Have you ever heard the phrase "some assembly required"? We know that not every input you use around your farm is ready for use right out of the box, and you might need to combine multiple individual items to make a final product. This can be true for your outputs as well, where you might combine your crop harvest or animal yields with other inputs to create value-added products to sell in your market. So whether you are making a pre-mix feed for livestock, a fertilizer blend for your crops, or a bottle of hot sauce from your pepper harvest, you can create recipes to simplify and streamline this process and make your next batch in no time.
Creating Recipes
Like a cooking recipe, you can think of inventory recipes as a mix of ingredients to make a final product. You'll create the recipe for the item on the inventory item itself; this is essentially instructions on how to make the item.
To get started, navigate to Inventory, select the item you want to create the recipe for, and choose the Recipes tab. Click the New Recipe button to make a new one. To learn more about creating inventory items, check out this help article.
In our example below, we are going to create a recipe for a hog feed pre-mix.
You'll give the recipe a name, and then add ingredients to be used in it. You'll choose from your existing inventory items in the dropdown list, so be sure all of your ingredients for this recipe are already created as inventory items before starting this process.
You can type in the field to search for your ingredient, and then select it and click Add. You can then supply the amount to be used and a measurement unit. Repeat this same process to add all ingredients and amounts needed for the recipe. In our example below, we are adding corn, oats, barley, molasses. and vitamins to the mix. Note that while we specify pounds for the raw ingredients, the molasses and vitamins come in pre-measured 10lb bags, so we selected "1 quantity" for them. Note that you can add up to 10 ingredients to your recipe.
After that, you can choose how much of the end product this recipe makes, and supply any instructions for making it. Click Create, and the recipe template will be saved. We're combining all these ingredients to make 125lbs of feed below.
If your mix changes, you can create multiple recipes for the same item if you need. Perhaps you adjust the ratios next time you make this mix, but want to retain the old recipe for historical reference of what you fed in the past. You can also edit or delete existing recipes.
Using Recipes
After you have created the recipe, you can then use it to make the inventory item. Just click on the recipe name, and choose to Make Recipe.
You'll choose how many batches you'd like to make and you'll see how much each batch makes below the selection. So if you need more than your recipe calls for, you can make 2, 3, or however many you need. You can also make half or quarter batches as well. If you change this, you'll see the recipe ingredient quantities updated in the section below as well.
You'll then select where to take each item from in the menus below. If you have the ingredients stored in more than one location, make sure you pick the correct warehouse and bin that you are removing it from. It will be reduced from there, and the warehouse history will reflect the reduction for the recipe. Note that if you are tracking an item in Lots, the first in /oldest lot will be used as the source.
After that, you'll follow any instructions shown, and choose a Recipe Output. You'll pick where the output of the recipe should be stored, and optionally supply a Lot number if you track this item in lots. Click create, and your recipe will be made!
History Updates
After you create the recipe, you'll see the amount of the final product added to your inventory, with history records created for the deductions from the indivdiual items as well. These deductions are automatically appended with a reference to the recipe in the Reason field.
An Important Note About Cost
If you are going to use your newly created inventory for feedings, inputs, treatments, or equipment maintenance, don't forget to give it a cost! If you have added the estimate value per unit to your ingredients, be sure to add an estimated value to the final product as well so when you use it the cost is properly reflected in your breakeven for the item.
Other Examples
We used making an animal feed mix as an example in this article, but wanted to provide a few additional ideas for how you might use these recipes as well.
- Mix multiple different fertilizers to create a mix to feed your crops
- Create an "oil change" recipe that uses quarts of oil and a filter for your farm equipment
- Add a mix of medications to give to a newborn animal with a single treatment record
- Use the fruit your harvested in combination with other ingredients to make preserves to sell in your farm store
And of course there are many more! Reach out to us and tell us how you are using it, or ask any question you have.