The cash squeeze before harvest
Inputs, labor and repairs are paid months before the crop is sold. Without a month-by-month cash plan, the gap shows up as a surprise every year.
Agricultural operations
Agricultural & farm consulting in Sacramento.
A.D. Consulting is a Sacramento farm consultant for farms and ag businesses that need the operation and the paperwork to keep up with the season. We plan labor, equipment and inputs, track costs and cash flow through the year, and get your records ready for lenders and your CPA.
Who it's for
For growers who would rather be in the field.
We work with family farms and small to mid-size agricultural businesses around Sacramento and the surrounding valley: operations where the owner runs the crew, the equipment and the books, and the books usually lose. If harvest always arrives with a cash squeeze, or your lender asks for numbers you have to rebuild from scratch, this is for you.
- Family farms
- Orchards & vineyards
- Row & field crops
- Nurseries & greenhouses
- Farm stands & agritourism
- Ag service businesses
Pinch points we find
Where farms lose time and margin.
The season sets the calendar, and the business side of the farm has to keep up. These are the pinch points we check first.
Costs nobody can split by crop
Fuel, fertilizer, sprays and hours land in one pile, so you cannot tell which field, block or crop actually made money.
Crew time on paper
Timesheets and piece counts written by hand and retyped for payroll, with mistakes found after the checks go out.
Equipment with no history
Hours, repairs and parts are not written down, so repair-or-replace calls get made from memory.
Records that do not satisfy the lender
Operating loan renewals and insurance claims need clean records. Rebuilding them at the deadline costs days you do not have.
Books a season behind
QuickBooks set up years ago for a different operation, bank feeds unreviewed, and a CPA who gets a box of receipts in March.
What we do
What we do on the farm.
We work on the business side of the farm, alongside your crew and your advisers. Depending on what the visit finds, that can include:
- A month-by-month cash plan for the season, from inputs and labor through harvest and sale.
- Cost tracking by crop, field or block, using QuickBooks classes or a simple sheet your team will actually keep.
- Crew time and piece counts moved off paper into a format your payroll provider can take without retyping.
- An equipment log for hours, repairs and parts, with a plain repair-or-replace check.
- Seasonal labor and equipment needs planned against the work calendar.
- Books caught up and cleaned up so every bank account ties to its statement, and records prepared for your lender and CPA.
We are not agronomists and we do not give crop, soil or pest control advice. That stays with your pest control adviser and farm advisor; we handle the operations, numbers and records around their work.
How an engagement runs
Planned around the season.
- 01
Free consultation
A conversation about your operation, your season and where the paperwork falls behind.
- 02
Farm visit
We come out, walk the operation and read your records, from timesheets and equipment notes to bank statements.
- 03
Written plan and proposal
A ranked list of pinch points, what each one costs you, and a fixed scope, price and timeline.
- 04
Set up and hand over
We build the tools with you, timed so nothing new lands on you in the middle of harvest.
Experience
Experience from inside the operation.
We bring 16 years of hands-on operations experience in agriculture, food and beverage and hospitality. We know the work does not stop for paperwork, so we schedule around planting and harvest, keep the tools simple, and leave written steps your team can follow without us.
Because bookkeeping is one of our services, the cash plan, the cost tracking and the books all come from the same numbers, and they tie to your bank statements every month.
Service area: on-site in Sacramento, Midtown, Elk Grove, Folsom, Davis and Roseville, and across the greater Sacramento area. Remote anywhere, by video call and screen share, inside your own systems.
What does an agricultural consultant do for a farm?
We work on the business side of the farm: planning labor, equipment and inputs for the season, tracking costs and cash flow by crop or field, and keeping records ready for lenders and your CPA. We do the setup with you, not just hand over advice.
Do you give crop or pest control advice?
No. We are not agronomists. For crop, soil and pest questions keep working with your pest control adviser and farm advisor. We handle the operations, numbers and records around that work.
Can you come out to the farm?
Yes. Across the greater Sacramento area we come to you. Farther out, we work remotely by video call and inside your own systems, with a visit when the work needs one.
What does it cost?
The first consultation is free. After that you get a written proposal with a fixed scope, price and timeline before any work starts, so you know the cost up front.
Find the pinch. Fix it.
Tell us about your farm or ag business and where the season pinches. We reply within one business day.