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Hello All- Another tool that produce farmers might want to take a look at is the Leopold Center's Produce Profitability Calculator.... It helps users build different scenarios to help with planting and sales decisions. It can be found at: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/profitability_0108.p df There is a user manual to help too... If anyone cares to share, I'm interested in how helpful anyone finds this tool. You can reach me directly at the info below. Other tools you might check into: Rutgers Farm Management Organic Production Budgets: http://www.cook.rutgers.edu/~farmmgmt/ne-budgets/organic.html Brookfield Farms spreadsheets are helpful too, especially for CSA's... The spreadsheet set is $25. You can get them directly from them at: http://www.brookfieldfarm.org/cps.html Another, more in-depth analytical tool, to determine an "enterprise budget" for veggies, can be found at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/pm2017.pdf Hope that helps... Wendy Wendy Wieland SBTDC Business Consultant/ MSU Product Center Ag Innovation Counselor @ Northern Lakes Economic Alliance 1313 Boyne Ave. P.O. Box 8 Boyne City, MI 49712 Ph. 231-582-6482 Fax: 231-582-3213 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: MI organic growers seeking info and ideas [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Creation Farm Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 3:31 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Question for the Veg Team After you see the price of new stuff, take a look at ebay for walk-in coolers, if you have a local refrigeration guy or you know how to do it you can save thousands very quickly, just verify or have them guarantee the compressor will work when you hook it up to cover yourself. -----Original Message----- From: MI organic growers seeking info and ideas [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan Houghton Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 3:17 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Question for the Veg Team I am also adding a walk in cooler at Giving Tree Farm. I just looked in the phone book at Restaurant Equipment Suppliers and found a couple to give us an estimate. If you find something better, we still have time to change our plans. As for organic farm record keeping, I have a system that works for us and is easy for clients and staff to fill out. The real problem for us is in the number crunching after it is entered. I have been working on an access database, and can spit out lots of questions and answers, but I still have some gaps to work out. If you want to contact me off list, I would be willing to share some of the forms with you. Susan Houghton Giving Tree Farm Lansing MI ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vicki Morrone" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 11:47 AM Subject: Re: Question for the Veg Team > This is a very appropriate question to pose to organic vegetable growers. > I will post this on the Mi organic listserv and think I can get a hit. I > will keep you posted or you can be on the listserv too, target audience is > organic farmers, markets and educators of org/sustainable veg production. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Phil Durst [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 2:42 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Question for the Veg Team > > Norm, > > I had someone in the office asking about plans for a walk-in cooler > in which to store produce, or about where he might purchase a used > one. Do you or any of the Veg Team members have any ideas that I can > pass along? > > He was also interested in a simple farm record system. Although I > showed him the MSU Farm Record Book he was hoping for something more > geared toward the produce side. Do you know of anything? > > Thanks for your help! > > > > > Posted by: > Vicki Morrone > Organic Vegetable and Crop Outreach Specialist > Michigan State University > C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems > 303 Natural Resources Bldg. > East Lansing, MI 48824 > 517-353-3542 > 517-282-3557 (cell) > 517-353-3834 (fax) > For information on organic agriculture production please visit: > http://www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu/ > P Please consider the environment before printing this email > > > If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html