Developing a free on-line excel based enterprise budget decision support program to evaluate the incorporation of sheep into farm systems as an alternative to presticide and mechanical methods of weed and insect control

Project Overview

SW07-603
Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2007: $10,000.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2009
Region: Western
State: Montana
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Hayes Goosey
Montana State University

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Agronomic: wheat
  • Animals: sheep

Practices

  • Animal Production: feed/forage
  • Crop Production: conservation tillage
  • Education and Training: decision support system, extension
  • Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, budgets/cost and returns
  • Pest Management: biological control
  • Production Systems: agroecosystems, holistic management
  • Soil Management: organic matter, soil quality/health
  • Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities

    Abstract:

    Too often producers make major agronomic decisions without adequate tools to fully evaluate the complexity of today’s constantly evolving and integrating agriculture. Decision support tools are needed that allow producers to conduct their own “what if” scenarios. Often, new findings are viewed as “silver bullets” or on the opposite hand, too risk to incorporating into current enterprises. The free on-line Excel-based enterprise budget decision support program that we have developed will help producers evaluate the incorporation of sheep into their farming systems on an individual case basis.

    Project objectives:

    Our objective for this project is to develop a Fallow Grazing Enterprise Budget Decision Support Tool. We will use this tool to provide both sheep and crop producers with an economic assessment of our research. Plus – this free online tool will be available to producers to perform enterprise budget analyses specific to their operations.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.