Sidwell has developed FARMS™ (Farmland Assessment and Reporting Management System) software to provide an effective tool for performing productivity-based assessment of agricultural properties.
FARMS calculates the acreage of each soil type, within each land use classification, within each agricultural parcel. Soil spot symbols and linear debasements (such as escarpments) are also supported.
FARMS contains simple tools for generating and formatting thematic maps based on parcel, soil, or land use that can be sent directly to a printer or plotter. Map extents are determined based on a selected parcel, or any defined grouping of parcels. Pre-defined map templates and map documents are included.
All area calculations are verified against assessed acreages. Discrepancies are normalized to assessed acreages if they fall within user-definable tolerances. Parcels involving discrepancies that fall outside of this range are noted on the final reports. Soil types, parcel numbers, and land use codes are verified against domain lists.
FARMS will calculate final valuations under either weighted or non-weighted mathematical models. Detail and summary reports showing parcel valuations are included. Alternately, validated area calculations can be exported for use with third party CAMA or tax cycle applications.
FARMS relies on ESRI's ArcGIS© software to create topology, and is compliant with ArcGIS 9.3. Mapping data may reside in shape files or a geodatabase, and all spatial functions are performed directly on these data sets.
As a service to our clients, Sidwell also offers training on the use of the FARMS extension within ArcGIS and the reporting application. This training is customized to fit the needs of the user, and typically covers: the basic operations of processing the split of an agricultural parcel; creating thematic maps; validating data; reviewing validation errors; parcel adjustments; reporting mechanisms; and end-user customization within the reporting application.
