Winter Maintenance For Your Farm Records

During Winter, when your fields have their well-earned break, it’s the perfect time to turn your attention to the data behind your farm.  

A little effort during the quieter months leading into Spring can set you up for a smoother, more efficient year ahead.  

Think of it as essential maintenance for your farm records – greasing down the details and getting everything prepared to inform decisions confidently when it matters most. 

I’ve worked with many farmers across the UK, helping them harness the full potential of their farm through tools like the YAGRO’s Analytics and Tracker platforms.  

Here are my top tips for getting your records in shape and building an ‘ecosystem’ of numbers that work for you. 

1. Consolidate Your Records 

Farm records are often scattered across multiple spreadsheets, notebooks, and bits of paper. Sound familiar? Now’s the time to bring it all together. Start by: 

• Gathering relevant information on inputs, yields, costs, and sales. 

• Ask yourself “Could my farm be trying to tell me something?” and list the questions you need answering to drive success this year. 

• Use YAGRO to centralise everything for clear, effortless insights into your operation... Allow our onboarding process and team of experts to check for any gaps to build the full picture of performance you need. 

2. Review Last Season’s Performance 

Now, take the opportunity to reflect on the previous growing season(s), including detailed analysis of your costs of production and gross margins across your arable enterprise.  

We present your farm records visually so you can answer questions swiftly and easily.  
Questions like: 

• Were there any fields with standout performance - good or bad? 

• How did my cost of production compare across crops and to the wider market? 

• Did my fertiliser or chemical applications deliver the expected return? 

By analysing these figures now, you can identify areas for improvement or opportunities to build on success.  

Pinpoint areas of your farm which might benefit from alternative management strategies or cropping choices, and enable yourself to invest meaningfully in the areas which show the greatest chance of return. Relying on solid data rather than hunch-feel. 

3. Build a Data ‘Ecosystem’ 

Your farm records are more than just numbers. They’re an active and powerful resource. A few more examples of how it can help your operation: 

• Understanding the associated costs of re-drilling (as analysed in this previous blog) a field helps you plan more strategically in challenging weather conditions. 

• Analysing historical trends can guide your cropping decisions.  

• Understanding your breakeven and gross margin figures empowers you to make the best possible decision during grain sales. 

To add some depth to this final point, if we look at an example of Winter Wheat - let’s set a mock budget for this year: 

For output, we are looking to achieve a yield of 9.5t/ha with an average sales price of £195/tonne and selling straw at £100/ha. With these figures, we would make a Gross Margin of £1237.25/ha and a Net Margin of £739.25/ha.  

Our Break Even Price for our Wheat is £117.18/t.  

The sensitivity analysis shows how yield and sale price will impact our budget. 

Ready to Take Control of Your Farm Data? 

Winter is the perfect time to step back and get your data working for you. If you’re curious about how YAGRO’s tools can help you organise your records, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions, I’d be happy to show you.  

For example, I could show you your previous season's cost of production using your farm records within two to three weeks.

Simply click ‘free demo’ in the top right of your screen to learn more. Let’s make 2025 your most productive year yet.