growth in your zone. It's important to avoid planting during periods of excessive weather like wind, rain, or drought, as this can lead to poor seedling establishment and higher loss rates. Promote Crop Health in the Field: Use strategies to manage and promote healthy plants such as soil solarization to manage weeds, sanitation of winter debris, pruning staking and continued care as the plant matures, and weeding strategies. Stressed plants are more prone to diseases and pests so you can reduce that by reducing those stressors. Extend the Growing Season: Plant earlier and finish the season later by using tunnels, row covers, hot caps, soil mulches, and greenhouses. These strategies can also help reduce pests. Use Cover Crops and Green Manures: Plant cover crops or green manure between crop rotations to improve soil health, suppress weeds, and reduce erosion. This can also help reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, minimizing environmental impact and monetary overhead. Use Crop Rotation and Companion Planting: Implement a crop rotation plan to maintain soil fertility, prevent the buildup of soil diseases, and disrupt pest lifestyles. Start Succession Planting: Instead of planting all your crops at once, stagger your plantings to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season. This prevents too much produce at any one time. This also makes sure that you have more of that item growing for return customers. Practice Efficient Irrigation Management: Implement efficient irrigation systems and water management practices. By adding efficient irrigation sources that water only where needed you can ensure optimal crop health and minimize water waste. Employ Pest Management: Employ integrated pest management (IPM) practices to control pests and diseases using environmentally friendly methods such as beneficial predators, biological control, crop rotation, and the use of pest-resistant varieties. This can reduce the need for chemical pesticides as well as crop loss to pests. Top Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Harvest Another step to reducing food waste is planning your harvest, storage, sale, and transportation of your produce. Much of what is spoiled can be reduced with planning and care during harvest and post-harvest. Harvest Planning: Plan your harvest schedule carefully to avoid leaving crops in the field for too long, where they may become overripe or susceptible to spoilage. Create a growing season overview so you can see growing times and estimates of ripeness and harvest dates. Harvest crops at the optimal stage of maturity to ensure maximum quality and shelf life. Harvest With Care: Handle harvested crops with care to minimize bruising, crushing, and other physical damage. Using appropriate tools and equipment, such as harvest bins with cushioning materials, and picking baskets that won't squeeze or pinch produce will reduce injury during picking and transport. Use Best Practices at Harvest: Maintain high levels of cleanliness and hygiene during harvesting operations to prevent contamination and reduce the risk of microbial spoilage. You should be thinking about containers, surfaces, water, and anything touching the produce. After each step in the process, the next handling area should be even cleaner. Work to establish a culture of food safety on your farm. Reduce handling and transport to the packhouse as much as possible as this is where a lot of damage occurs. You might consider investing in carts for harvesting and field packing depending on the produce you're harvesting. They can provide ease in packing, transport, and shade for farm workers and produce. Sorting: Sort harvested crops based on quality criteria such as size, color, ripeness, and appearance. Place damaged, diseased, or defective produce aside to prevent spoilage from spreading to healthy crops during storage and transport. You can find another use for this produce later (see other steps). Packaging and Post Harvest: Use appropriate packaging materials and techniques to protect harvested crops from physical damage, moisture loss, and exposure to light and air. Choose packing materials that are breathable and provide good ventilation to prevent condensation and mold. C onsider a dding a post-harvest treatment such as washing, sanitizing, or waxing to remove surface contaminants and pathogens that can contribute to spoilage. If you have the means to get a little more complex, you can utilize treatments such as modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or controlled atmosphere storage (CAS) which can help extend the shelf life of perishable crops. Both these storage methods reduce respiration rates and inhibit microbial growth. Inventory and Storage Planning: Proper management of storage facilities and techniques can extend the shelf life of harvested produce. Creating a cool storage environment and always practicing safe food handling practices are other key ways to store food longer, and reduce food waste while practicing good agricultural practices. Traceability: Implement a traceability system to track the movement, care, and storage of harvested crops from the field to the consumer. Traceability helps keep food safe for consumers and gives them visibility into how the food was grown, stored, etc. Top Ways to Reduce Food Waste after Harvest Another step to reducing food waste is finding creative ways to sell as much as you can and then upcycle the rest. Here are some ways to make the sale of your harvest easier to say yes to and other ways to use your produce before it spoils. Offer Delivery:  People love a delivery service. It offers convenience to your customers and regular cash to your business. You won't have items sitting on a shelf, they will be going out the door fresh to your customer's doorstep. It's always an option to charge extra or make it an add-on to your service. Upcycle Your Harvest: If you can't sell them, preserve them. It makes sense to take fruit and vegetables that you have and make something with the excess. Create your own unique jam, jelly, salsa, pickles, hot sauce and more. You just need a little bit of elbow grease and time. Save the season and sell the products through the winter. Collaborate with Local Food Banks: Establish partnerships with local food banks, restaurants, and other outlets to distribute surplus produce that cannot be sold commercially. 1 in 5 People in the U.S. is food insecure, yet more than 30% of food grown is wasted and never consumed. Offering this food to food banks can help reduce waste while also benefiting the community. Bonus- this donation is tax deductible. Give Discounts for Imperfect Food: Offer a discount to your customers for items that are misshapen or are at the end of their shelf life. Customers will benefit from a bit of a discount and you won't have to throw out or compost that item. You might also think of keeping a list of customers who bought this type of produce before and then contacting them when you have excess to sell. Host a farm-to-table dinner: Have a farm dinner directly after your day at the market. Whatever doesn't sell, gets cooked for dinner. Sell tickets and make it a community event. Hire a local chef and collaborate. You might find that the local chef might want to purchase your produce regularly for their restaurant. As a bonus for your guests, you might also have baskets of produce ready to purchase on their way home. Feed Animals Excess Food: Use excess produce to feed your animals. If you don't raise animals yourself, you can work with another local farm to purchase your item. Do some networking in your farm community to see who might be interested. Compost: Last, but certainly not least, compost. Compost is an excellent source of additional organic matter and nutrients to incorporate into your soil. The food you can't use today can be composted to improve the soil for tomorrow. Food waste is a very large contributor to methane gas emissions in our environment today. Much of this could be reduced by finding alternative channels for those items and being smarter in our farming processes. By implementing these strategies you can optimize your growing season to reduce food waste and improve the sustainability of your farm operations. It's truly a win-win. Here are some additional articles about Food Waste Reduction: USDA and the EPA calling for a 50 % reduction in food waste by 2030. Stop food waste Information on food waste Food waste facts Facts about food waste Donate your Extra Produce Another place to Donate your Extra Produce How to compost at home (from EcoWatch)

