Supplying Crews to Farms? How to Register as a Farm Labor Contractor Under MSPA
Farm crew suppliers need a DOL Certificate of Registration before recruiting workers — plus housing and transport authorizations most new FLCs miss.
#agriculture
Agriculture
Farm bill, agricultural grants, and farm business bookkeeping for specialty crop and local food producers
Wetland Mitigation Banking, Explained: How Restored Acres Become Sellable Credits
Section 404 wetland credits run $30,000–$360,000 per impact acre in Florida; buying bank credits transfers your mitigation liability to the sponsor.
Commercial Grain Drying Service Bookkeeping: Cost Every Point of Moisture So Your Rate Is More Than a Guess at the Elevator's Price
Custom grain drying costs about 3.2 cents per point per bushel before margin — price from your fuel, shrink, and fixed cost, not the elevator's rate.
Farm Succession Planning: How to Pass the Land, the Equipment, and the Management to the Next Generation Without Splitting the Family
Only 23% of family farms have a succession plan. Transfer management first, use LLC interests plus IRS Sections 2032A and 6166, and keep the farm intact.
The PACA Trust: How Produce Sellers Get Paid First When a Buyer Goes Bankrupt
Under 7 U.S.C. 499e(c), unpaid produce sellers are paid from a buyer's trust assets before other creditors — if terms stay ≤30 days and notice is timely.
You Own the Land — But Do You Own the Water? A Landowner's Guide to Water Rights
In the western US, water rights follow priority dates, not deeds — verify decrees before buying land, avoid forfeiture, and lease unused water for income.
Worm Farming Bookkeeping: Living Inventory, Castings Sales Tax, and Farm Tax Rules
Price worms and castings from a blended cost per pound, register castings as fertilizer, collect state sales tax, and pass the IRS hobby-loss test.
Hop Farm Bookkeeping: Why Your $12,000-Per-Acre Trellis Depreciates Differently From the Bines
Hop yard buildout runs $12,000-$15,000 per acre, and the trellis depreciates as 7-year farm equipment while IRS Section 263A decides the plants.
Why Your Cut-Flower Farm Needs Two Markups: Weddings vs. Market
Weddings and farmers-market bunches need separate markups: market bouquets hold ~55% margin on stem cost, while wedding quotes must carry 15-25 design hours.
Custom Farming Bookkeeping: How to Set Per-Acre Rates That Actually Cover Your Machinery Costs
Iowa State pegs 2026 combining near $49.88 per acre. Price custom farming from ownership cost per engine hour, and split IRS Schedule F from Schedule C.
Alpaca Fiber Farm Bookkeeping: Grade the Fleece, Depreciate the Herd, and Price Yarn Like a Business
Purchased alpaca breeding stock depreciates over 5 years (Section 179 eligible); raised crias have zero basis. Grade fleece by micron and file on Schedule F.
Form 7218 and the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Credit: What Producers Must Track
Section 45Z pays $0.20–$1.00 per gallon (pre-inflation) on fuel produced after 2025, but only if your Form 637 registration predates production, the feedstock is North American, and you use that year's emissions table.