From Fields to Finances: How Data Helps Crop Farmers Boost Yields and Margins
- Joshua Brock
- 16 minutes ago
- 10 min read
This is the sixth in a series of articles expanding on the original, “From Seed to Success: How KPIs Can Transform Your Market Garden”. With each article in the “Farm KPIs” series, we dive deeper into a specific metric (crops, livestock, financial, etc.) by defining what it is, why it’s important, how to track it, and how to put the data into practical use. This article specifically looks at those built for crop growers; our next in the series will focus on livestock-applicable reports.
The other articles in the series include:
"The good health of a farm depends on the farmer's mind.
The good health of his mind has its dependence, and its proof, in physical work.
The good farmer's mind and his body - his management and his labor - work together as intimately as his heart and his lungs.
And the capital of a well-farmed farm by definition includes the farmer, mind and body both.
Farmer and farm are one thing, an organism."
- from The Gift of Good Land, Wendell Berry -
I begin this article with the quote I stumbled upon back in 2009, when my interest in agriculture moved from consumer to producer. It was the Spring of that year when I drew up the courage to talk to one of the farmers participating in the Boulder County Farmers' Market in Longmont, Colorado, where I had been living since 2003.
It was that year I started working on that family farm in Longmont, first as a part-time farmhand and before my departure that fall, as a full-time laborer - and I loved it. I was putting into action all the hopes and dreams I'd had about being an integral part of agriculture for years prior. Shortly thereafter, I moved back East to Pennsylvania to be closer to family and ended up starting our hop farm at the land that had been in our family since the 1950s.
I mention all this because this quote is not only an ode to the physical trials and tribulations of the men and women who own, manage, and work in the fields of our nation's farms, but it's a testament to the emotional and mental aspects of this life as well. As Wendell Berry eludes to, key to the health of the farm is not just the physicality of it - that of the farmer, the crops, and livestock - but also the mental aspects. In terms of the farm, the mental portion centers around the financial and tangible assets.
Let's dive into our latest article in the KPI Series by taking a look at the topics that will be discussed:
Two Types of Reports Every Farmer Should Be Consulting
Too often, smaller farms focus on yield and overlook financial metrics that determine long-term viability. To paraphrase Wendell Berry, the capital of a well-farmed farm depends on the farmer's mind, health, body, management, and labor. Mind and management come into play here specifically.
For small to midsized crop farms, there are really two types of reports they need to review regularly:
Production (agronomic) reports — track the health, yield, and efficiency of the farm’s operations
Financial performance reports — show profitability, cash flow, and cost structures.
Production reports provide farmers with the data to take actionable steps such as the following:
Identify underperforming fields or crops. For example, a yield map may show that one corner consistently produces less, suggesting drainage or nutrient issues.
Fine-tune inputs for higher efficiency. By comparing input levels and yield results, you can pinpoint where you’re over- or under-applying fertilizer or chemicals.
Plan for long-term soil health. Tracking organic matter, compaction, and nutrient trends helps ensure sustainability and productivity over time.
React faster to problems. Regular scouting and pest reports let you respond before issues become costly.
Compare seasons and varieties. Consistent reporting allows for data-backed decisions on seed selection, planting dates, and field rotation.
Financial performance reports on the other hand allow farmers to:
Track profitability by crop or enterprise. Some crops may have higher sales but lower margins once all costs are included.
Understand true costs. Knowing your per-acre or per-bushel cost allows smarter marketing and pricing decisions.
Improve cash management. Seasonal cash flow forecasting prevents shortfalls during input-purchasing months or before harvest sales.
Assess financial stability. The balance sheet shows long-term solvency, equity growth, and borrowing capacity.
Plan investments wisely. Knowing ROI on machinery, technology, or land improvements ensures money is going where it generates the best return.
Communicate with lenders and partners. Clear, accurate financials support loan applications and business credibility.
