Barn Books is a simple money tool for small farms. Budget each business on your place, from laying hens to freezer beef, see your cash flow after loan payments, and get a tax estimate before the year ends.
Works in your web browser on your phone or computer. No accounting background needed.
Eighty acres of corn at 180 bushels and $4.20 can clear $7,080 on paper. Finance a $30,000 used planter over seven years at 7% and the payment takes $5,566 of it. Your corn was breaking even at $3.71 a bushel. Now it needs $4.09, which leaves 11 cents of cushion if the price drops.
Most farm budgets stop at profit. Barn Books also shows the cash that leaves your account, so you can price right and plan for the lean years before they come.
Set up your corn, your beans, your cattle and your hens as separate businesses. Enter what you sell and what you spend, and see the gross margin, net return per acre or per head, and your break-even price.
See every business side by side: what each one brings in, what it costs, and its share of the farm's cash. The ones losing money are flagged, so you know where to cut or grow.
Enter the planter, the tractor or the cattle you financed. Barn Books works out each payment, the total interest, and a year-by-year schedule, then adds the payments to the right business's cash flow.
Log your sales and purchases as the year goes. Barn Books estimates federal income tax, self-employment tax and state tax, and tells you whether to expect a bill or a refund.
Name each part of your farm and set its size: acres, head or birds. Start from an example budget if you like.
Plan the season ahead, or log sales and purchases as they happen. Add anything you financed.
See your break-even prices, your cash after loan payments, and your tax estimate. Change a price and watch everything update.
I grew up on a small farm, raising cattle and a few chickens and baling hay. For years I made decisions the way a lot of us do: by looking at the checkbook. If there was money in the account, things seemed fine. What I didn't have were the real numbers, like what each part of the farm actually earned and what it really cost me. I built Barn Books for farmers like me, so the next decision about buying calves, financing equipment or raising your prices is based on real numbers, not a guess.
The free Starter is yours to keep. Upgrade anytime to track your whole farm, your loans and your taxes.
Teach real farm finances with real numbers. FFA chapters and ag teachers can get discounted group access for students and advisors. Reach out and we will set it up for your chapter.
Email: barnbooksbudgettool@gmail.com
No. If you know what you sell things for and what you pay for feed, seed and fuel, you can use Barn Books. Every number is explained in plain words.
Yes. Barn Books is just a calculator. The numbers you enter are never sent to the IRS, the USDA, your bank or anyone else, and nothing is ever filed for you. They're saved to your account only so your work is there next time. Only you can see them in the app, and we never sell, share or look through your farm data.
No. The tax page gives you an estimate so there are no surprises, and it helps you walk in with your records organized. Your preparer files the real return.
Small and mid-size farms, homesteads and side businesses: corn and soybeans, hay, beef, poultry, goats, market gardens, or any mix of them.
Tax brackets change every year. Barn Books is updated each fall with the new federal numbers. Subscribers get them automatically, at no extra cost.
Barn Books gives estimates for planning. It is not tax, legal or financial advice. Check important decisions with your tax preparer or farm lender.