Did you know that the growth of flower farmers and the sales of fresh-cut flowers have been booming in recent years? So whether you grow vegetables, fruits, berries, meat, milk shares, or herbs adding flowers to your crop plan can be a great way to boost sales at the market and add extra value to your customers. Flowers are a great option to sell at the farmer's market. Not only are they beautiful but you can make a fair profit on them. You have the option to sell loose-cut flowers as well as making up bouquets to have on hand. Other farmers at the market might also be selling flowers but making your bouquets unique will help you stand out and bring more people to your booth. Here is a list of the top 10 Flowers to grow on your Flower Farm and sell at the Market: Peonies A showy flower that makes a lasting impression. Growing tip: They like full sun and neutral PH soil. Zinnias A very easy flower to grow. They grow quickly and bloom heavily. Growing tip: Do not seed until the last frost has passed. Cosmos A free flowering annual that is extremely easy to grow. Growing tip: Don't over water. Tulips A spring-blooming perennial that grows between 4-28 inches tall in many different colors. Growing tip: Plant the bulbs deep; 8 inches. Plant different varieties with varying bloom times. Sunflowers A big, bright large stemmed flower that can grow over 16 feet tall. Growing tip: Plant in full sun. They are heliotropic, and follow the sun through the day. Roses An oldie but a goodie. Growing tip: Deadhead to keep them blooming and wear sturdy gloves. Snapdragons A short-lived perennial that may not come back every year. They come in a wide variety of colors and heights. Growing tip: They prefer cooler soil so don't use a seed mat. Cornflowers  Also called Bachelor's Button. It is an annual that grows about 1-3 feet in height. Growing tip: Drought tolerant once established, they will benefit from mulching with bark. Irises A showy perennial flower that is either a bulb or rhizome. Growing tip: Especially bearded irises do not like shade.  Calla Lillies These can be a little challenging to grow but are well worth it once they get going. Growing tip:  Watch the watering. Too much can cause pythium .  Flower farming can offer big opportunities to increase existing sales or to get started in agriculture. So whether you're thinking of starting a flower farm or you have extra growing space, adding flowers to your farm can bring a profit and make your market booth look more appealing. This list is a great place to start but keep your eyes out for types of flowers that no one is selling and bring those. Whatever you don't sell you can always sell to the local florist.   Happy Farming! Farmbrite helps flower farmers know more, grow more, and sell more cut flowers.

The winter is a great time to reflect on the growing season, plan for the upcoming season, take some much-needed downtime, and maybe do some research/reading. Since we're all looking for ideas to make our farms better I thought we would review. a few books on farming. For those interested in small farming, a wealth of insightful books can provide both inspiration and practical guidance. Some offer efficient and profitable farming techniques, while others emphasize sustainable practices that can be implemented on a small scale. These books provide a solid foundation in both the theory and practice of small farming and cater to various interests and approaches. Here are our top picks for farming books. We've chosen this collection to offer a wide range of ideas and farming practices; some are about tilling, some are about the business side of farming and others just have sound advice to get you started. Here is our list of the top farming books for small-scale farmers 1) You Can Farm By Joel Salatin This book, written by Joel Salatin, founder of Polyface Farms gives the rundown of how to be successful and profitable in a small farm business, aptly subtitled " The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise. " There are many ideas that can help you even if you aren't selling at the market. 2) The Market Garden By Jean-Martin Fortier Micro-farming is a real thing. Read about how you can make a living on 1.5 acres and feed more than 200 families. This book breaks down everything you need to know to get started and grow a micro-farm. They talk about low-tech options but high yield.  It is a great read with pictures, checklists, and many innovative ideas. Additionally, the Market Gardener Institute offers courses for small farms to help you get started. 3) The Lean Farm By Ben Hartman Working smarter, not harder is the key takeaway from this book. Hartman is farming on just 1 acre and using innovative and progressive farming techniques which he talks about in this book. He is also the founder of Clay Bottom Farm and provides resources and training for those interested in Lean Farming. He is helping to bring farming to a new generation of farmers. 4) Dirt to Soil By Gabe Brown The soil is the star of this book. Through his family trials, he has found some innovative solutions to some of the pressing agricultural challenges we come up against today.  The question asked here is,  "How can we get more life from the land?" 5) The Resilient Farm and Homestead By Ben Falk A land designer and site developer took some land that would not conventionally be used for farming and made it thrive. He has a team of researchers and this book gives loads of helpful information and strategies on his work. You'll find gravity-fed water systems, site design, agroforestry, fertility management, and more. 6) Start Your Farm: The Authoritative Guide to Becoming a Sustainable 21st-Century Farm By Forrest Pritchard & Ellen Polishuk Learn how to start a farm in the 21st century with a small to medium-sized acreage. This book gives real examples and to-dos for aspiring farmers out there. It takes this to the business side of farming which you will need to make your way. It also talks about the dos and don'ts. It's an easy read and one you should pick up if you're looking into getting into farming. 7) The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution: High Production Methods for Small-Scale Farmers By Andrew Mefferd Increasingly more farmers are moving toward low-till or no-till farming practices. This book provides real-life no-till stories and examples brought to you in a conversational style. If you're looking into tillage reduction, and sustainable growing styles check out this book. This isn't the definitive list but as a short list to get you started, the 7 books mentioned above will serve you well. But there are so many other books that add value to learning about farming. "Farming While Black" by Leah Penniman not only shares valuable agricultural knowledge but also addresses issues of land access and social justice in farming and "Gaia's Garden" by Toby Hemenway introduces readers to permaculture principles, promoting a harmonious relationship with nature. We can't name them all here but some so many other farmers have shared their stories and knowledge about farming. Collectively, these books offer a blend of hands-on advice, philosophical insights, and innovative strategies, making them essential reads for anyone looking to cultivate a successful small farm. Have a great book or resource that has helped you, we'd love to hear from you . If you'd like to learn about how Farmbrite can help you get started farming take a look here.