Production reports reveal what’s happening in the field. Financial reports reveal what it’s costing and returning. Ultimately, agronomic reporting helps small and midsized farms grow smarter — not necessarily more — by uncovering the relationships between soil, inputs, and yield that drive profitability.
Financial performance reports translate farming decisions into dollars and cents — giving farmers the clarity to operate not just efficiently, but profitably. When combined, they create a complete view of farm performance: you can link agronomic outcomes (like yield) to economic results (like profit per acre).
Production and Agronomic Health Reports
Production or agronomic reports focus on the biological and operational side of the farm, that is to say, the growing conditions, inputs, and outputs that determine yield and quality. They translate the science and day-to-day management of farming into measurable data, helping you make decisions that improve both productivity and efficiency.
What they cover:
Crop performance metrics like yield per acre, crop quality, and harvest moisture.
Input usage and efficiency such as fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, seed, fuel, and water per acre.
Soil and environmental data, which includes nutrient levels, organic matter, pH, soil compaction, and erosion risks.
Irrigation and water management, or how much water is applied versus the crop's needs.
Pest, disease, and weed pressure, monitoring the frequency, location, and impact.
Operational efficiency, monitoring planting and harvest timing, machinery utilization, and field work rates.
Among the common tools and sources of information for these types of reports are precision agriculture systems (e.g., John Deere Operations Center, Ag Leader, etc.), farm management software (e.g., Farmbrite), and soil testing labs and scouting apps for environmental and pest data.
Ultimately, agronomic reporting helps small and midsized farms grow smarter — not necessarily more — by uncovering the relationships between soil, inputs, and yield that drive profitability.
Financial Performance Reports
Financial performance reports track the economic side of the operation — the inflow and outflow of money, asset health, and profitability of each crop or enterprise. These reports help you see whether your operation is not just productive, but profitable and sustainable.
What they cover:
Profit & Loss (income) statement lists revenues, expenses, and net profit for a specific period.
Cash Flow Statement tracks when cash actually moves in and out, crucial for managing seasonal income gaps.
A balance sheet summarizes assets, liabilities, and equity; it shows long-term financial strength.
Enterprise or Crop Profitability Reports break down profit per crop, per field, or per acre.
Cost of Production Analysis calculates the real cost of growing a crop, including labor, land, fuel, and depreciation.
Break-Even Reports determine the price or yield needed to cover all costs.
Debt and Liquidity Reports measure the ability to service debt and maintain adequate working capital.
Standard tools and sources of information for these types of reports include accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Wave), farm management software (e.g., Farmbrite), and spreadsheets and dashboards (e.g., custom Excel or Google Sheets templates for per-acre and per-crop analysis).
In short, financial performance reports translate farming decisions into dollars and cents — giving farmers the clarity to operate not just efficiently, but profitably.
The Power and Flexibility of Farmbrite's Reporting Tools
As mentioned at the outset of our article, there are two primary categories of reports for a farm: production (agronomic) and financial performance. This integrated approach — sometimes called “field-to-finance management” — enables modern farms, even smaller ones, to compete strategically and sustainably.
Additionally, Farmbrite offers a great deal of customization for you to create your own reports, Custom Reports. We won't be diving into the nuances of working these here, but you can check out our in-depth article, "How do I create custom reports?".
Let's take a brief look at a handful of the production-style reports Farmbrite, farm accounting software, includes in the Plantings section of the Standard Reports. They are broken out into Planning Reports and Production Reports. To note, a handful of Farmbrite's "production reports" include elements of financial data without being exclusively accounting focused.
Farmbrite Planning Reports
Crop Planning Guide - A shortcut to the crop plan, this report displays all your plantings, including their locations and dates. The dates are shown on a chart, giving you a color-coded visual representation of your seed start dates, planting dates, and expected harvests.
Expected Harvest Yields - This crop-based report shows you the total amount planted for each crop across all of your grow locations, with monthly harvest totals expected over the next 12 months. This can help you plan for CSA distributions, sales, or promotions when you expect extra of a specific crop to be harvested. You could also use this to prepare for labor needs to harvest them. It also includes an expected revenue.
