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  • From: "sals" <sals3 AT cox.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Re: Market Farm Forms
  • Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 09:36:04 -0800

Title: Message
I would sure like to look also if u can send to me.
thanks
-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Marcie Rosenzweig
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2004 9:28 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Re: Market Farm Forms

Hi Folks,

Adriana, thank you for recommending Market Farm Forms. Allan is correct that the forms are not linked and that can be an inconvenience.  These forms were developed while I was farming for use on my own farm and while I learned and grew each succeeding version of Excel. However, for the past year and a half, I have explained that to everyone inquiring about Market Farm Forms that this is the case.

When I started being asked by Extension to speak at workshops on computerizing farm recordkeeping, participants began asking for a copy of the forms.  I gave several spreadsheets away for free but found I was spending a great deal of time answering questions since there was no text to tell folks how to use them.  The greatest number of questions I got at those workshops were 1) whether computerizing records was really necessary 2) whether to buy a Mac or PC, and 3) what to plant for farmers' markets and, 4) how much to plant for CSAs.

I was convinced by Bill Kaye-Blake, my then apprentice and now family (he, Jenny and the kids are now living in New Zealand) to write the book to support the set of forms and make them available for purchase.  I did that in 1999. Back then the Forms were on floppies and folks had to request them by software and operating system.  Now all of those things are on a single, cross-platform CD.

Here is a list of the forms on the CD:
       
        Whole Farm Plan and Map
        A1    Seeds and Purchased Plants Needed
        A2    Farm-Grown Transplant Calculations       
        A3    Soil Amendments Calculations     
        B      Cropping and Succession Timelines       
        B1    Weekly Task Lists
        B2 & B3     Crop Yield and Income Projections and Actual Yield and Income      
        C1 & C2    Produce Availability Sheet and Invoice      
        C3    Market Tally Sheets      
        C4    CSA Share and Yield Tracking     
        D1    Budget Worksheet -       
                    Pricing Calculations       
        CSA Share Planting Calculations - Rows 
        CSA Share Planting Calculations - Beds 
        CSA Shares from Known Yields   
        CSA Share Amounts and Pricing  


As people have become more saavy and the use of computers more wide-spread, those questions have shifted to when the forms will be linked/macro-based and otherwise automated. The answer is - sometime next year.  No one pays you to develop these things when you work for yourself, so development happens in the spaces around income producing work.  At $45 plus $5 shipping (CA residents pay sales tax) Market Farm Forms is designed to be affordable to even the smallest growers.  I've continued to resist calls to raise the price but the next version will need to cover some costs of re-tooling.

I'm grateful to others who are trying to do similar things for this community.  Thinking through the flow of information on a market farm, deciding what needs to be tracked and getting the math right is no small task as those of you who have tried it know. When I published Market Farm Forms, no one was even taking Market Farmers seriously.

Sincerely.

Marcie A. Rosenzweig




-- 
Marcie A. Rosenzweig
Full Circle
3377 Early Times Ln
Auburn, CA 95603-7900
(530) 885-9201

ask about our books:
Market Farm Forms- Spreadsheet Templates
for Planning and Tracking Information on Diversified Market Farms
AND
The New Farmers' Market: Farm-fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers, and Communities



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