So you want to have livestock, but you don't have a lot of acreage. No worries. There are lots of types of farm animals that will work for a small acreage. In this post, we'll cover a few farm animals that you might want to consider if you're pressed for space. Determining Your Farm's Purpose and Resources Determining your farm's purpose and resources is the first crucial step in planning a successful small farm. Begin by defining your primary goals—whether you want to raise animals for personal consumption, such as eggs, milk, meat, or lawnmowers, or for commercial purposes like selling products to local markets. Understanding your land’s resources is equally important. Assess the size of your farm, the availability of pasture, water sources, and shelter options, as well as your budget for feed, infrastructure, and veterinary care. Matching your goals with the farm's physical and financial capacities will help you choose the right animals and management practices for sustainable growth. Our Recommendations for Animals for Small Farms: Pekin duck Ducks are great for a small farm. They are well-tempered, produce wonderful eggs and they can also be raised as meat animals. On average Pekin ducks are about 10 lbs so they are too heavy to fly which makes them ideal for free range. They are fast growers and at around 6-9 weeks are big enough to eat. They are fair layers and will lay an average of 140 eggs per year. All ducks need a clean source of water to stay healthy and happy so be sure that you provide them with a reliable clean source. Learn more about getting started with and raising Pekin ducks . Quail The quail is a small, pretty bird. They get to be an average of 3.5 ounces. They lay small, speckled eggs and are primarily table birds but you might also sell the fertilized eggs for others to hatch locally. You can have a fair amount of quail since they are so small. Quail are also known to be fairly hardy birds so they don't tend to get sick often. As a specialty bird, you might be able to find a local chef to sell directly to and make a nice profit. Rabbits Small and a great option for small spaces. There are many options to choose from when deciding on a breed. Rabbits give birth to multiple offspring (up to 15 in 4-6 weeks) and grow fast, so be sure to plan to provide enough room for them. Raising rabbits for meat is most common, but some rabbits are also raised for fiber or to sell for stock so others can raise rabbits. Chickens This is a pretty standard animal to put on this list and definitely the gateway animal to farming. Chickens are easy to find at your local feed store, by hatching chickens yourself, or by finding other specialty birds locally. You can raise chickens for meat or eggs or both. Selling chicken eggs can be relatively easy and profitable. They are very easy to care for just remember to protect them from predators.  Raising chickens for meat or eggs can also provide some extra income for your small farm without a lot of overhead. Check out these chicken breeds for colorful egg production. Goats There are many breeds of goats to choose from but if you don't have a lot of space you might want to consider Nigerian dwarf goats. They are small in stature, have a sweet disposition, and are easy to milk. Just like all the other animals on this list, this is another breed that you will need to protect from predators. Goats are typically easygoing, friendly, and curious animals. They are excellent foragers and produce high-quality milk that can be used for milk, cheese, and soaps. Breeding goats can also be a profitable side business for your farm. Pigs There are many options for breeds of pigs. One breed in particular is Berkshire pigs. They are both small and versatile. Pigs can be a great addition to your small farm. Not only are they relatively easy to keep they can also be a helpful ally in tilling fields. Learn more about raising pigs for meat . Keeping Bees Bees are an excellent addition to any farm. You can have multiple hives in a small space, they require little maintenance, and provide honey which is often in high demand at farmer's markets. Bees are an outstanding helper with pollinating around the farm as well. Learn about getting started beekeeping Miniature Cows for Small Farms There are a ton of different breeds of cows that can be a good addition to your farm if you have the space. Depending on your land, miniature cows might be a good option, assuming that you have 2 acres or more. Miniature cows need at least 2 acres to utilize rotational grazing . Since these cows are smaller, about half the size, they consume about 1/2 the amount of resources of a standard-sized cow. Cows are versatile and can used for breeding, meat, or milk. Learn about buying cattle for your small farm. Ducks and Other Poultry There are a variety of other types of poultry and breeds of birds that might be a good fit for a small farm - from ducks to geese to turkeys to pheasants and even peacocks. Each poultry type has different forage and environmental needs, so do your research first to make sure you can provide them with a happy home. How many Farm Animals per acre? Curious about how many animals you can keep per acre. The number can vary depending on different factors, like your climate, terrain, property zoning, etc. Here are some ballpark numbers of animals per acre. Horses : One to two acres per horse Beef cattle : One to two acres per beef cow Dairy cattle : One to two acres per cow Goat : 6-8 goats per acre Sheep : 6-10 sheep per acre if grazing Pigs : 12-14 sows per acre Chickens : Up to 500 birds per acre if grazing them in a chicken tractor The best small animals for a small farm are those that are low-maintenance, versatile, and suited to your farm’s space and resources. There are many to choose from and it all depends on how much time and resources you want to get out of them. The animals we've suggested offer a range of benefits while being manageable on smaller plots of land. We hope this has been helpful to you as you decide to bring on new types of animals on your farm. If you need help keeping track of your livestock take a look at our farm management software, Farmbrite . We help farms of all sizes keep track of tasks, livestock, crops, inventory, accounting, e-commerce, and more. Give it a try for free for 14 days.

