Farmers thinking of signing up for the countercyclical revenue program in the 2008 Farm Bill should not give up in despair, says Peter Zimmel, University of Missouri economist. While benefit calculations seem complex for ACRE (Average Crop Revenue Election), new software speeds the decision.

Missouri economists built a spreadsheet, called FARM Tool, posted on the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) web site. Farmers can download the tool for use in their farm office. Benefits for signing up can be quite large, says Zimmel.

For more information visit the Delta Farm Press web site.