How do I organize my grain farm’s field maps and yield history for a buyer?

Pick one naming scheme and keep it everywhere. If the maps call a field the north quarter and your yield sheet calls it field three, the buyer will lose time and trust. Put a field list at the front that ties each name to its map, its tenure (owned or rented) and its acreage as you record it.

For yield history, show it by field and by crop, with the year beside each entry. Add a line beside any odd year explaining the weather, a disease problem or a decision you made. Buyers read an honest note better than a gap. Include input records, rotation, and any drainage, tile or fencing work done, with dates.

Gather the supporting papers too: scale tickets, delivery statements, rental agreements and anything showing how each field is held. Ask your accountant which records line up with your financial statements so the numbers agree. Keep a shorter summary page on top, and hand over the detailed files when the buyer asks. Offer a walk of the fields with the maps in hand, so the buyer can connect each page to ground they can see. Ask what else they would like to see.

Key takeaways

• Use one field name everywhere: maps, yields and rental papers.
• Explain unusual years in a line instead of leaving gaps.
• Keep a short summary on top and the detail ready behind it.