Most Profitable Crops to Grow This Season As farmers and small business owners, the bottom line is we want to have a successful business. To succeed in this competitive market we have to be creative and find and grow things that sell, pay the bills, and above all keep us doing what we love, farming!  Here is a list of some of the most profitable crops. Depending on your growing zone, and your farm setup, these crops may or not work for your farm. They are worth looking into for your small farm to see if they might be profitable. Here are some of the top options for high-return crops to grow this season. Growing Gourmet mushrooms If your climate accommodates mushrooms you could grow mushrooms outdoors and add gourmet mushrooms to your list of items you sell. Mushrooms are one of the most profitable crops to grow. But even if you don't have the climate in your favor you can do this in a very small space indoors and control the humidity, and temperature to get a profitable harvest. From gourmet food items to medicinal purposes mushrooms can get a great price at the market. Oyster mushrooms, chanterelle, shiitake, and reishi and all highly valued mushrooms you can produce. Not only can you sell the fresh "fruit" mushroom but you can pickle, make tea, make tinctures, dry, or make jerky out of the mushrooms (for vegetarians). Your crop cycles are short and at about $12 per pound, you can make a profit quickly. Growing Lavender Lavender prefers a mild winter and a warm sunny summer with low humidity. So it is important that you have the right climate to grow this profitable crop. You can harvest 3 times a year. After cutting the flowers and stems you can sell lavender bundles for 6-15 dollars per bundle. You can dry the flowers and sell them all winter long along with teas, soaps, and other smell-good items. Growing Hemp If you are able to grow hemp in your state it may be a beneficial crop to add to your list. With the legalization of hemp in over 36 states in the US it may be time to give this crop a second look. Hemp grows very vigorously and doesn't require a lot of fertilizer, water, or other amendments. It can be used as feed, biofuel, paper, building material, and textiles as well as seeds and oil can be collected and used industrially and for culinary uses. The profits range from roughly $130-730 per acre. Growing Cut Flowers ​Growing cut flowers for market can be a very profitable venture. It's almost unlimited in what you can sell. Perennial flowers from bushes like lilacs or roses or something more annual like sunflowers or cosmos. The greenery included in floral arrangements is also profitable. You could also choose to sell woody ornamental like willow, red twig dogwood, or pussy willows are also a great perennial crop that you harvest year after year. Growing Trees and shrubs This is ideal for a part-time or side business. Some highly sought-after trees are maple trees, fruit trees, nut trees, Christmas trees, fruit bushes, and roses. Just putting in a few hours per week after your initial investment you could find some reasonable profit here. Growing Ginseng You can sell both mature roots and young shoots to other growers and make a substantial profit. Ginsing seed is selling for about $150-200 a lb and mature roots are selling for $400-500 a lb. There is a bit of a commitment for this profitable crop type. Mature roots do take a while to cultivate - 6 years so the payoff here is an investment. Grow Teff Never heard of Teff? It's often used as a rotation grain it is also an ancient grain alongside farro, quinoa, spelt, amaranth, and millet. It boasts a high amount of vitamin C and protein. and iron and has been a big hit with the health-conscious and gluten-free crowd. It takes the award for the highest profit per acre. Which might this the most profitable crop to grow this season. It averages about $1,600-1,700 a lb per acre.    Growing Microgreens Micro-greens pack a tiny punch in the produce world. You don't need a lot of space and can make up to $50 per pound, and depending on your space and how you set things up you could produce 20-25 crops per year. Grow and Sell Bonsai trees Small trees for small spaces. If you have a small space to spare you could start growing Bonsai trees. You can sell the starts that are untrained to Bonsai enthusiasts and the trained trees. The trained trees are usually 2-3 years old so do require some time commitment. The trained trees can go for around $30-hundreds of dollars depending on the amount of time and the specimen. Growing Garlic It doesn't take a large amount of money or a large space to get started in garlic. And with specialty garlic being purchased in local grocery stores, depending on your market, you can find a profitable crop to sell locally. Types of specialty garlic are Romanian Red or Carpathian. A pound of garlic seed will produce 40-60 plants depending on the variety. Profiting about $16 per lb.  Grow Bamboo, Ground Covers, and Drought-Tolerant plants Droughts, fires, and dry conditions are becoming the norm. Growing bamboo, ground covers, and grasses in pots and selling them all over your local area or distributing them online. Growing drought-tolerant plants and selling them to landscapers, nurseries, and homeowners is another way to generate a profit.  Grow Wasabi Wasabi is a highly sought-after root that is more like a fine wine than a horseradish. Wasabi takes about 60-80 weeks to grow to a marketable size and has highly guarded secrets on how to grow it. Wasabi also gets the award for one of the hardest plants to grow on this list or even get a hold of. It does offer a nice prize for all that effort. Wasabi root goes for around $100 a lb in Japan and $45 a lb in North America. But First, Market Research Before selecting crops, it's essential for small farmers to conduct market research, assess their resources, and consider factors like labor, input costs, and potential profit margins. Diversifying crops can help spread risk over multiple crop types and can ensure a steady income throughout the growing season. There are many ways to grow your farm business . I hope that this list is useful and gives you a starting point to dig in and do your own research on what crops might be best for you.

