Info: Left-Click below on  links to run software and Right-Click to Download....

MACRO ALERT: Some of these spreadsheets contain macros to help print results for the program. You can download these spreadsheets to your computer but may still get a warning about macros. If you choose to open the spreadsheet on the Web, you may get a security message if your security settings on your computer are set at the highest level. If you get a security warning, click okay. The program will open on the Web, but the print macros will not work.

ACRE Program

New Version of ACRE Program (January 24, 2010)

A new version of the ACRE program is available to account for changes in information and implementation details have changed. This new version is listed below and it includes a new option to analyze the implications of differential local county loan rates and local cash prices for the selected crop mix.

PLEASE NOTE: That the new version of the program analyzes the implication of specific county loan rates and local cash prices for the 2009 "ACRE Analysis Year" only. In the remaining three years for the ACRE program analysis, the calculations revert to the published national average Loan Rates for program crops. If you have questions about this version and what it does, please contact Duane Griffith at [email protected] or 406-994-2580.

 www.montana.edu/softwaredownloads/software/acresamplefarmjanuary2010.swf

Other information below for the ACRE program is generally applicable to both version of ACRE on this web site.

ACRE Program Information

The only changes/additions made to this version of the program were wording changes and addition of some descriptive text. All calculations are still the same.

Left click on the link below to run this program on the web.

You may need to update your Flash player to run the software, to do so click on this linkhttp://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ to go to the Adobe download site. After installing the current version of the Flash player, you can return to this site to run Flash enabled software on the web.

Right click on the link below to download this file to your computer. Select the Save Target as option listed in the popup box that appears after the right click and save the ACRE_SampleFarm.swf at a location of your choice on your computer.

 www.montana.edu/softwaredownloads/software/ACRE_SampleFarm.swf

Additional Instructions When Downloading

When you save the file to your computer, you may need to provide additional instructions for the computer to run the Flash file (….swf). Left click this link to download instructions to help with installing and running the file on your computer. The instructions are in a PDF file format which you can save to your computer or print directly from the web.

Input form and default data: Left click this link to view ACRE SampleFarmInput.PDF (right click to download) a PDF file which contains the information you must provide to run the ACRE_SampleFarm.swf program. This file contains the default data for Montana (historic state average yields by covered commodity), National average prices by covered commodity with preliminary National average prices estimates for 2008. Default data also includes a list of Farm Program information such as direct payment rates, loan rates and target prices by commodity. For Montana producers, this information is fixed by commodity and can not be changed. As of March 20th the historic yields and prices are included for ALL potential covered commodities in Montana and are included in this version of the ACRE calculator. This PDF document also contains a blank input form to fill out before you run the program using your own data.

Program Description

This ACRE program is designed to let the user explore the economic implications of the Opt In decision required by FSA to participate in ACRE. This program includes a single year single crop analysis, primarily intended to show how the basic calculations are made for the ACRE program. The program also includes a multi year, multi crop analysis designed to allow users to enter information for their own farm(s) and get an estimate of the differences in the amounts and types of payments that may be received between the ACRE and standard DCP program options depending on what the producers thinks prices and yields will be for the 2009 through 2012 coverage years.

Using the Save, Load, Delete Option in the programThis program can be run on the web by left clicking on the link above. The program provides a Save, Load, Delete option which allows the user to save different Scenarios/Farms after entering their specific farm information. If you save a file on the web, anyone using the web can load, change or delete the files saved on the web. If you run the program on the web and do not save your data, all of your information is lost when you closed your web browser. Your information is not saved anywhere, unless you specifically tell it to Save. If you wish to use the Save, Load, Delete option in this program, download and run it to your computer. Please see the Additional instructions when downloading: section above.

