A collection of tools for the modern farm business from the pages of Farm Futures magazine.
Farm Futures offers readers an innovative feature every issue thanks to the Spreadsheet of the Month program. With these spreadsheet tools you can engage in "what if" scenarios for your farm business exploring a range of topics to improve how you tackle specific issues.
Below you'll find a selection of the spreadsheets we've produced since Farm Futures returned to the market, through the December Extra edition for 2012. This is a significant collection of files, and a valuable resource for your farm. Check them out and work the numbers.
Click on the links below to open the files using your Excel software. These spreadsheets will work with Excel 97 or higher.
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| OCTOBER 2004: You can check out your Marketing Alternatives with this handy spreadsheet. We've included the calculations to help you determine both pre- and post-harvest pricing options. |
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| NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2004: Match your storage strategy with a profitable outcome using this simple spreadsheet. |
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| JANUARY 2005: Using this spreadsheet you can calculate your net selling price. |
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| FEBRUARY 2005: The classic DuPont financial analysis model can help farmers too. This spreadsheet provides hefty what-if analysis potential. |
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| MARCH 2005: Looking for ways to manage machinery costs and keep up with the big iron on your farm? Use this farmer-designed spreadsheet for your operation. |
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| SEPTEMBER 2005: This form makes filling out those complicated balance sheets a lot easier. The spreadsheet inclues separate worksheets for each of the statemeents frequently required by lenders. |
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| OCTOBER 2005: Want a better handle on what might be in your bins? This handy spreadsheet helps take the guesswork out of that task. You'll want to "enable macros" when this spreadsheet loads. |
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| JANUARY 2006: Turn plot data into dollars by using this spreadsheet to rank hybrid performance in test plots. The spreadsheet calculates income on a per-acre basis. |
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| MARCH 2006: Update this spreadsheet with your individual crops, input costs, yields, rental agreements and timing of inputs and expenses. Yields translate into per-acre revenue, with a special section devoted to evaluating the landlord’s share of the pie. |
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| APRIL 2006: This handy spreadsheet, which works great for cotton producers, can help you figure seed costs ahead of planting. |
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| MAY/JUNE 2006: Simply enter the basic inputs and it does the calculations and keeps the data for your records. The spreadsheet even includes a section that will adjust the figures if you calibrate first with water, but want to actually spray with another carrier such as 32-0-0, 28-0-0 or 10-34-0. |
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| NOVEMBER 2006: Track corn, soybean and wheat production, allowing one to estimate storage needs ahead of harvest, while keeping track of grain sold and crop breakevens if you choose to enter your variable expenses. |
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| FEBRUARY 2007: How big do you need to be? Rod Jones of Kansas State University developed a spreadsheet for evaluating whether your farm has a large enough asset base to reach those goals, based on your individual circumstances. It will calculate the amount of income needed from the farm business to reach your financial goals, as well as the asset base needed to generate that income, just click on |
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| MARCH 2007: A quick check of your financial ratios provides a snapshot of your operations overall health. Jason Brossart of Rugby, N.D., wrote this spreadsheet to measure his financial ratios against industry benchmarks. |
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| APRIL 2007: William Fordham of Ohio, Ill., developed an interactive corn-ethanol matrix spreadsheet that will allow you to evaluate the breakeven cost for your local ethanol plant, of which you may be an investor. Just click on |
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| MAY/JUNE 2007: J. Charles Walters of Graceville, Minn., developed a simple spreadsheet for tracking net income for various crops. It even breaks down variable and fixed costs per bushel for establishing marketing targets. |
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| JULY/AUGUST 2007: Ethanol plants are sprouting up across the Midwest, and the price of corn reflects this new emerging market. The cash price of corn is tempting, but your neighbor needs the silage and is willing to negotiate. William Edwards and Dan Loy of Iowa State Extension built a spreadsheet to help you put a fair value on your corn silage. |
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| SEPTEMBER 2007: New biofuels plants sprouting up across the countryside have certainly given new life to the corn and soybean markets, but how do you compare those marketing options without first knowing your trucking costs? David Holthaus of Baileyville, Kan., wrote a spreadsheet that allows him to know his trucking costs per mile and per bushel, including labor, fixed and variable costs for accurately evaluating hauling options. |
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| OCTOBER 2007: The battle for 2008 crop acres is expected to offer profitable marketing opportunities over the coming months, with many producers having already priced a portion of next year's production. Sam Serven of St. Augustine, Ill., developed a spreadsheet to track his pre-harvest sales. |
