What key performance indicators should I track in my farm business?

Jul 08, 2025

Setting and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for long-term farm success. After all, you can’t manage what you can’t measure, right? How do you know if you’re on track if you haven’t figured out where you want to go?

Start with defining what success means to you, your farm, family and farm team. Profit and productivity are usually the first things that come to mind. What about health and harmony? Growing the skills and confidence of the team? Positioning the operation for a successful transition?

It’s crucial to choose KPIs that align with your goals. Next, determine the best way to measure success and track your progress toward reaching your goals.

Here are some KPIs you may want to think about for your farm:

Financial prosperity – cost of production, profitability, liquidity and cash flow, and debt repayment
Production/productivity – yield, quality, labour, equipment and livestock efficiency, animal health and welfare
Market growth – customer satisfaction and loyalty, market share, pricing, sales, products sold
Technology and innovation – use of smart technology, return on investment, new products or processes, operational efficiency

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Video: A Farm Song (Busy) | Parody of A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey

Lyrics:

My days begin with workin’, Alarm’s at 5 o’clock,
I Fill 5 gallon buckets, The feeders and the troughs,
This five to nine ain’t workin’, why the heck do I work so hard?,
I can’t worry ‘bout health problems, I can sleep in when I’m gone,

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

I’ve been working pretty stressed but,
I ain’t changing for some cash,
Lord knows that I’m very blessed (More chores),
But I gotta say it’s hard,
Workin’ outside gettin’ charred,
Living out here on the farm, (more chores)

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history
There’s another 20 chickens that still need feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm getting’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Fun, here on ranch that’s what you can’t ignore,
Might be pretty hard but I love it to its core,
Flannel’s gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores (Tell ‘em sing with me)

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
Watching cattle in the dark, don’t miss me,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
(Yeeeeeehaw)
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
It’s the best bro, go get yourself a farm