Complete List -- Decision Tools
Crop Decisions
| Cost & Return | ||||
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 xls files |
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| Pasture Cost Improvement Budgets (8 Decision Tools) Use these decision tools to determine the initial cost per acre for improving: |
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A1-15 |  |
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| Hay Storage Cost Comparison Use this decision tool to compare costs for various types of hay storage |
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A1-15 | ||
| Fruit & Vegetable Budgets (15 Decision Tools) Use these decision tools to estimate the costs and returns for fruit and vegetable production. Budgets are available for: |
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A1-17 | ||
| Organic Crop Production Enterprise Budgets (4 Decision Tools) Use these decision tools to estimate the costs and returns for growing Organic Corn, Organic Soybeans, Organic Oats, and Organic Alfalfa |
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A1-18 | ||
| Crop Production Costs Budgets (13 Decision Tools) Use these decision tools to project the costs and returns of growing: |
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A1-20 | ||
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| Breakeven Worksheet for Crops Use this decision tool to find cash-flow requirements per acre and break-even selling prices per bushel or ton for individual crops. |
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A1-20 | ||
| Comparison of Drying Systems Calculator Use this decision tool to compare total drying cost per bushel based on the type of drying system and price inputs. |
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A1-20 | ||
| Crop Rotation Summary Use this decision tool to estimate the returns for different crop rotations |
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A1-20 | ||
| Making the Transition from Conventional to Organic Production Use this decision tool to help analyze the transition process from conventional to organic production. |
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A1-26 | ||
| Direct and Counter Cyclical Program Payment Estimator Use this decision tool to project Direct payments and Counter Cyclical Program Payments for the current farm bill. |
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A1-32 | ||
| Projected ACRE Payment Rates for Iowa Crops Use this decision tool to see projected payments rates for the ACRE program. |
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A1-33 | ||
| SURE Payment Calculator (Supplemental Revenue Assistance) Use this decision tool to estimate payments under Supplemental Revenue Assistance (SURE) for 2010 or 2011 crops. |
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A1-44 | ||
| Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Payment Estimator Use this decision tool to estimate payments under the Average Crop Revenue Election program. |
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A1-45 | ||
| Crop Insurance Comparison Use this decision tool to compare different crop insurance strategies for corn and soybeans. |
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A1-48 | ||
| Delayed Planting and Replanting Evaluator Use this decision tool to evalutate delayed planting, replanting and prevented planting alternatives. |
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A1-57 | ||
| Group Risk Crop Insurance Comparison Use this decision tool to compare GRIP and GRP crop insurance for corn and soybeans. |
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A1-58 | ||
| Corn Silage Pricer Use this decision tool to estimate a minimum and maximum price for corn silage standing in the field or harvested and stored |
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A1-65 | ||
| Corn Stover Pricer Use this decision tool to estimate a price for corn stover standing in the field or harvested and stored. |
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A1-70 | ||
| Rotation Profitability Calculator Use this decision tool to compare return to management on different crop rotations and find the break-even price. |
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A1-80 | ||
| Rotation Profitability Calculator - using optimal nitrogen rate Use this decision tool to compare return to management on different crop rotations using the optimal rate of nitrogen. |
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A1-80 | ||
| Markets | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Monthly Cost for Storing Grain Use this decision tool to project the cost of storing grain past harvest in existing storage facilities or commercial storage. |
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A2-33 | ||
| Grain Storage Investment Comparison Use this decision tool to compare the cost for on-farm storage, commercial storage, rental farm storage, or in a storage condominium investment. |
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A2-35 | ||
| Outlook & Prices | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Season Average Price Calculator This decision tool uses monthly grain prices and futures prices to estimate the season average price for corn and soybeans. |
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A2-15 | ||
| Machinery | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Determining the Custom Operator's Share of the Crop Use this decision tool to compute an equitable share of the crop to give the custom operator instead of a cash payment. |
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A3-13 | ||
| Farm Machinery Financing Analyzer Use this decision tool to compare the cost the cost of owning vs. leasing farm machinery. |
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A3-21 | |
A3-35 |
