The TelFarm program provides accounting and financial analysis support to farmers across the state of Michigan. We help take your farm records to the next level.

What is TelFarm?

The TelFarm system of farm financial record keeping is a program available from MSU Extension's Farm Business Management Educators. It is an educational service program designed to assist farmers with their farm financial records and decision making. The program has its roots with the MSU Farm Records program which began in 1928, and evolved into a mail-in computer records program by the mid 1950s. TelFarm introduced Microtel® agricultural financial software programs in 1983, and added the use of the FINAN® Program for farm business analysis in 1996. In 2002, TelFarm introduced TelFarm for Windows Accountant® software. In 2005, TelFarm began cooperating with Peninsula Software of Virginia for its Pensoft Payroll Plus® program for windows. Beginning in 2014, Pc Mars® became available as the new accounting software. Today, nearly all TelFarm clients utilize the Pc Mars® program at their farm for record keeping. In 2021, we started offering an additional software option, QuickBooks® Desktop. 

What can TelFarm do for my business?

In partnership with the MSUE District Farm Business Management Educators, TelFarm is an important tool for financial management for farm business and a real-life data information source for research and education.

TelFarm is designed to keep YOU, the farm business owner, in control of your business finances by working with you every step of the way to ensure you have complete, accurate records to use in making relevant decisions for your business.

 

What kind of services does TelFarm provide?

The TelFarm Center receives accounting records from clients and processes that data into computerized monthly reports for accounting information. The Center also provides tax planning and Year-End Depreciation Schedules and Tax Information Packages for your business with information you send to the TelFarm Center.

The TelFarm system of farm record keeping is a program that:

  • Cooperates with the MSU Extension's Farm Business Management Educators.
  • Keeps the farm business owner in control of their own business finances.
  • Provides level of campus support that best suits the individual farm business's needs.
  • Includes a yearly check-in service with the farm business' own District Farm Business Management Educator.
  • Supports and provides business analysis and year-end tax planning strategies.

What kind of farm business can use TelFarm?

Most any type of agricultural production business can benefit from the TelFarm system: fruit tree, livestock, cash crop, dairy, vegetable, greenhouse, and many others. The programs can be customized to suit YOUR particular business.

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