Next: Introduction to Seeds

There are lots of different ways you can use SeedLeaf, but we want to recommend a specific approach to using SeedLeaf that we hope will work for you and get you going quickly and smoothly. 


Read about how to get set up below, then go through and read or watch the tutorials to get familiar with the system. We think it's a pretty intuitive system, but the more you know going in, the easier and quicker it will be!


There are six steps to getting started with SeedLeaf:

  1. Review and edit the preloaded Seeds and Crops, 

  2. Create Products based on your Crops

  3. Enter your Customers

  4. Choose your first Harvest start date and enter your first Orders for that date

  5. Identify the date of your first Tasks, based on your orders

  6. Start using SeedLeaf on a daily basis!



PART 1: GETTING SET UP


STEP 1: Review and edit your seeds and crops.

The Seed and Crop values that come preloaded in SeedLeaf are meant to act as a guideline. Because every growing system is different, the values listed may not match values you are already using. Find the Seeds and Crops in SeedLeaf that you already use and change the values to match those you are already using. Add new Seeds and Crops as needed. Archive the ones you don't need so they don't show up in you rlists, but are there if you need them in the future.


STEP 2: Create Your Products

Once you have reviewed your Seeds and Crops you can move onto creating Products. Remember - you grow a Crop and you sell a Product. If you already have existing products, use your current product values to create your Products in SeedLeaf. You can do one-crop products as well as multi-crop (blended) products.


STEP 3: Add Your Customers

Add your Customers to SeedLeaf, including as much of their information as you want. Do not add customer credit card information to SeedLeaf. If you add a Route and address, these will populate your Deliveries list and help keep it better organized.


Now you have SeedLeaf pre-loaded with all your Seed, Crop, Product, and Customer information!


PART 2: CHOOSING A HARVEST DATE TO START


To start using SeedLeaf for Orders, you need to choose a Harvest date in the future to start with. You must start with a harvest date for which you have not already soaked or sowed any crops. For example, if it is June 7, you don't want to choose June 10th as your Harvest start date because once you add some Orders to SeedLeaf it will start generating crop production tasks that take place before June 7! Instead pick a date further in the future that gives you a chance to ease into the system.


Let's say it is June 7 and the next Harvest for which you have not yet started any crop production is 

June 17. We recommend picking June 24 as your first Harvest date. This gives you much more time for transition. Basically, once you identify the first Harvest date for which you have not started any crop production, pick the NEXT Harvest date as your Harvest start date.



PART 3: ENTER YOUR FIRST ORDERS


Now that you know the first Harvest date for which you will be using SeedLeaf you can start entering your Orders. Start with any existing standing Orders that you know are pretty much guaranteed. Then add your expected Orders - stuff that is still pending, but likely. Then you can enter your Virtual Customer Orders - more on that later!



PART 4: IDENTIFY YOUR FIRST TASK DATE


Once your Orders are in SeedLeaf, it will generate production Tasks and daily Task lists. The first Task in the production process is either soaking (if a crop has seed that is soaked) or sowing (for crops that have seed that is not soaked). So, identify your longest cycle crop in your orders and find its soaking or swing date in the Tasks list. THAT will be your official SeedLeaf start date! 


From then on you should check SeedLeaf daily to see your production Tasks for each day. If you are not changing Crops all the time, then you are probably already in a good weekly routine and that will continue, with SeedLeaf helping keep things smooth and easy. Now you can start using SeedLeaf on a daily basis.



PART 5: START USING SEEDLEAF ON A DAILY BASIS

 

There are two main things you should consider with using SeedLeaf on a daily basis,

  1. Updating Orders

  2. Reviewing Orders at soaking and sowing time 


Updating Orders

Orders, in general, are quite easy. Whenever you get an order, or need to change an order, enter it into SeedLeaf right away. This will update your production tasks immediately. 


Reviewing Orders at Soaking and Sowing Time

Soaking and sowing are the first Tasks SeedLeaf generates in the crop production process. When SeedLeaf generates these Tasks it tells you which harvests the Crops are being soaked or sowed for.


Soaking and sowing tasks are good prompts for reviewing your orders. Why? Because soaking and sowing time is the last chance to make any changes to your soaking and sowing numbers!


So, before starting your soaking and sowing tasks for a given date:

STEP 1: Identify all the Harvest dates you are soaking and sowing for

STEP 2: Review each of these Harvest dates and confirm three things:

  1. All your existing Orders are entered correctly

  2. Any changes to Orders have been made

  3. Any new Orders have been entered

STEP 3: Change Orders as needed and save

STEP 4: Go back to your Tasks and start soaking and sowing!


Now let's take a look at each individual SeedLeaf page to see how they work in more detail.


Next: Introduction to Seeds