10 Essential Summer Cattle Care Tips As we move into longer and hotter days it's a good idea to keep in mind the changing needs of your herd. Heat stress can reduce population, fertility, and milk. Here are 10 essential summer cattle care tips to keep your herd healthy when the temperatures rise. 1. Access To Water Water and feed needs change for cattle as the seasons change. A mature lactating cow will consume roughly 20 gallons of water in a day or 2 gallons of water per 100 lbs of body weight. Non-lactating cattle and bulls require about 1 gallon per lb of body weight. If you are providing hay for your herd remember that stored hay and feed have less water content than pasture and pasture grazing has a high moisture content. Even so, it's important to provide cattle access to feed and clean water at all times. But as we said, this will change for your herd depending on what type of hay they are consuming. Make sure your livestock has plenty of water in the summer and plenty of room at the water source. In many areas, you may also want to test the water annually. Making sure your herd has adequate access to water is vital for cooling and overall health of your herd. Some signs of dehydration to look for are symptoms such as sunken eyes, lethargy, or dry mucous membranes. If this happens they will need to drink water slowly but immediately and you may want to contact your veterinarian. 2. Keep Them Cool Using evaporative cooling with exhaust fans, and circulation fans is an easy way to keep the air moving and the cattle cooling. Equip barns with fans or a cooling system to minimize heat stress.  Use Sprinklers, Soaker-lines and Misters Adding a sprinkler over a clean area of the barn can cool the area 10-15°. These can also be automated and can keep flies down as well since it makes it harder for them to fly. Additional Venting Add ventilation to barns to provide more airflow. Keep the barn doors open and fans circulating. Overheating can cause stress, sickness, and even death. Adding additional ventilation can help like ventilation in the tunnel and cooling cells. 3. Adjust Cattle Movements Pay attention to the quality of your pastures. During hot weather, forage can deteriorate quickly. Rotate cattle to ensure they are grazing on high-quality, nutritious forage. Many farms and ranches are finding grazing strategies to help reduce the overuse of pastureland in the summer. By implementing rotational grazing systems you can prevent overuse of any one pasture. This allows grass to recover and maintain better quality forage for your cattle, while also providing them with a more comfortable environment. When working or moving your herd, remember to move them slowly - at their own speed, to minimize stress. Work cattle early in the morning or evening when it's cooler. Pay close attention for signs of stress, especially in cattle with higher risk factors like ones that have not shed/are long-haired, or were previously sick. Also, keeping vaccinations, sorting, and other changes to cooler days. Additional stress can be extreme for severely affected animals and can suppress the immune system.  4. Summer Cattle Dietary Considerations The feed that your herd is eating is important to their overall health and can change as warmer temperatures come. Adding minerals, high-quality forage, and feeding them at specific times can be key to optimum health. Here are some top tips for feeding cattle in the warmer weather: Adjust Feeding Times:   Cattle won't want to eat or ruminate during the hottest times of the day. Feed them when it's cooler and they will eat better. This might be early morning or late evening. This helps reduce heat production from digestion during the hottest times of the day. Provide High-Quality Forage and Supplements:   Forage quality can decline in the heat. Ensure that the forage you're providing to your herd is still high in nutrients and not overly mature or dry. Supplement with high-quality hay if needed. Also consider supplementing with any vitamins and minerals that may be lacking in summer forage. This will ensure that their feed is balanced to support their health and productivity. Adjust Grain Rations:   If you’re feeding grains, consider reducing the amount during extremely hot weather. High grain intake can increase internal heat production, so balance with forage. Ensure Adequate Fiber:   Provide enough fiber in the diet to support proper digestion and avoid digestive issues. High-quality hay or forage can help maintain fiber intake when pasture quality is compromised. 5. Minimal Use of the Holding Pen Keeping cattle in a holding pen during the summer can have several drawbacks, primarily related to their health, comfort, and well-being. Here are some of the downsides of keeping cattle in holding pens in the summer months: Heat Stress:   Holding pens, especially if not well-ventilated or shaded, can become very hot. Cattle confined to such spaces may experience heat stress, which can lead to decreased appetite, reduced milk production, and other health issues. Poor Air Quality:   In a confined area, air quality can deteriorate quickly due to the accumulation of dust, ammonia, and other contaminants. Poor air quality can exacerbate respiratory issues and lead to general health problems. Limited Space and Increased Risk of Disease:   Holding pens usually offer limited space for movement. Cattle need space to move around, stretch, and lie down comfortably. Crowded spaces can lead to stress and discomfort, spread diseases, increase infections, and in severe cases, can contribute to lameness or injury. Behavioral Stress:   Cattle are social animals and can become stressed if confined for long periods. Stress can negatively impact their immune system and overall health, leading to lower productivity. Inadequate Cooling:   Without proper cooling systems, holding pens can become excessively warm. Unlike open pastures where they can find natural shade and cooling breezes, holding pens may not provide the necessary relief from heat. Nutritional Needs:   In a holding pen, it might be challenging to provide the necessary variety of feed and water sources that cattle would have access to in a more open environment. This could impact their nutritional intake and overall health. Waste Management Issues:   In a confined space, manure and urine accumulate more rapidly, which can lead to hygiene issues and further contribute to a decline in air quality. Behavioral Issues:   Lack of space and enrichment can lead to behavioral problems such as boredom, aggression, and stereotypies (repetitive, abnormal behaviors). To mitigate these issues, it’s often better to provide cattle with access to pasture or well-ventilated and shaded pens and to implement proper management practices to ensure their comfort and health during the summer months. 6. Managing Pests in your Cattle Herd As the warmer weather comes, so do the pests . This can cause stress and disease in your livestock. A few methods of pest management available are chemical, biological, and adding physical barriers between animals and pests. Here's a bit more information on those three types of management strategies. Chemical Treatments: There are many options for insecticides like pour-on or topical insecticides, injection-type treatments and vaccinations, and feed additives. Biological Control Measures: You might add a predatory insect, or nematode or use microbial control agents. Incorporating natural predator insects that feed on things like flies and ticks will keep down the infestation. You can also try microbial control against pests that contain Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt. Bt is a bacterium that naturally occurs in soil and produces spores that are toxic to insect larvae when eaten. This has been engineered to be used in other agriculture to fight pests such as in genetically engineered crops. Physical Barriers: You can use fly masks, or fly sheets to create barriers or an enclosed barn to reduce insect activity. Depending on your property and the size of your herd this might not be a viable option for you. Manure Management: Establish a manure management regimen by regularly cleaning out and composting manure to reduce fly breeding sites. Manure should be spread or removed from pastures to prevent fly larvae from developing. (Keep track of how often you're doing this and set up reminders in Farmbrite .) Rotating between pest control methods or using