WORKSHEET FOR DEVELOPING A VEGETABLE ENTERPRISE BUDGET
By Vern Grubinger
Vegetable and Berry Specialist
University of Vermont Extension

Crop___________________              Year__________                   Field Name___________________                   Acreage_________            Previous Crop_____________
 

Variable Production Costs
 

Field Labor and equipment time:                                                           Labor hours             Machinery hours

Prepare land (plow, disk, rotovate, other_______________)                               ____                       ____

Apply pre-plant amendments (lime, fertilizer, manure, compost)                            ____                       ____

Grow transplants (fill trays, seed, water, other____________)                             ____                       ____

Prepare for planting (form beds, lay plastic, drip tape, etc.)                                   ____                       ____

Set transplants (set out, water, fertilize, other_____________)                             ____                       ____

Mechanically cultivate weeds ___ times (pre-plant, post plant)                              ____                       ____

Hand-hoe weeds (____ times)                                                                              ____

Mow alleys, field edges  (____ times)                                                                    ____                       ____

Scout crop for pests (___ times)                                                                             ____

Spray pesticides ___ times (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides)                              ____                       ____

Irrigate ___ times (set up, manage overhead or drip)                                               ____                      ____

Harvest (pick, deliver to packing house)                                                                  ____                       ____
 

Post-harvest handling (wash, sort, pack, store, other________)                               ____                       ____
Field clean-up (remove plastic, incorporate residues)                                                ____                       ____
Sow cover crop                                                                                                       ____                       ____

 

General management time

Repairs, training, supervision, other_________)                                                         ____                       ____
 

Calculating total production labor and machinery cost:

_____labor hours x $_____ average cost per hour =                                                   $_____

_____machinery hours x $_____average cost per hour =                                            $_____

              Total labor plus machinery cost                                                           $ ______
 

Materials Cost

Seeds or plants                                                      $______

Trays and potting mix                                             $______

Fertilizers                                                               $______

Plastic mulch, row cover, drip tape                         $______

Pesticides                                                               $______

Boxes, bins, bags                                                  $______

Cover crop seed                                                   $______

General supplies                                                    $______

Other_____________                                          $ ______
 

              Total Materials Cost                                                                          $______
 

Marketing Cost
 

labor ____hrs. @ $_____ per hr.                        $____

transportation                                                      $____

display                                                                $____

co-op, broker or market fees                              $____

advertising                                                          $____

other______                                                      $____
 

                Total marketing cost                                                                                                 $_______
 
 

Total Variable Production Costs: (labor+ machinery+ materials+ marketing)                    $_______
 

Fixed (overhead) costs

(prorate each of these costs to reflect the proportion of the total farm land occupied by this crop)
 

land                                                                       $____

buildings                                                                $____

insurance                                                               $____

office expenses                                                      $____

property taxes                                                       $____

utilities                                                                   $____

fees, permits                                                          $____

other______________                                         $____
 

        Total Fixed Costs                                                                                                                  $_______
 

Total Costs (Variable + Fixed Costs):                                                                                         $ _______
 

    Gross Returns: (marketable yield x average price/unit)

retail: ____units x $ ____ price per unit =      $____

wholesale: ____ units x $___ price per unit =$____
 

              Total retail + wholesale gross returns                                                                         $_______
 
 

    Net Returns*  (= Gross returns - Total Costs)                                                                       $_______

* Net Returns= pre-tax profit if farmer’s labor is included above
 
 

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