Computer Training for
Farm Businesses
Jenny Rhodes
Shannon Dill
University of Maryland
Extension Educators
Agriculture & Natural Resources
University of Maryland Extension
TEAM
Jenny Rhodes
Queen Anne’s County
Shannon Dill
Talbot County
Nan Stenzel
UME Regional IT Coordinator
Local Community College
Local Accounting Firm
University of Maryland Extension
Why?
Computers are an important tool for farm business
management.
In a recent survey from the USDA farm computer
use continues to rise (USDA NASS 2011).
 In Maryland about 60% of farms have access to
computers but only 34% use computers for farm
business.
Who?
Target audience -Farm Businesses
Owners
Farmers
Land Owners
Young Farmers
When?
January 2008 – November 2011
First trainings – Annie’s Project
Where?
Classes Offered
Using Computers for Your Farm
Excel
QuickBooks for Beginners
Advanced QuickBooks
Using Computers for your Farm
3 hour training
hands on workshop – each attendee had their own
computer
Learned how to:
manage your files
set up folders
back up important files
look at software that could be beneficial to your
farming operation
Excel Spreadsheets for your Farm
Business
3 hour training
Hands on application with Microsoft Excel
each attendee had their own computer
Learned how to:
navigating the software
 set up a spreadsheet
insert formulas and calculations.
Participants practiced with spreadsheet
templates
Each received a USB with farm based
spreadsheets
USB Flashdrive Contents
Excel Spreadsheets
Budgets:

2011 Field Crop Budgets with Cover Crops - spreadsheet

2011 Field Crop Budgets – PDF

2011 Field Crop Budgets – spreadsheet

201 November Field Crop Budgets- spreadsheet

Custom Rates

Input Prices Fall 2011

ONVC Spreadsheet - A calculator to estimate the value
of manure when compared to commercial fertilizer
Personal Monthly Budget – spreadsheet
Very important to have a household budget when
making financial decisions
Personal Budget - spreadsheet
Vegetable Enterprise Budgets - spreadsheet
USB Flashdrive Contents
Farm Business Planning:

Business Planning Resources

Includes various business planning templates,
information and a case study to see how a
business plan should be written
Financial Statements:

Blank Worksheets

Includes cash flow, balance sheet and income
statement

Crop Worksheet

Fixed Cost Allocation

Spreadsheet to help determine actual fixed costs
instead of using custom rates
USB Flashdrive Contents
Grain Marketing:

Basis Charts

Grain Marketing

Spreadsheet showing how to keep marketing records.

Maryland Corn Basis
Misc:

Fax Cover Letter

Hormel Card - Remember these livestock judgers – Excel
will place classes with cuts in no time

Invoice

MCE Address Book

Keep important addresses and contact names in an excel
spreadsheet i.e. – landlords, employees etc.

Purchase order

Sales Receipt

Weekly Time Sheet
USB Flashdrive Contents
Production Info:

Corn Calculation

This spreadsheet dries corn bushels to 15.5%

Nutrient Management Manure Record Keeping
Sheet

Nutrient Management Sample Fertilizer-Manure
Application Records

Nutrient Management Yield Record Summary

Nutrient Management Poultry Removal Record

Pesticide Application Records

Production Records
Agriculture Websites to Bookmark and Applications
http://www.agnr.umd.edu/
This is the UMD, College of Ag website. This is the portal to find
Extension Fact Sheets, meetings, workshops and the home and
garden information center (www.hgic.com)
http://www.mdgrainmarketing.umd.edu/
Website listing budgeting, marketing, lease agreements and more.
Go here to download spreadsheets and farm management
documents.
http://www.mredc.umd.edu/
This site is a one-stop-shop for the latest and most successful
business development innovations and support for Maryland's
agriculture and natural resources enterprises. If you are currently,
or would like to be, an agricultural/ natural resources entrepreneur,
we invite you to explore this site.
http://extension.umd.edu/publications/EB237online/
QuickBooks For Farm
Businesses
Shannon Dill
University of Maryland Extension
QuickBooks Reports
Grain Farmer
Balance Sheet
Transaction Detail by Account
Income Statement
Account Listing
Profit & Loss
Profit & Loss by Class
Statement of Cash Flows
QuickBooks For Farm Businesses

Beginners
Worked through tutorial setting up
QuickBooks – hands on – each had their
own computer – 3 hour training
Setting up Vendors
Setting up Accounts
Writing Checks
Entering Deposits
QuickBooks For Farm Businesses
Advanced
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Local Account Firm
Creating Reports
Creating Invoices
Reconcile bank statement
Changing Preferences
Tips of the trade
Discussion
Class Participation Totals
12 Using Computers for Your Farm
165 Excel
148 QuickBooks – Beginners
20 QuickBooks – Advanced
324 Individuals participated in the
program
Evaluations
 Using Computers for your Farm
92% report understanding file management
 100% will use websites suggested
 83% will use the USB
92% will back up their files
Evaluations After Classes
 Excel for Farm Businesses
100% of participants plan to incorporate Excel
Spreadsheets into their farm for recordkeeping
system.
 QuickBooks for Farm Businesses
100% report implementing QuickBooks on their
farm, tracking enterprise expenses and creating
end of the year financial reports
Follow up Survey from all Classes taught
Impacts
99%
98%
97%
96%
Impacts
95%
94%
93%
92%
Will use QuickBooks on their farm
N=59
Will track expenses for farm entreprises
Will use QuickBooks to create financial
statements
Follow Up Survey
Impacts
100%
99%
98%
97%
Impacts
96%
95%
94%
93%
Increase computer use on the farm
Increase recordkeeping on the farm
Feel more comfortable using
computers and applications
Conclusions
Diversity
Knowledge
Age
Enterprise
Teaching
3 Instructors
Continuation of Classes
Questions
Contact information:
Jenny Rhodes – jrhodes@umd.edu
Shannon Dill – sdill@umd.edu