MSU Extension Farm Management

The Crop Budget Estimator for Vegetables (detailed version) is a Microsoft Excel based tool built for a more in-depth level of analysis. Using your own records and current market data, you can evaluate and more accurately consider a number of management decisions. Decisions that reflect the situation of your individual farm business. With this information, you can build a budget to:

• Create break-evens for use in marketing or production decisions.
• Evaluate capital purchases (i.e., a new tractor or harvester).
• Assess the efficiency of your operation with financial ratios.

If you are familiar with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Cost Comparison Decision Tools, these resources are also built-in. Allowing you to:

• Compare chemistry & fertilizer programs recommended by crop nutritionists and advisors.
• Calculate the amount of fertilizer you’ll need to reach your yield goals.
  • This feature uses soil test data, manure applications, and nutrient product information.

It also includes an Optimization Tool that uses the budgets created to determine what the optimal combination of acres results in the highest profitability for the farm.

• Producers define:
• Maximum total operating costs
• Minimum acres of crops to be planted (for maintaining rotational needs)
• Total number of acres to be planted

Note: The level of complexity provided may make it more suitable for large farms. Especially those operations that have more variability due to size and scale. If your farm is of smaller scale, a less complex decision tool like the Crop Budget Estimator (simple version) may better fit your management needs.