Empty Planting Locations - As the name suggests, this report shows you any locations that are empty during the data range provided. Be sure you maximize your yield by planting every field, or leave the right one fallow to generate.
Farmbrite Production Reports
Accounting Transactions* - This report shows you all expense or income transactions associated with any of your crop records. These records are a great place to start if you'd like to customize an accounting report for your crops with more columns or filters.
*These are transactions where the "associated to" field is directly linked to a specific grow location or crop, and thus do not include transactions added to your accounting but not specific to a record.
Grow Location History - This report is ordered and grouped by grow location, and shows all plantings, treatments, and tasks associated with them. You'll see the date of each one, giving you a chronicle of what's been planted there and what's been done to the soil.
Nutrients and Amendments - A summary of the nutrients added to your grow locations. The amount applied and the method used are shown, and each element/mineral is displayed with the amount added.
Yield Comparison - This report compares varieties of the same crop type to see which one is most productive during specific periods. You can run this for weeks, months, or yearly production. Perhaps one variety far outpaces the production of others, and you may want to plant more of that next year.
Farmbrite Accounting Reports
Farmbrite's farm accounting reports are broken out into three categories: Accounts Receivable, Business Overview, and Financial Performance. We recommend that you work with an accounting professional for any questions specific to your business accounting. They can help ensure compliance with your local laws and offer advice on how to best account for your business needs!
Accounts Receivable Due / Aging - Whether you're waiting on one of your bulk purchasers to pay off an outstanding large delivery, or you're chasing down the last payment from a CSA share, you can use this report to see who owes you what, and how long they've had the balance. This can help you know who currently owes you the most, and who has been outstanding the longest.
Accounts Receivable Due - This order-based report shows all orders that still have a payment due, categorized by how long the balance has been outstanding. Each row in the report represents a unique, specific order.
Accounts Receivable Aging - This customer-based report shows how all your customers who have an outstanding balance, and how long the balance has been due. Each row on the report represents a customer and totals the balance across all of their orders.
Profit and Loss (and By Month) - As you create accounting transactions and separate transactions into categories, your income and expenses will start to accumulate, and you'll want an easy way to see those totals. Knowing what you are spending money on, and where your income is coming from is obviously essential to running your business! Farmbrite offers an account-wide Profit and Loss Statement, as well as individual statements for fields, crops, equipment, and animals. You can also run this by month to help coincide with your budget.
Your Next Steps - Go Forth Boldly!
Reports are akin to a map; they show you not only where you're going, but also where you've been. For farmers, reports can be invaluable for determining where their efforts are most effective and where they are not. And like using a map, you don't have to wait until you've reached your destination; you can implement changes along the way based on what the data is showing you.
And with Farmbrite, farm accounting software, you don't have to lift a finger. As you're recording your tasks throughout the season - seeding, transplanting, purchasing and applying amendments, tracking your workers' time and activities, harvesting, selling your crops - all that information is rolling up into a variety of reports like the ones we've referenced in this article. In addition to the included standard reports, you can create any number of custom reports tailored to your needs.
We invite you to give Farmbrite's farm accounting app a try with our 14-day free trial, where you can demo any of our available plans. We offer a wonderful Find My Plan tool to help you determine which plan is right for you. Additionally, we offer the opportunity to apply for a handful of discounts for new farmers, nonprofits, first responders, veterans, military personnel, healthcare workers, teachers, and veterinary professionals.
Happy Farming, and we look forward to working with you!
Joshua, his wife Jenn, and their dog Rooster live in North Central Pennsylvania. Joshua is the owner and operator of Hoffman Appalachian Farm, where they grow Certified Naturally Grown hops. Joshua has over twelve years of experience in growing crops, including growing in an organic system. In his spare time, he enjoys trail running, backpacking, and cycling.