| Estimating the Field Capacity of Farm Machines Use this decision tool to estimate the acreage capacity of a new machine. |
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A3-25 | ||
| Matching Tractor Power and Implement Size Use this decision tool to match the size of a tractor to the size of an implement. |
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A3-28 | ||
| Estimating the Number of Field Days Required Use this decision tool to estimate the number of field days required to complete a field operation. |
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A3-28 | ||
| Estimating Farm Machinery Costs Use this decision tool to estimate the cost of owning and operating farm machinery. |
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A3-29 | ||
| Grain Transportation Costs Use this decision tool to find ownership and operator costs for transporting grain by wagon or truck. |
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A3-29 | ||
| Combine Ownership or Custom Hire Use this decision tool to help you compare the cost of owning a combine to the cost of custom hire. |
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A3-33 | ||
| Joint Machinery Ownership Use this decision tool to compute each party's cost of jointly owning machinery. |
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A3-34 | ||
| Farm Machinery Joint Venture Worksheet Use this decision tool to compute each party's initial capital contribution and annual payments and operating expenses for a joint venture |
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A3-38 | ||
| Motor Vehicle Cost Analyzer Use this decision tool to calculate ownership and operating costs for a vehicle per mile and per year. |
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A3-40 | ||
Livestock Decisions
| Cost & Return | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Livestock Enterprise Budgets (12 Decision Tools) Use these decision tools to project the profitability of |
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B1-21 | |
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| Organic Dairy Budget Use this decision tool to project the profitability of organic dairy production. |
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B1-24 | ||
| Livestock Revenue Protection (LRP) Analyzer Use this decision tool to compare the price risk protection available with Livestock Revenue Protection to using futures contracts, put options or no price protection. |
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B1-50 | ||
| Manure Calculator Use this decision tool to analyze the value of manure nutrient components. |
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B1-65 | ||
| Markets | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Cow Sell Calculator Use this spreadsheet to compares opportunities for marketing cows now or incurring additional costs to target other (later) markets. |
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B2-35 | ||
| Cow Repurchase Calculator Use this spreadsheet to estimate the costs saved and interest earned on sale proceeds between sale and repurchase date. |
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B2-35 | ||
| Simple Hog Market Calculator Use this decision tool to evaluate the added return per head from marketing hogs a few days later and at a heavier weight. |
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B2-53 | ||
| Swine Marketing Decision Calculator Use this decision tool for help in evaluating optimal marketing weight. |
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B2-53 | ||
| Simple Hog Market Calculator Use this decision tool to evaluate the added return per head from marketing hogs a few days later and at a heavier weight. |
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B2-55 | ||
| Swine Marketing Decision Calculator Use this decision tool for help in evaluating optimal marketing weight. |
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B2-55 | ||
| Iowa Livestock and Poultry Corn Use Calculator This tool combines Iowa livestock and poultry population statistics with livestock production budgets to calculate feed use under several pre-determined scenarios. |
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B2-55 | ||
Whole Farm Decisions
| Cost & Return | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Partial Budgeting Use this decision tool to evaluate the financial effect of incremental changes for a farm business |
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C1-50 | |
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| Dividing Business Income Use this decision tool to calculate how to divide income between different parties |
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C1-51 | ||
| Market Comparison Use this calculator to estimate costs for various produce delivery markets. |
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C1-55 | ||
| Leasing & Land Values | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Cash Rental Rate Estimation Use this decision tool to compare different methods of computing Cropland Cash Rent. |
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C2-20 | ||
| Flexible Lease Agreement Worksheet Use this decision tool to analyze a flexible lease arrangement. |
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C2-21 | ||
| Calculating Hay and Pasture Cash Rents Use this decision tool to compare different methods of computing rent for hay and pasture ground. |
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C2-23 | ||
Computing a Grain Storage Rental Rate |
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C2-24 | ||
| Computing a Livestock Building Cash Rental Rate Use this decision tool to estimate a livestock building rental rate. |
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C2-26 | ||
| Beef Cow Share Agreement Analysis Use this decision tool to estimate costs and returns for each party in a beef cow share agreement. |
