6 Simple Steps to Calculate Field-Level Breakeven for 2025

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or many farmers, tracking the breakeven point at the field level is key to making confident financial and operational decisions for the season ahead. Setting up a 2025 plan with realistic field-level insights might seem complex, but with Bushel Farm’s straightforward approach, you can break it down step-by-step. Here’s a guide to help you get there.

Step 1 - Add 2025 crops to your fields

Start by adding your intended 2025 crops to each field. This lays the foundation for tracking costs and yields as they relate specifically to each field, helping you understand the individual financial performance of every crop across your operation.

Step 2 - Add expected field work activities

Next, add the expected activities you plan for each field. Enter details like fertilizer application, planting, and harvesting. While these may just be estimates right now, you can easily edit or delete them as your plan for 2025 evolves. Having this in place early helps you tally up expected costs based on your best assumptions.

Quick Tip: To save time, add common input mixes instead of individual ingredients each time. Plus, you can apply the same activity to multiple fields at once instead of entering them one-by-one.

Step 3 - Log inputs and purchases

Once you’ve outlined your field activities, you’ll see a list of needed inputs. As you purchase these items, log them into Bushel Farm to start linking actual expenses to your plan. This way, you get a clearer picture of your costs as they develop.

Step 4 - Adjust operational costs for accuracy

Every field work activity includes an operational cost. Adjust these as needed to better reflect your farm’s specific rates. Customizing these costs helps make your breakeven calculations more precise.

Step 5: Include land costs and agreements

If you have crop share agreements or other land arrangements, add them in the Land Cost feature. Tag each relevant field to ensure your land-related expenses accurately impact each field’s breakeven point.

Step 6 - Add other expenses

Don’t forget about the costs that don’t fall under field work or land expenses, like crop insurance or bulk fuel. Include these “other” expenses using these easy steps so your full financial picture includes every dollar going out.

Review profit and loss

With your field, input, and expense data in place, head to the Profit & Loss feature to view your costs at the farm, crop, and field levels. Here’s where you’ll see your progress toward field-specific breakeven points.

Want to test out profitability scenarios? Consider setting up adding crops to your marketing plan and adding a mock contract to explore how pricing fluctuations could affect your bottom line.