Traction Ag Changed How We Run Our Farm Business

Laryce Schwieterman | Farmer | Traction Ag Customer Since 2022

If you think Traction Ag is some magic bullet that’ll keep your books without you lifting a finger—let me set the record straight. You still have to put in the time. But if you’re serious about running a farm like a business, then it’s one of the best decisions you’ll make. JL Farms switched to Traction in 2022, and I can tell you it’s made a world of difference in how we track our finances. It also improves how we manage rental agreements, and we can use it to make smarter decisions for our operation.

We used basic accounting software before, and while it got the job done, Traction is just easier. The functionality has improved so much since I started using it, and it makes sense for the way farmers operate. But here’s the thing—no software is going to do your books for you. At some point, you have to sit down, put in the work, or hire someone to do it. The difference with Traction is that the work I put in pays off. I spend less time fighting with spreadsheets and more time making decisions with real numbers.

Why It’s Worth It: The Time Savings Alone

I’ve never kept my books by hand—I leave that to my mom, who still uses a paper ledger the length of her desk—but I know the time savings are huge. The ability to pull transactions straight from bank accounts and credit cards is a big help. What used to take hours of manual entry now takes minutes.

My husband checks the dashboard at least once a day to see where we’re at financially. I see the details of all of the invoices and transactions, but for him, that real-time overview of net income is invaluable. It helps us both stay on the same page, and frankly, it helps us run our farm like a business— we’re not just guessing at where we stand.

Traction helps me keep tabs on what’s in our bank accounts. Even if I haven’t categorized every single expense, I still know what’s there which means I can make better calls on operating loans before things get tight. I don’t want surprises, and this software helps me stay ahead of potential issues.

Managing Crop Share Agreements Without Losing My Mind

We have multiple crop share agreements, and if you’ve ever dealt with rental billing, you know it can get messy fast. With our previous accounting software I struggled to keep up. With Traction, I set it up once, and now when jobs get entered, the system tells me when they need to be billed. No second-guessing. No digging through paperwork. Just clear, accurate numbers.

We run two sprayers and two planters at a time. When the fieldwork is heavy, jobs pile up fast. If I had to enter every single one manually, I’d never catch up. With Traction, those jobs pull straight in from John Deere Operations Center, and I can process them quickly. It still takes work, but it keeps me from drowning in paperwork.

Custom application is a big part of what we do, and Traction makes it easy to track inventory, generate invoices, and send professional statements. Each invoice includes critical details like EPA numbers for chemicals which is a must-have in our industry. And let’s be honest—when you send out a polished, professional invoice instead of something scribbled on a notepad, people take it more seriously. It helps ensure we get paid.

We recently had the chance to rent more ground, and because we track our numbers so closely, my husband was able to put together a cash rent offer that included a base rent plus a potential bonus in a good year. That kind of flexibility is what makes us competitive. If you can show a landowner exactly what you can afford to pay—and back it up with numbers—you’re at an advantage.

Bottom Line: If You Want to Run a Smarter Farm, You Need Better Bookkeeping

A lot of farmers finish harvest and then disappear into their office for three weeks, scrambling to catch up on bookkeeping. That’s not how we run things. We track everything throughout the year, and Traction makes that possible without making it overwhelming. It’s not a magic bullet, but the ability to see exactly where we stand at any given moment? That’s invaluable.

If you’re on the fence about switching, ask yourself this: Do you know what it costs you to produce a bushel of grain? If you don’t, it might be time to start looking at your books differently. And if you’re ready to get serious, Traction is the best tool I’ve found to make it happen.

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