Look Forward: Why You Should Think About the 2027 Crop Year Now

With harvest now complete, many of you are looking ahead and considering your crop plan for the 2024 season and how you’ll make adjustments based on last year’s plan (or years’ past) in order to be more effective and, ultimately, more profitable.

So why should you start thinking about the 2027 crop year now? Keeping digital records through a farm management solution enables you to quickly access an accurate understanding of historical successes and challenges presented on a field-by-field basis. This can put you in a better position to elevate your operation by strategically seeding high-value and high-yield potential crops on your most productive fields.

If you’re still using a pen and notepad to record farm information, it can be more difficult to replicate what’s worked in previous years – and avoid what didn’t.

“​​I would have loved to have someone prior to me keep 20 years of records, the way I am now, so that I would have some data to use to be more strategic.” Abby Majerus, Majerus Ranch 

If you start recording your farm information in a software solution today, by 2027, you will have three years of crop insights to compare on a field-by-field basis – that means you can adjust your plan to accommodate each field’s needs. A good farm management solution allows you to calculate projections, overlay records and produce reports while simultaneously storing the information safely and securely.

What will I learn from my farm data?

By storing historical information, farm management solutions give you an accurate record of all on-farm activities including previously grown crops, field-specific fertilizer blends, seed-drill settings, weather information, and more. Having the ability to compare multiple years of data is one of the best ways for you to identify trends that can be applied to next year’s crop plan, which can help increase your chances of achieving the best possible yields while monitoring input costs and budgets.

Here are a few examples of how your farm information can be used in 2027:

• Soil information: know your soil profile and understand its past so you can optimize its future based on previous crop plans and results — this will help with crop planning down the road.
• Inputs: keep track of what was seeded and sprayed on your fields to avoid any crop rotation or herbicide carry-over issues.
• Monitor growth: compare growth patterns on a field-by-field basis to understand which crops work best in a particular field or region.
• Information sharing: pull accurate reports that can be shared with your agronomist, banker and other partners that benefit from your detailed information.
• Marketing: easily compare profit margins across your crops and fields to make better plans for your farm and understand how costs and revenues impact your bottom line so you can make on-the-go decisions.

What should you look for in a farm management solution?

A good farm management solution puts you at the centre, making it easy to use and accessible to all members of the farm team. It provides the flexibility to input various types of information and insights and should be portable (accessible through your mobile phone or tablet) so you can carry a complete history of your fields on-the-go for quick reference.

Ready to get started? Let’s get to work. Together. Contact your local Decisive Farming representative today.