Tablet Computers

For those of you who are experiementing with tablets:

Are iPads and Androids the future of farm computing?

Are they rugged enough?

How reliable are your wireless connections?

Which interface do you prefer (Web browser, Windows Terminal Server, customize to the device)?

What Do You Want to Do Next?

Most of our new product ideas and enhancements come from our most vocal users, who communicate directly with the FBS development team. Why not post your suggestions here and see if anyone thinks like you do?

Timing is Everything

Have you experienced any of the accounting issues described in the "Timing is Everything" story in the January FarmSmart newsletter?

The (Accounting) Golden Rule

What do you think about this approach to synchronizing accounting and production data? Does it make a difference if dollar values don't tie out? How much work and effort would you save if everything was all in one spot?

Responses to New Website?

What do you like? What do we need to add or change?

(How) Do You Manage Margins?

The traditional marketing objective in agriculture is to maximize prices received. However, Moe Russell of Russell Consulting Group recommends the "crush margin" approach, locking in a target margin per head or acre by computing the spread between costs and revenues rather than focusing only on product market prices. Commodity and Ingredient Hedging (CIH) follows a similar strategy and compares potential margins against historical margin percentiles.

FBS software is designed to 1) accurately compute your own historical margins, 2) project production input requirements, and 3) account for the complex marketing transactions and match them to the appropriate time period and product.

Are any of you doing this, and if so, how? Are you interested in learning more?

Here's a recent article citing Dr. Steve Meyer's emphasizing feed's role in margins this winter.

World's Craziest Motorcycle Commute

Ride along with Andy Brown as he circumvents traffic on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya, during a typical ride home from work. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

http://brownsinafrica.com/