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Farm cost per acre calculator

Cost per acre is the number everything else depends on: break-even price, how much to borrow, and whether renting that extra farm pays. Here's every line in one place, with whole-farm costs spread fairly across your acres.

Add up your costs

Acres of this crop Expected yield (bu/acre) Whole-farm costs to spread ($) equipment payments, overhead, living

Cost lines

Item	Amount	Entered as
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×
		$ per acreTotal $	×

+ Add a cost line

Recalculate

Direct costs vs. whole-farm costs

Direct costs belong to one crop on one field. You'd only buy that seed or spray for that crop, and they're easy to put per acre. Whole-farm costs get paid no matter what you plant: the combine payment, the shop, the pickup, the general liability policy, and the money the household lives on. Leave them out and every crop looks profitable, until the year-end bank statement says otherwise.

This calculator divides whole-farm costs evenly over the acres you enter. In the example, $52,000 spread over 500 acres adds $104 an acre, which takes the total from $700 to $804 an acre, or about $4.35 a bushel at 185 bushels.

cost per acre = sum of per-acre lines + (field totals ÷ acres) + (whole-farm costs ÷ acres)
cost per bushel = cost per acre ÷ yield per acre

Tracking several of these at once? The free farm bill due-date tracker keeps them in date order.

Common mistakes

• Counting equipment as zero because it's paid off. A paid-off machine still wears out. Put in a replacement allowance, even a rough one.
• Forgetting interest. Money borrowed from February to November costs something. The input loan calculator gives you a dollar figure you can divide by acres.
• Mixing crops. Run corn and soybeans separately. Averaged together, they hide which one is carrying the farm.

Questions people ask

What costs go into cost per acre?

Direct costs you can tie to a field (seed, fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, repairs, custom hire, drying, crop insurance, interest on input money and land rent), plus a share of whole-farm costs like equipment payments, building payments, general insurance and your family living draw.

How do I spread whole-farm costs across crops?

The simplest way is evenly per acre: total whole-farm costs divided by total acres. That's what this calculator does. If one crop clearly uses more machine time, like a crop that has to be dried, you can give it a bigger share by entering part of the cost on that crop's line instead.

Can I enter a cost as a field total instead of per acre?

Yes. Change the line to 'Total $' and enter the whole amount, like a $12,000 insurance premium, and it will be divided by the acres you enter.

What is cost per bushel?

Total cost per acre divided by yield per acre. It's the same number as your break-even price before basis. Comparing it to what you actually received tells you whether you made money on each bushel.

Should I use owned land at zero rent?

For a fair picture, charge owned land something, either the mortgage payment or what you could rent it out for. Otherwise owned acres look more profitable than they are, and you'd make the wrong call if you ever had to choose between renting out land and farming it.

Related tools

Corn break-even price and yield calculatorBreak-even price per bushel and break-even yieldFarm equipment loan payment calculatorTractor or combine payments: annual, semiannual or monthlyOperating line of credit interest calculatorDraws, paydowns and interest owed on any date

Not financial advice. These calculators give estimates from the numbers you enter. Your lender's terms, fees, day-count method and tax situation can change the result. Check with your lender or advisor before you act. Full disclaimer.