Farm bookkeeping software
One tool for your farm's books, fields, and operations.
Schedule F, fields, equipment, hay, grain, livestock, and pesticide compliance — in one login, with data that actually connects. Built for real farms, from solo operators to multi-user teams.
No credit card required · CSV & PDF export any time
Everything a farm actually needs
Schedule F built in
Every expense tagged to the right IRS category. One-click year-end summary.
Fields & planting history
Acres, crops, yields, rotations, and chemical application logs.
Equipment & assets
Service hours, maintenance costs, and depreciation for capital assets.
Hay, grain & livestock
Cuttings, movements, bushels, and head counts — with sales and feeding.
Pesticide compliance
REI/PHI windows, applicator licenses, and 50-state overlays.
Mobile-first entry
Log expenses, receipts, and field work from your phone. Works offline.
Farm-Ledger vs the usual stack
Most farms end up running a general accounting tool plus spreadsheets plus a compliance binder.
| Feature | Farm-Ledger | QuickBooks | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule F categories | — | — | |
| Fields & planting history | — | — | |
| Hay & grain inventory | — | — | |
| Livestock records | — | — | |
| Pesticide REI / PHI | — | — | |
| Equipment service logs | — | — | |
| Mobile-friendly entry | — | ||
| CSV & PDF exports | |||
| Bank feeds & payroll | — | — |
How to set up bookkeeping for a farming operation
Farm books fail for the same six reasons every year. Get these right and tax season stops being a reconstruction project.
1. Separate the farm from the household
One farm checking account and one farm card. Every mixed bill that remains — electric, internet, the pickup — gets a farm-use percentage instead of a guess in February.
2. Use Schedule F categories, not generic ones
"Office supplies" and "cost of goods sold" do not map to a farm return. Chemicals, feed, custom hire, seed, fertilizer, and lime do. Tag each entry at the moment you record it.
3. Put capital assets on their own list
Tractors, balers, bins, tile, and purchased breeding stock are depreciated, not expensed. Each carries a purchase price, in-service date, and useful life — and produces a Form 4562 summary.
4. Split every loan payment
Only the interest is deductible. Principal is not an expense. Getting this wrong is the most common error on farm books, and it overstates deductions every single month.
5. Capture receipts where they happen
Photograph the ticket at the parts counter and the co-op pump. A receipt that lives in the truck console is a deduction you will not claim.
6. Connect production to the money
Acres, bushels, bales, and head counts are what tell you whether a field or an enterprise paid. Books without production records tell you only that money moved.
Want the category-by-category detail? Read the complete Schedule F expense category guide, or see Schedule F software.
Frequently asked questions
What is farm bookkeeping software?
Farm bookkeeping software is a purpose-built accounting tool that tracks farm income, expenses, fields, equipment, livestock, hay, and grain, then maps everything to IRS Schedule F for tax time.
How is it different from QuickBooks?
QuickBooks handles generic business accounting but has no concept of acres, bushels, bales, chemical REI windows, or Schedule F categories. Farm-Ledger is built around those from day one.
Does Farm-Ledger handle Schedule F?
Yes. Every expense is tagged to a Schedule F category, and a one-click report generates a year-end summary you can hand to your accountant.
Can I use it on my phone in the field?
Yes. Farm-Ledger is mobile-first, works offline for entry, and installs as a PWA on iPhone and Android.
Can I export my data?
Anytime, to CSV or PDF. You own your data.
How much does it cost?
Starter is free for solo operators. Farm is $25/month for a full farm. Enterprise is $99/month for multi-user teams. Annual plans include a 20% discount.
How do I set up bookkeeping for a farming operation?
Start with a separate farm bank account, then build a chart of accounts around IRS Schedule F lines rather than generic business categories. Record income and expenses as they happen, keep capital assets on a depreciation schedule separate from day-to-day expenses, and split every loan payment into principal and interest. Farm-Ledger ships with the Schedule F structure already in place, so setup is entering your opening balances and assets.
What records does a farm need to keep for taxes?
Income by source, expenses by Schedule F category, receipts and invoices for substantiation, a capital asset list with in-service dates and depreciation, loan statements showing the principal/interest split, mileage logs for farm vehicle use, and production records for grain, hay, and livestock. Most states add pesticide application records with REI and PHI windows.
Can I track hay, grain, and livestock inventory too?
Yes. Hay tracks by cutting, bale type, and storage location, with movements for sales, feeding, and loss. Grain tracks bushels by bin and contract. Livestock tracks head counts, groups, treatments, and feeding — and feed drawn from your own hay deducts from inventory automatically.
Do I need an accountant if I use farm bookkeeping software?
Most farms still benefit from one. Software keeps the year organized and produces clean summaries; a tax professional handles elections, depreciation strategy, and the return itself. Good records make their work faster and usually cheaper.
Ready to simplify your farm records?
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