a few different methods is the best way to keep down the population and reduce damage and stress to your herd.  7. Monitor Behavior and Body Condition Regularly check the body condition of your cattle. If you notice weight loss or other signs of nutritional deficiency, and adjust the animal's diet accordingly. Regular Physical Inspections: Observe your cattle for changes in their body shape, weight, coat condition, and overall demeanor. You can visually look for signs of weight loss or discomfort, such as a protruding spine or hips. Using Body Condition Scoring (BCS) can help measure overall animal wellness. Use a body condition scoring system to evaluate the amount of fat cover an animal has. Usually, this score is on a 1 to 9 scale. This helps to assess whether the animal is too thin, an ideal weight, or too heavy. Animal behavior changes can also indicate issues or discomfort. Eating patterns, activity levels, and other signs may indicate their stress level. Based on observations and body condition scores, adjust feeding as necessary. This may include providing additional supplements or changing feeding times to accommodate heat stress. Evaluate Coat Condition: Inspect the skin and coat for signs of health issues, such as excessive shedding, roughness, or parasites. A healthy coat is an indicator of good nutrition and overall condition. Monitor Milk Production (for Dairy Cattle or Lactating Cattle): For lactating cattle, monitor milk production levels as a measure of nutritional adequacy and overall health. A drop in milk production can indicate a problem with their overall health. Record Keeping: Maintain detailed records of body condition scores, weights, feed intake, and any changes or interventions. This helps in making informed management decisions and tracking the effectiveness of your strategies. You can do this with a farm management software like Farmbrite from anywhere on your farm. 8. Shade and Shelter Shade not only keeps animals cool on hot days but it could also help them avoid sunburn. They might not stay in the shade though because of flies or other environmental factors but it should be available. If you don't have trees or natural shade you can add shade tarps or netting for additional shade. 9. Use Heat Tolerant Breeds Consider selecting or breeding more heat-tolerant cattle breeds in your herd. Certain breeds, like Brahman and Zebu are naturally better adapted to hot climates. Heat-tolerant cattle breeds are those that have adapted to thrive in hot climates, typically due to their physical characteristics, such as lighter coat colors, shorter hair, and increased skin surface area. Here are some of the most common heat-tolerant cattle breeds: Brahman Originating from India, Brahman cattle are known for their hardiness, and resistance to heat, parasites, and diseases. They have a large hump over their shoulders, loose skin, and a varying coat color, and produce less body heat which helps them dissipate heat. These cattle are sacred to some people and may be harder to obtain. Nelore Nelore cattle , originally from Brazil but descended from Indian Zebu, are highly heat-tolerant. They have a hump on their back, a short, white coat, which reflect sunlight and are known for their adaptability to tropical climates. They are raised for their low-calorie lean meat. Gir (Gyr) Another Indian breed, Gir cattle are highly heat-resistant and are often used in crossbreeding to improve heat tolerance in other breeds. They have long, droopy ears, a prominent hump, a domed forehead, and mottled coats. They are raised for both meat and milk production. Indu-Brazil This breed, a cross between Indian Zebu breeds like Gir and Nellore, was developed in Brazil. They have long droopy ears and are generally taller and lighter muscled. Indu-Brazil cattle are raised for thaie meat as they are large, and heat-tolerant making them popular in tropical regions. Afrikaner The Afrikaner cattle breed originates from South Africa and is known for its ability to thrive in hot and arid conditions. It has a smooth, red coat and is raised for the quality of its beef, its quiet temperament, resistance to heat, and high level of fertility under harsh conditions. Senepol Developed in the Caribbean island of St. Croix, Senepol cattle are a result of crossing N'Dama and Red Poll breeds. Senepol cattle are raised for meat quality, grazing ability, heat tolerance, and ease of birthing. They are naturally polled (without horns), have short hair, and are very heat-tolerant. Red Sindhi Another heat-tolerant breed from Pakistan and India, Red Sindhi cattle are small to medium-sized and have a dark reddish coat. They are raised for their high milk yields. They are well-adapted to hot, dry climates and are often used in crossbreeding programs. Boran Originating from East Africa, Boran cattle are highly resilient to harsh conditions, including high temperatures and drought. They are raised for meat production. They also show high resistance to heat, ticks, and eye diseases. They are small to medium-sized and have a smooth, light-colored coat. Romosinuano This breed comes from Colombia and Venezuela and is known for its heat tolerance and resistance to parasites. They are smaller than other breeds, docile, and are raised for their good quality meat. Romosinuano cattle are naturally polled and have a short, smooth coat that helps them stay cool. N'Dama Originating from West Africa, N'Dama cattle are a very heat-tolerant breed. They are raised for meat primarily. They are small to medium-sized with a short coat and are well-suited to hot, humid climates. If you can source some of these breeds they may help your herd tolerate hot temperatures. These breeds are particularly valuable in regions with hot climates, as they are better able to maintain productivity and health under conditions that would stress less adapted breeds. The caveat to that is that if you have very low temperatures in your region these breeds may not be as suitable since they have not adapted to that climate. 10. Monitor Health Regularly Keep a close watch on the overall health of the cattle, as heat stress can weaken their immune system, making them more susceptible to diseases. Regular health checks can help detect and address issues early. By regularly monitoring these aspects, you can ensure that your cattle remain in top health throughout the summer heat. Keep an eye out for issues so that you can make timely adjustments to their management as needed. The summer heat is taxing on all of us and keeping track of how your herd is fairing through those months is key to having a productive year. In conclusion, caring for cattle during the summer months involves a combination of strategies aimed at reducing heat stress and maintaining their overall well-being. Providing ample clean water, offering shade, and adjusting feeding times are fundamental practices to keep cattle cool and hydrated. Utilizing fans or misters, avoiding overcrowding, and minimizing stressful activities further help to alleviate heat-related challenges. Additionally, offering high-quality forage, selecting heat-tolerant breeds, and regularly monitoring cattle for signs of distress and health issues are critical to ensuring their comfort and productivity during the hot summer months. These comprehensive care tips help safeguard your cattle herd against the adverse effects of high temperatures. More information on Bacillus thuringiensis Keeping Animals Cool in the Summer Keeping Farm Animals Cool

