Recordkeeping Made Easy: Tracking Financial Data through Online Platforms to Manage Risk

Date:

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Time: 

6:00pm – 7:30pm

Location:

Virtual Online Session  

Cost:

Free

Related Program(s):

LINK TO: December 9, 2021 Workshop Recording

A conversation with farmers and top record keeping software companies about managing financial risk through data and technology.  In this workshop you will:

  • Learn about The Carrot Project's farm financial support services and online courses that help farmers assess their financial health.
  • Get a working tour of FarmOS, a web-based application for farm management, planning, and record keeping. It is developed by a community of farmers, developers, researchers, and organizations with the aim of providing a standard platform for agricultural data collection and management.
  • Gain insight into Farmbrite's financial management platform that integrates farm planning, record keeping, management, tracking, sales and reporting software to run a thriving farm or livestock business.
  • Hear from farmers managing risks with a better understanding of their financial health.

Presenters:

Jeff Cole is the Client Services Specialist at The Carrot Project and he also works part time as the MA Food System Collaborative’s Agricultural Network Coordinator.  He is a 9th generation farmer in Sutton, MA with over 25 years of farming experience and a degree in economics. He focuses on farm sustainability and creating systemic change through collaboration, education, and building networks of support. He serves  on the Worcester County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and the MA Food System Collaborative working group on Boards of Health, and was a founding member of the MA Food Policy Council.

Michael Stenta is the founder and lead developer of farmOS a web-based application for farm management, planning, and record keeping with the aim of providing a standard platform for agricultural data collection and management. Michael relies on his extensive knowledge as a web developer and farmer to build an online community committed to providing free and open source software to farmers, researchers, and organizations. His process is rooted in direct experience working on and with farms around the country, both in the soil and in computer code.

Janine Russell is the COO and Co-Founder of Farmbrite and is based in Colorado.  She is a champion for bringing farmers and technology together to build better medicine, food and soil. She strives to deliver a comprehensive software product which gives farmers a simple seed to sale solution to make their jobs easier and their farm management more efficient.  Janine is also the owner of Good Fortune Herb Farm.

Rich Faucher of Faucher Farms is based in Virginia and operates a full use integrated farm with both produce and livestock.

LINK TO: Fact Sheet

Additional resources:

Farmier.com - Hosting service and signup for Version 1 of FarmOS and soon will be upgraded to Version 2
GOAT (Gathering for Open Agricultural Technology) -   Global cooperation and coordination group around  software and hardware technology in agriculture.
Open TEAM (Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management) -  A farmer-driven consortium collaborating on tools to provide and share knowledge around soil health
Open Collective - An “open source” online and transparent platform that accepts donations and sponsorships and can fund particular projects – also offers fiscal host options [Can contribute to the FarmOS/Farmier support services here]
Open Food Network USA - Another open source community to focus on distribution side; supports Food Hubs and connecting producers and consumers