IN YOUR ORCHARD
Figure 1: UC Davis IPM
willing to spend for that fungicide. This is why budgets are critical for a successful farming operation. No one wants to open a bill a month later and realize the material you sprayed was $40-$50 dollars an acre instead of $20- $30 an acre. A budget can take away that unwanted surprise and the best part is they are not that difficult to develop. I have made up an example budget that I would be happy to send to anyone who would like one. If you email me at tvoss@bdgrowers.com, I will happily email you a copy of this budget. This “Example Budget” ( Figure 2 ) lists multiple costs such as bees, insurance, electricity, and labor. It also contains areas for multiple spray applications, so you can tailor it to your specific operation. All the costs you enter will be the “Estimated Costs,” and as you go through the year you can enter the “Actual Costs” to make sure you are on track. At the bottom of the budget you can enter your estimated production, total acres, and estimated price per pound. The spread sheet will do the math for you and provide you an estimated total revenue, which you can compare against your estimated total cost. Being able to compare these costs
allows you to adjust your budget by adding or subtracting from it. A PCA is the best person to talk with when figuring out cost of chemicals and fertilizer. I am sure they would happily help you with this budget, because it also helps them. This budget will allow your PCA to forecast their needs, and put a plan in place for your ranch for the coming year. I get it, budgets are not the most fun part of farming, but are incredibly important to succeed into the future.
Trent Voss Regional Manager Blue Diamond Growers
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ALMOND FACTS
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