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C2-36 | ||
| Farmland Purchase Analysis Use this decision tool to compare the economic and financial impacts of purchasing a parcel of farmland. |
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C2-70 | ||
| Historic Farmland Value Survey (Iowa State University) This spreadsheet provides historic Iowa land values for county, district, and state beginning in 1950. |
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C2-70 | |
C2-72 |
| Calculating a Weighted Average Corn Suitability Rating Use this decision tool to find the weighted CSR based on information from the Web Soil Survey. |
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C2-87 | ||
| Iowa Township Names and Geographic Locations by County This electronic spreadsheet provides a listing of the political townships for every county in Iowa. |
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C2-88 | ||
| Finance | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Cash Flow Budget (short form) Use this decision tool to calculate a simple cash-flow budget for a small business project. |
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C3-14 | ||
| Cash Flow Budget (short form - 6 periods - monitor projections) Use this decision tool to make a simple cash flow projection, monitor the projections by entering the actual flows as they occur and make adjustments as needed. |
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C3-14 | ||
| Cash Flow Budget (short form - 12 periods) Use this decision tool to make a simple cash flow projection over 12 periods. |
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C3-14 | ||
| Cash Flow Budget (corn, soybeans and livestock) Use this decision tool to calculate a detailed cash-flow budget for your farm. |
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C3-15 | ||
| Cash Flow Budget (multiple crops and livestock) Use this decision tool to calculate a detailed cash-flow budget for your farm. |
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C3-15 | ||
| Net Worth Statement (short form) Use this decision tool to make a simple net worth statement. |
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C3-19 | ||
| Net Worth Statement Use this decision tool to calculate net worth. |
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C3-20 | ||
| Analyzing a Net Worth Statement Use this decision tool to analyze a net worth statement |
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C3-20 | ||
| Income Statement (short form) Use this decision tool to make a simple income statement. |
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C3-24 | ||
| Farm Income Statement Use this decision tool to calculate farm income. |
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C3-25 | ||
| Accrual Net Farm Income Worksheet Prepares an accrual net income statement from income tax schedules and net worth statements. |
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C3-25 | ||
| Analyzing an Income Statement Use this decision tool to analyze an income statement. |
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C3-25 | ||
| Financial Performance Measures Use this decision tool to calculate financial performance measures for your farm that can be compared to industry standards. |
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C3-55 | ||
| Interpreting Financial Performance Measures Use this decision tool to create a five-year trend analysis. |
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C3-56 | ||
| Complete Financial Statements Use this decision tool to calculate a comprehensive set of financial statements including the beginning and ending net worth statements, the income statement, the cash-flow statement, the statement of owner equity, and the financial performance measures. |
C3-20 | C3-25 | C3-55 | |
| Dividing Business Income Use this decision tool to calculate how to divide income between different parties. |
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C4-16 | ||
| Weights & Measurements | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Metric Conversions Use this decision tool for converting between English and Metric units. |
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C6-80 | ||
| Storage Capacity Use this decision tool to calculate the storage capacity of multiple types of grain storage facilities. |
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C6-84 | ||
New Business Decisions
| Starting a Business | ||||
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| xls files | ||||
| Grant In-Kind Match Contributions Use this decision tool to keep track of in-kind match for matching grants. |
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C5-06 | | |
| Travel Expense Voucher Use this decision tool to keep track of travel expenditures for reimbursement. | |
C5-06 | ||
| Value-Added Processing Facility Start-up Costs Use this decision tool to estimate the start-up cost of a value-added processing facility. You can also use this spreadsheet to monitor your budgeted expenditures. | |
C5-113 | ||
| Marketing | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Marketing Outlet Analyzer Use this spreadsheet to evaluate different market outlets based on their potential contribution to overall farm net income. |
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C5-32 | ||
Renewable Energy Decisions
| Outlook & Prices | ||||
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| xls files |
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| Monthly Profitability of Ethanol Production View the monthly profitability and underlying assumptions. |
D1-10 | |
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| Monthly Profitability of Biodiesel Production View the monthly profitability of biodiesel production. |
D1-15 | |||
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