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| NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007: Farm management experts agree that high-profit farms effectively match machinery type and size to farm needs in a way that reduces per-acre costs while guarding operation efficiency and productivity. William Edwards of Iowa State University developed a simple spreadsheet that you can use as a tool to assess your annual and per-acre machinery costs by operation. |
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| JANUARY 2008: The University of Illinois developed a spreadsheet for evaluating several different crop rotation scenarios; this time including wheat in the mix, as well as double-cropping soybeans. It allows you to either utilize their budget defaults, or to put in your own numbers for your farm. |
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| FEBRUARY 2008: GPS guidance systems are rapidly growing in popularity, but will they pay-off for you? A spreadsheet built by Terry Kastens and Kevin Dhuyvetter of Kansas State University and Dietrich Kastens of Kastens, Inc. allows you to decide for your self. |
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| MARCH 2008: William Edwards at Iowa State University developed a spreadsheet for appraising the decision based on expected costs and returns derived from previous Iowa planting trials. |
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| APRIL 2008: Do you get frustrated with chemical application calculations; keeping ounces, pounds and acres straight? Spring planting requires plenty of record keeping and calculations to keep one up at night, unless you have a helpful tool. Duane Owens farms near Mankato, Minn., but he loves to tinker with his computer as well. He put his skills together and developed a spreadsheet that he'd like to share for wrestling through all the calculations and record keeping. |
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| MAY/JUNE 2008: Drs. Beob Kim and Hans Stein of the University of Illinois recently teamed up to tackle a problem plaguing swine producers; how to cost-effectively introduce dried distillers grains and solubles (DDGS) into swine rations. To solve the problem they developed a spreadsheet that calculates the value of including DDGS in various diets fed to swine. Their work was supported in part by the Illinois Pork Producers Association. |
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| JULY/AUGUST 2008: Travis Brass is a young farmer from Buffalo Center, Iowa balancing opportunity with risk as he builds his operation. Taking on more land is tempting, but he wants to be smart with his growth plan. He developed a spreadsheet to guide his decisions that would weigh the increased costs against the expected returns of taking on a new parcel of land. |
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| SEPTEMBER 2008: Analysts believe that corn input costs will be up another 30 to 35% in 2009, causing more farmers to look to alternative fertility sources. Meanwhile, livestock producers want to maximize the value of the product coming out of the pit, while spreading it efficiently. Mark Niebrugge of Sigel, Illinois developed a spreadsheet that uses unload time, speed and yield goals to apply manure while calculating the total acres needed to empty his pits each time. He uses a light bar for accurate ground speed and has been within 100 gallons of application per acre. |
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| OCTOBER 2008: Knowing the cost of drying will aid in your harvest decisions. This year’s late-maturing corn crop left the grain wet in the field late in the season. Farmers must decide whether to risk leaving the crop subject to the elements even longer to get the needed dry-down or to bring the crop in and pay high energy costs for drying it. William Edwards at Iowa State University designed a spreadsheet to make that decision a bit easier. |
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| NOVEMBER 2008: The 2008 Farm Bill included a new Supplemental Revenue Assistance program, known as SURE, which is designed to protect against crop losses resulting from adverse weather. The Texas Agrilife Extension service worked with the Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. to develop a powerful spreadsheet for assessing SURE coverage for a farm operation. |
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| DECEMBER 2008/EXTRA: This fall's unexpected collapse of Wall Street sent grain prices spiraling downward and antacid sales higher for farmers locked into costly land leases. Kansas State University’s Kevin Dhuyvetter and Terry Kastens developed a spreadsheet to put you confidently back into control of your lease decisions. |
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| JANUARY 2009: The uncertainty of the global economic outlook has many farmers reviewing their own financial health as well. This spreadsheet developed by William Edwards, extension economist, Iowa State University, answers many of the questions you and your lender may have, focusing on your farm financial statement. | Farm Financial Statements |
| APRIL 2009: A lot of producers buy crop revenue insurance, but aren't sure how the guarantees fit with their marketing plan. Alan Hoehne, Stanton, Neb., developed a spreadsheet for his Federal Crop Insurance that allows him to easily and quickly look at different price and yield scenarios. | Crop Insurance Tool |
| MAY 2009: If your smart phone can handle entering data into a spreadsheet, then this set (all in one file) developed by Mark Kirkman, Vernon, Mich., may be just what you need. Sized for a smaller screen, these mini-spreadsheets can calculate fertilizer and chemical application rates, and mixing rates. Kirkman enters notes and data into the sheets, and when he synchs his phone at the end of the day the information is saved to his office computer. | Smart Phone Spreadsheets |
| JULY/AUGUST 2009: If you're making the switch to a high-deductible insurance plan combined with a Health Savings Account. That HSA has potential as a savings vehicle, and James Porterfield, Park Ridge, Ill., has developed a tool for evaluating the opportunity. While each individual must carefully weigh health insurance and HSA options, this tool is a good place to start. | Health Savings Account Analyzer |
| NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009: With a crop in the bin, this spreadsheet developed by Kevin Dhuyvetter, Kansas State University economist, helps break down your marketing alternatives side-by-side. The spreadsheet compares potential returns of your alternatives against anticipated movement in the cash market to add common sense to your marketing plan. | Marketing Options |
| DECEMBER 2009: Livestock producers need to keep a tight rein on feed costs, but you need a lot of information to do that. The University of Illinois developed a spreadsheet that allows you to calculate costs per pound of energy and crude protein on a dry matter basis, minus storage loss and transportation costs. The spreadsheet even calculates the relative value of different feed ingredients. | Feed Cost Calculator |
| JANUARY 2010: A wet 2009 harvest got Farm Futures editors to work out a new spreadsheet to help keep your ledger straight. This worksheet will convert your original quantities - whether in pounds or bushels from a scale ticket, tin final bushels for your books. | Moisture Conversion Calculator |
| February 2010: Want to dig out the true value of the hybrids you buy? This handy spreadsheet from the University of Kentucky helps compare the real value of the seed you buy based on a range of important factors. | Seed Cost Tool |
| MARCH 2010: Volatile grain and input costs complicate both planting and marketing decisions, making it difficult to know when a sale will add to farm equity, or chalk up a loss. This spreadsheet from Ryan McClintock, Shellsburg, Iowa, offers a graphical way to measure yield and price combinations. | Crop Value Calculator |
| APRIL 2010: Crop leases are getting a second, third and even a fourth look given price volatility these days. Marshall Jokisch, Ashland, Ill., developed a spreadsheet designed to remove somoe of the emotions of lease evaluation. It can compare different crop leases using your own production costs. | Land Lease Evaluator |
| MAY 2010: Auto-steering is a great tool, but setting that angle can be a challenge. Doug Thompson, Atlanta, Ill., came up with this handy tool to set the angle quickly and efficiently. The spreadsheet calculates the angle of adjustment needed. | Auto-Steer Tuner |
| JULY/AUGUST 2010: Boosting field efficiency is a constant goal for many operations. This Iowa State University-developed spreadsheet helps match your equipment to the task at hand. | Machinery Efficiency Tool |
| SEPTEMBER 2010: Options are a great risk management tool, when properly applied. Kevin Dhuyvetter, Kansas State University, created a spreadsheet that compares marketing alternatives side-by-side. | Option Evaluation Tool |
| NOVEMBER 2010: Cornstalks could be profit waiting to be harvested from your fields. The University of Nebraska came up with a tool for matching livestock size and numberrs with cornstalk acres needed offering a wide range of cost data. | Cornstalk Value Tool |
| DECEMBER 2010: A net worth statement is a powerful way to look at your farm's financial health. This tool - developed by Iowa State University - can help you build that statement. | Net Worth Statement Maker |
| FEBRUARY 2011: Crop insurance plays a much larger role in today's farm risk management plan. This University of Illinois Spreadsheet calculates premiums, evaluates payments and provides historical data for decision making. | Crop Insurance Evaluator |
| MARCH 2011: High grain prices mean fine-tuning cost management. This spreadsheet helps you look at costs for crop protection products. | Crop Protection Analyzer |
| APRIL 2011: Evaluate options for grain storage with this Iowa State University Spreadsheet. | Fall Storage Tool |
| MAY 2011: When planting runs late you have a lot of decisions to make. This University of Illinois spreadsheet offers help in determining the best crop choice. | Late Planting Decision Tool |
| JULY/AUGUST 2011: Making a vehicle purchase decision? This Iowa State University spreadsheet can help you make the best purchase choice. | Vehicle Purchase Evaluator |
| SEPTEMBER 2011: Looking at adding a new building, or considering how best to utilize what you have? This Kansas State University spreadsheet helps determine the annualized cost of any building that you have, or are considering. | Building Space Tool |
| OCTOBER 2011: Just what is the value of your money? This University of Illinois spreadsheet helps you determine the value of your cash at different points in time. | The Value of Money |
| NOVEMBER 2011: Looking at your crop mix for the new year? This tool from Kansas State University can help you look at crop mix options. | Crop Mix Calculator |
| DECEMBER 2011: Looking at a joint venture to keep a lid on machinery costs? This Iowa State University spreadsheet can help you work out the details. | Joint Venture Evaluator |
| FEBRUARY 2012: Reassess crop share leases with this University of Missouri spreadsheet. | Crop Share Tool |
| MARCH 2012: Maximize your planting decisions, especially on those 'flex acres.' | Planting Decisions 2012 |
| APRIL 2012: CRP decisions are easier with this Kansas State University tool. | CRP Decision Tool |
| MAY 2012: If you're sharing equipment, this Iowa State University program should help. | Machinery Ownership |
| OCTOBER 2012: There's more to silage value than meets the eye and this spreadsheet helps you maximize feed use. | Value of Silage |
| NOVEMBER 2012: Track all the feedstuffs you have on your farm. | Grain, Feed Inventories |
| DECEMBER 2012: Figuring farm feed costs after the 2012 drought is more important than ever. This handy calculator should help out. | Feed Calculator |
Got a question about these spreadsheets? You can contact either Senior Editor Bryce Knorr at [email protected]; or Market Analyst Paul Burgener at [email protected]
These spreadsheets were developed for demonstration purposes only. No guarantee is made or implied regarding the results. There is risk associated with trading futures and options. Anyone acting on this information is doing so at his/her own risk. Consult your futures and options risk disclosure statements before trading or acting on this spreadsheet.
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