Other Crop Production, Finance & Marketing Downloads

 Analyze the Economics of Tillage Systems and Crop Mix

This spreadsheet is designed to allow users to analyze the costs and potential benefits of conventional, minimum, and no-till cropping systems. Users can specify their intended crop mix, differences in machinery complement, if any, and operating input requirements by crop by tillage system. Summary tables are presented for each tillage system and crop mix and for the total crop mix for a particular tillage system. This spreadsheet can be used to analyze the costs adopting a particular tillage system/farming practice for the purpose of carbon sequestration and also for the purpose of energy use/savings between tillage systems. A very condensed version of this spreadsheet is available on the web at: www.montana.edu/extensionecon/software/EnergyImpactOnAg.swf

This particular version focus on the energy use differences between tillage systems and has less flexibility than the Excel spreadsheet.

 Cost of Production

Allows a producer to calculate the cost of production for small grain crops. He must know what his machinery costs are. See MACHCOST, CUSTBRKE, and MACHINES to calculate machinery costs.

 Crop Share, Cash & Flexible Lease

Calculates lease arrangements using a contributions approach to leasing. This program calculates Crop Share, Cash, and Flexible Cash Lease rates. This spreadsheet has been updated to include some sensitivity analysis for the costs of fuel, fertilizer and chemicals." View/download a pdf file.

 Crop Variable Cost

Calculates the variable cost of production for small grain crops. Useful for short run decisions.

 Enterprise Budgeting

Calculates the cost of production for up to 9 enterprises with full calculation of the cost of owning and operating machinery.

 NewFinancial and Economic Analysis of Using Wind Energy for Irrigation Power

This Excel spreadsheet, allows producers to compare up to three different sizes of wind turbines for up to four different types of irrigation systems. The user enters information about the types of irrigation systems they operate and the spreadsheet estimates the kWh used by each type of irrigation system as well as the number of kWh generated by a particular size of wind tower. This allows producers to match the kWh of electricity they need as closely as possible to the wind turbine generating capacity that restrict the amount of credit they receive for the electricity they generate. This spreadsheet allows analysis of annual and monthly "true up" with respect to net metering to estimate the impact a particular type of true up has on the financial and economic feasibility of investing in wind turbine. If a producer’s specific situation is such that a wind turbine can be located to run more than one irrigation pump and pivot motors, this may substantially increase the economic feasibility of installing a wind turbine generator.

 New Haying System Enterprise Budgeting

Updated to include calculating custom rates for haying systems.

This spreadsheet allows the user to estimate the operating and ownership costs of a specific type of haying systems. The user must enter machinery and equipment information for various types of systems, round bale, small square bale, large square bale, or some combination of these systems they use to put up hay. The user must specify the type of machinery and equipment used for cutting, raking, baling and hauling and stacking. The program estimates the machinery costs for each of these steps and if desired, lets the user develop enterprise budgets for the haying and stand establishment enterprises.

 NewSpring Wheat Fertilizer Economics for Dryland Operations (Right click to download)

 Winter Wheat Fertilizer Economics for Dryland Operations (Right click to download)

The Spring Wheat Fertilizer Economics file has been updated to allow better analysis of protein premiums and discounts throughout the range of possible protein levels.

These programs allow the user to evaluate the optimal amount of nitrogen fertilizer to apply given the price of crop, spring wheat or winter wheat, the price of nitrogen per pound of active ingredient and protein discounts and premiums that may be available for either spring wheat or winter wheat. The yield response for S.W. and W.W. is estimated for soil N plus applied nitrogen and the yield response to total nitrogen is estimated using a model that allows the user to specific their estimated maximum yield given their historical experience.

 Spring Barley Fertilizer Model (Right click to download)

The spring barley model also predicts the "Plump" value and evaluates the impact on net revenue if the Plump value does not meet Malt Barley specification.

These programs use the Flash Player on your computer to run. If you have difficulty running this program, update your Flash Player to the current version using the link below. This is a free download and it installs easily.

Flash Player web link: (This is a free download)

http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash

 Storing Grain

Calculates the cost and breakage periods for both existing and now on farm storage, and for commercial storage.