Industries
Bookkeeping and payroll for agriculture
Harvest activity puts the focus on people, hours and the records that reach payroll. We help agricultural businesses and farm labor contractors organize payroll information alongside the books, with a service scope based on how the operation works.
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General information, not legal advice.
Farms across two Central Coast counties
The USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture counts 2,184 farms in San Luis Obispo County and 1,359 in Santa Barbara County. These are whole-county figures. Santa Maria Valley strawberries and vegetables are part of that agricultural setting, while vineyards connect farm activity with wine production.
Sources: USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture: San Luis Obispo County; USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture: Santa Barbara County
Farm labor contractors and agricultural payroll
Farm labor contractor records should connect approved employee hours to the grower, field or crew assignment behind the work. Keep that detail with customer billing records so payroll expense and contract income can be compared. Tidwell helps process agricultural payroll from approved records and works alongside your CPA or attorney on the setup; your advisers determine the employment and pay rules that apply.
Prepare for seasonal harvest payroll
Before a harvest pay run, organize worker information and time records so additions or corrections can be identified. After payroll, keep the labor expense connected to the bookkeeping period. A seasonal workload makes that handoff especially useful when reviewing the cost of the harvest.
Where vineyard work meets the winery books
Growing grapes and selling wine bring different records to the same conversation. If your operation includes a winery, bring inventory and sales summaries as well as vineyard labor records. The winery guide covers cost of goods sold and direct-to-consumer sales recordkeeping.
Farm and harvest record questions
Can farm labor contractor records separate crews by grower?
Yes. Keep the grower, field or assignment reference with approved worker time and billing records so labor costs can be connected to the customer work.
What belongs in the harvest payroll handoff?
Bring approved hours, employee details and authorized corrections together. Identify the work period and field or crew assignment rather than relying on a seasonal total.
Can agriculture bookkeeping include a winery operation?
Yes. Keep vineyard labor, wine production and sales records distinguishable so their different operating costs can be reviewed.
Agricultural business data sources
Build a clearer farm payroll handoff
Tell us about your books, payroll and upcoming work. We will discuss the services and next steps that fit your business.
Monthly bookkeeping starts at $500 a month. See pricing