Make the Data-Driven Decisions That Matter

Farm Operations Granular | August 24, 2020

Five years ago, Yost Farm started the process of transitioning operations to the next generation. Located in Minnesota, they produce a variety of crops including corn, alfalfa, soybeans, edible beans and sugar beets.

Along with the succession plan, the new team searched for digital tools to better manage the operation and understand their farm financials. “Farming is a business where you need to understand your bottom line in real time,” said Michael Yost, 40. “We wanted tools to make that easy without sacrificing time in the field.”

When Yost Farm started transitioning operations to the next generation, they searched for digital tools to better understand their farm financials.

Simplified farm recordkeeping

The team introduced Granular Business to replace an antiquated spreadsheet system “that was out of date almost before we got the data entered,” Michael said. They now use Granular’s farm management software to keep their data and information up-to-date and organized.

“When we sit down with our banker or a vendor and review a particular field, we have data and financial insight from Granular that we just couldn’t access with our spreadsheet system,” Michael said. “Granular integrates our finances and crop inventory, plus all the products we apply on fields, into a centralized program.”

Michael Yost said their operation now uses Granular Business to simplify their farm recordkeeping and keep data and information up-to-date and organized.

Quick decisions with real-time farm data

During harvest last fall, Yost Farm used the profit analyzer tool to quickly compare real-time data from the field with years of farm financial data, ranging from cost of inputs to rental contracts. This allowed them to see exactly where their profits were on a per-acre basis and make immediate adjustments to their field plans.

“We were able to get that information to our crop consultant and make decisions about which type of fertilizer to use much faster than we would have on the old system,” Michael said.

Wireless data sync with John Deere Operations Center

Yost Farm saves time on data entry by making a wireless data connection between Granular and their John Deere Operations Center account. New this season, they are using Granular Insights, a digital tool that automatically syncs planting and yield data. This integration allows them to pull up simple charts to see average input costs, revenue and profit map layers for each field.

“The John Deere integration is terrific for us,” Michael said. “You can see exactly which products and mixtures were applied, when and where. If something doesn’t work, you can change it right away.”

“Farming is a business where you need to understand your bottom line in real time,” said Michael Yost. “We wanted tools to make that easy without sacrificing time in the field.”

Share farm financial reports with lenders

Yost Farm also uses Granular to keep a close eye on crop contracts and balances for a complete, real-time view of their financial performance. Michael started sharing Granular reports with his lender to show progress.

Early in, Michael said, the lender was skeptical of the reports, preferring more traditional data gathering. But he said the lender quickly changed their thinking because of the depth, breadth and ease-of-use of the Granular report.

“Now the first thing our lender wants to see is the Granular report,” Michael said. “It brings all the farm data and forecasts together in one place that’s easy to understand and make the best business decisions with.”

Michael Yost uses Granular to keep a close eye on crop contracts and balances for a complete, real-time view of their financial performance. He shares reports with his lender to show progress.

Reliable customer support team

Yost Farm credits Granular’s customer success team for helping their operation integrate the products into their business and improving their overall experience.

“There is no business we work with that has better customer service than Granular,” Michael said. “It doesn’t matter who we talk to, from the customer success manager to technical support, we get friendly people who help us get the job done. That supporting cast is why we’re going to stay with Granular.”