It's no secret that businesses stay in business because they do what is profitable. So, as a farm, do you know what is making money on your farm? Do you know what isn't? If you can't answer these questions - quickly - you need to look into farm management software. Keeping your farm or ranch organized is an important part of your job as a business person. The fact that your job is in agriculture is just icing on the cake. Many things go into your day-to-day work but never forget the business side of your agribusiness; Finance management, daily tracking, task management, recourse management, customer service, and schedule juggling, are all inevitable parts of every business, and in a farm operation, this is no exception. Keeping accurate farm records is essential for the success of any farming operation, regardless of size. For small or medium-sized farms, maintaining detailed and organized records can help make informed decisions, manage resources efficiently, and increase profitability. No, it's not the most fun part of business but every farmer should be informed about their finances, farming productivity, and how their business is performing. In this post, we've covered key areas of information to keep for your farm management records, different record-keeping styles, and processes to track your farm records, how keeping good records can help your business, and the hidden value of keeping records. Why Keep Farm Records? As business owners, we want to make sure our business is healthy and thriving. But if you don't have information on your business, how do you even know? There is more to it than that. There is stress with being in business. Keeping track of your farm records might be more valuable than you think. Here's how record-keeping can the burden off you: Financial Management : Keeping track of income and expense records (more than once a year) makes it easy to manage cash flow, plan budgets, and identify profitable (and nonprofitable) areas of the farm. Tracking finances takes the pressure off you for three reasons; you know where you stand with your business finances, you don't have to keep track of numbers in your head, and it makes tax time easier. There may be fewer unpleasant surprises by keeping this information updated. Keeping records won't tell you when the irrigation pump might stop working, but it will help you know if you can afford to repair it. And you don't have to keep track of this all in your head. Tax Time: Tax reporting comes every year. One of the top reasons we hear why people start keeping track of their profit and expenses is to take the pressure off them at the end of the year during tax time. Instead of entering 5000+ receipts all at once, they do it in little bites. This simplifies this process and takes the stress off them because they have been tracking it all year. Compliance and Reporting : Many agricultural programs, grants, and loans require accurate records. Keeping good records ensures that you can easily meet these requirements whenever you might need that help. Keeping accurate records takes the stress out of a situation where you might need those documents right away. If you are trying to gather all that information under a loan or grant deadline, not only is that stressful but you can make mistakes. In a compliance situation, it's required to keep those records anyway. If you already have that information up to date in a safe place there is less to worry about. Performance Analysis : Keeping accurate and up-to-date records allows you to analyze crop yields, livestock performance, and resource use, helping you make data-driven decisions to improve productivity. You can see what things were done in a day, and what needs to be done tomorrow. This takes the burden off you as the owner-operator. You don't have to have all that information in your head. This takes the stress off you because you don't need to remember everything but it is saved and organized in a safe place where you can access the data to analyze when needed. Risk Management : By keeping detailed records, you can identify potential risks and take steps to mitigate them, whether they relate to feeding rates, returns, market fluctuations, weather patterns, or other challenges. As business people, there are challenges and risks but you shouldn't have to worry about these things constantly. Keep this information in a place where you can analyze the data and make good business decisions. You can't be clear-headed when you are worrying about these things because you don't have all the information or it's disorganized. Planning and Forecasting : Detailed records provide insights that help you plan future operations, from crop rotation schedules to livestock breeding plans. There is relief in being able to see your business data. This allows you to make clear and well-informed decisions when you have all the data in front of you. It tells a story and can show you what other questions to ask yourself and where you can go next in your business. Common Record-Keeping Challenges & How to Overcome Them Over the years we have spoken with countless customers who have come to us with record-keeping challenges. Here are some ways they overcame their challenges, what worked for them, and what we've used in our own farm businesses to overcome these challenges. The Problem: Time Constraints There is always more work to be done than time in the day. With time debatably being your most valuable resource it's important to spend it wisely. If you're feeling that you're stretched beyond your means, try doing a time audit . Then you can make sure you're spending your time on things that bring more revenue or create more business for you. It's great that you are busy but do you also have a thriving business? Be busy with the right things. Solution # 1: Use Systems Record-keeping can seem like an extra task on top of an already busy schedule. To overcome the age-old time constraint problem, have systems to make record-keeping part of your daily, weekly, or monthly routine. Don't let the paperwork get out of control. Take little steps to enter the data, or hire someone to do it for you. Also, you don't have to track everything. Just track the things that are going to make the most impact on your business. Solution # 2 : Use Technology You can use technology to simplify the process by using bulk edits, uploading, and importing data, or using integrating software that uploads information automatically. This will help you work smarter, not harder. The Problem: Data Accuracy Inaccurate records can lead to poor decision-making. Keeping good records and ensuring data accuracy are crucial for the success of any business, especially in agriculture. Accurate records provide valuable insights into operations, helping to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions. They enable farmers and ranchers to monitor costs, optimize resource use, and improve productivity. Good record-keeping also ensures compliance with regulations and can enhance the farm's reputation by demonstrating accountability and transparency. Solution # 1: Get on the Same Page Ensure everyone involved understands how to record data correctly. You can do this by coming up with processes and training for your staff. (This doesn't need to be complicated.) Your steps could be simple and look something like this: Step 1. Feed chickens, Step. 2 Measure how much feed is left, Step 3. Record the amount of feed used, Step 4. Refill water, Step 5. record the temperature of the coop. Or to get to the heart of the matter and more in-depth into your farm business, you might ask yourself a few business questions: - What information would help you see if things are going well on your farm? - Is this information something you can track or measurable? - How often should this be tracked for the best view of this data? - What area is going to make the most impact on your business? - What is going to drive revenue and more business? Maybe there are other questions you want answered as well. Write them down and find a way to answer them. After you've answered these questions, come up with processes around tracking that information, what it should look like in a healthy business, and what to do if it doesn't look the way you want. Then make changes accordingly. Again, this doesn't need to be overly complicated and you don't have to make these changes all at once. However, tracking information that helps you make positive changes in your business is key. Solution # 2: Double-check entries to ensure accuracy. Just like my dad said, measure twice, cut once. By making sure your records/calculations/measurements/etc. are accurate you will avoid more work for yourself later in trying to unravel what happened and why that measurement is off. If accuracy is hard for you, try going a little slower when you're recording something. The more you do it, the easier it will be. The Problem: Lack of Organization Disorganized records are as good as no records. Sometimes staff members are reluctant to keep records. Make sure that everyone on the farm knows the importance of these records and why you're taking them. These records are the pulse of your farm. If you can't find the pulse you can't see how things are going. The Solution: Have a System Clear up disorganization in your farm operation by setting up a clear, logical system for recording, storing, and retrieving information. Just like we discussed earlier having a system ensures that everyone is doing something the same way. Make sure this system is what the whole farm follows. Different Farm Management Record-Keeping Styles Tracking farm data effectively is crucial for improving productivity, making informed decisions, and managing resources efficiently. Here are some of the different ways to track your farm data. Manual Record Keeping Recording farm information on paper is a great entry point for record keeping. This method is inexpensive and gets you into the habit of tracking information. Unfortunately, it has some drawbacks. Features:  Paper logs, notebooks, 3 ring binders, for basic tracking of daily activities. Pros:  Simple and low-cost Cons: Prone to errors, does not scale with your business as it grows, is not easily searchable, easily lost, misplaced, or ruined, and you cannot access the information from everywhere. Spreadsheets This is another common way that farmers organize and track their data. We see folks outgrow this system in the long run though. They get frustrated by having so many spreadsheets all over the place, managed by different people. Features:  Customizable and flexible for small-scale operations; For tracking crop info, livestock checks, wellness, important dates and information, inputs, yields, financials, and expenses. Pros:  Low cost or free for Excel or Google Sheets, create whatever you want, sometimes accessible in multiple places. Cons: Creating them from scratch, may not be up to date, is time-consuming, might not give you everything you want, may leave out data, is prone to error, and data can be wiped out. Farm Management Software Ok, we're biased toward this way of tracking to be sure, but having tried those other ways and finding poor results and having over a decade of hearing other farmers' bad experiences we have some data to go on. Here are some pros and cons to think about. Features:  Can track task management, crop dates, treatments, harvests, and sales, soil conditions, livestock health, livestock grazing and movements and other data, important dates, important records, track and give weather patterns and climate data, farm mapping, equipment usage and maintenance, eCommerce and customer data, financials, resources and inventory, and more. Pros:  Can be accessible from anywhere and on any device, user friendly depending on the company, information is in real-time, ready-made reports, data is safe and always available, "talks to" or integrated into other technology, it's flexible and can be used like one of the other methods (print things out if needed or download to a spreadsheet) and technology is updated and improved all the time. Cons:  Cost depending on the company, getting up and running on a new system Remote Monitors, IoT Devices, and Sensors - Oh My Companies are finding more and more ways to try to make tracking easier for farmers. Sensors, remote monitors, or The Internet of Things (IoT) can offer numerous benefits and some drawbacks. Here are some of the pros and cons of tracking data in this way: Features:  Can track crop yield, soil conditions, livestock movement, weather patterns, equipment usage, financials, and inventory. Pros:  Tracks information remotely for you, sends data to be analyzed, reduces risk to crop or livestock if monitored, and can be analyzed in conjunction with another app or software if integrated. Cons:  Cost of devices/hardware, connectivity challenges, technology can break down and you might miss that data opportunity, technology changes quickly and may become quickly obsolete, may need to have a subscription for the software as well. Tips for Effective Farm Record-Keeping We believe strongly that good record-keeping makes or breaks a farm business. It's why we are so passionate about it. We want farms to succeed! So here are some tips for effective record-keeping on your farm. Choose the Right System : Select a record-keeping system that works for you, whether it's a clipboard, a simple notebook, a spreadsheet, or farm management software. Be Consistent : Regularly update your records to keep them accurate and current. Set aside a specific time each day, week, or month to enter data and review your records. Timeblock your calendar to enter that information and analyze what it tells you. Don't skip those reminders. Keep It Simple : Start with basic records and expand as you become more comfortable. The goal is to create a system that's manageable and suits your farm's needs. Use Farm Management Software : Consider using farm management software designed for small to medium-sized farms. These tools can streamline record-keeping, automate data entry, and provide valuable insights through reports and analytics. We talk about Farmbrite below if you want to learn more about our software. Train Your Team : If you have employees or family members helping on the farm, ensure they understand the importance of record-keeping and know how to input data correctly. Make sure you are all doing it the same way. Review and Analyze : Periodically review your records to assess farm performance and identify areas for improvement. Use this information to make adjustments and plan for the future. Digital solutions often provide added benefits but that might not work for your budget. Go with what works for you now. As you grow, look at those systems to see if they still work for you. We all start somewhere. That's the important part, having a system to track your data and make smart decisions with that data. How Can Farm Management Software Help Your Farm? Here are some ways that using farm management software on your farm can help you be more organized and efficient. It's important to do your research and find the best company for you. Here are a few of the things that farm management system can help you track on your farm. Measure efficiency and progress Easily prepare accounts at year-end Understand financials on a day-to-day basis Help plan for upcoming payments, equipment maintenance , farm tasks, etc. Organization! Know what tasks were or weren't done - by whom Track records online and access them from anywhere Track schedules and timesheets Track grazing movements Identify strengths and weaknesses in the farm business Help manage changes and improvements in the agribusiness Make productivity projections Help maximize the expenses you claim and minimize your tax burden Make it easier to pay employees and creditors and see what is owed Keep livestock notes, breeding, health records, and genealogy information (and more) in one place Track organic certification notes, data, tracking, and more Keep track of customer information, sales, and schedules Keep track of equipment and vehicle maintenance Honestly, this just scratches the surface of what farmers track... Writing everything down manually or keeping all your information in separate spreadsheets requires a lot of time, is prone to errors or loss of records, and can be difficult to calculate each expense/sale/investment and compare it to productivity. To make it easy, Farmbrite has done this for you. We have many charts, graphs, profit and loss reports, seed calculators, average daily gain reports, and much more to give you this information quickly. You can also enter notes and information quickly with our quick add, using a QR scanner and your mobile device, or an integration. Keeping track of your agricultural business online with Farmbrite helps you track costs and income, tasks, schedules, and all the daily work for your agricultural business easily and saves you a ton of time. Let Farmbrite do the tracking for you, while you focus on the rest of your daily tasks. Record Keeping Doesn't Have To Be Overwhelming Keeping farm records doesn't have to be overwhelming. By starting with the basics and gradually incorporating more detailed information, you can create a record-keeping system that supports your farm's success. Whether you're tracking financials, production, or inventory, consistent and accurate records will help you make better decisions, improve efficiency, and ultimately boost your farm's profitability. If you're looking to take your farm record-keeping to the next level, consider exploring farm management software options that are tailored to the needs of small farms. With the right tools, you'll be well on your way to more organized, data-driven farming. Happy Farming!​ From the Team at Farmbrite