Custom Reporting Service
The Farm and Ranch Management Support (FARMS) system is a user-friendly interface from OpenET that makes accessing and using ET data simpler than ever—on any device, including mobile. FARMS offers customizable report generation and powerful insights to streamline agricultural planning. We invite you to explore its features, share your feedback, and help us shape a platform that truly meets the needs of the farming community. Join us in taking a data-driven approach to agriculture and discover what FARMS can do for you.
When you visit FARMS, you’ll be prompted to sign in to your OpenET account. After logging in, you’ll be automatically redirected back to the site.
An API key is required to use FARMS. Once you have generated an API key on your user profile, you will be able to access the reporting features of FARMS. Make sure to keep your API key private —treat it like a password.
Note: All files uploaded to OpenET are automatically reprojected to EPSG:4326 (WGS84).
When you first visit the site you will be prompted to add a set of boundaries. Boundaries can be either uploaded, drawn, or selected from OpenET's geodatabase.
Any spatial region of interest you define must comply with the area and polygon limits of the FARMS service. These are different from individual account quotas and apply to all users.
Max Area
500,000 acres
Max Polygon Count
500
Below is a table outlining the three methods you can use to define boundaries in FARMS.
Upload either a geoJSON file or a zipped shapefile, which will automatically be reprojected to EPSG:4326. If you’re using a shapefile, make sure your zipped folder includes at least the .shp, .dbf, and .prj files. Avoid spaces or special characters in file names and only include one set of shapefiles per folder. If there is any reason the file can not be ingested you will see an error message in the lower left of the upload window. Each polygon in your shapefile must have a unique identifier attribute, which you’ll select manually during the upload process. Hit the Save Shapes as Dataset button for them to show up in your View Boundaries tab.
FARMS includes a drawing tool that lets you create and modify shapes. Each polygon is automatically assigned an "ID" attribute, which increments from 1. Once done, hit the Save Shapes as Dataset button for them to show up in your View Boundaries tab.
You can also select from the existing fields in the OpenET field boundary dataset. Each polygon is automatically assigned an “ID” attribute based on the existing field’s identifier. Once done, hit the Save Selected Shapes as Dataset button for them to show up in your View Boundaries tab.
After defining your spatial region, click Create Report to generate a new report. You can then specify the time period, interval, and model-variable combinations. Be sure your chosen time range falls within the quota intervals listed in the table below. These intervals ensure there are enough cloud-free satellite observations and sufficient historical data for accurate reporting.
Daily
30
60
Monthly
3
120
Reports can be set to automatically recur. Each daily recurring report will automatically cover the previous 60 days from the date it is generated, while monthly will cover the previous 12 months. When a new report is created, you'll receive an email notification with a direct link to access it. The following table outlines the available recurring options.
Daily
3, 7, or 30 days
1 year
Monthly
1, 3, or 12 months
2 years
After saving the report, you’ll be taken to a temporary page while the report is generated. This page will automatically refresh upon completion, but you can close it and return later if you prefer.
Once a report is complete, you can select multiple fields to add them to the chart. Each field is color-coded, and you can deselect it by clicking again. To download the report’s data as a CSV, click the download icon. The CSV will include columns such as time, id, and area_acres, along with any relevant volume calculations in acre-feet (based on your selected variables). If you prefer a PDF, click the printer icon and use your device’s standard print functionality for the field of interest.
Occasionally, a report may fail to generate. Common reasons for this include:
Invalid or improperly formatted geometry
An error during the Earth Engine export process
No cloud-free satellite observations available for the selected date range
When a report fails, it will be highlighted in red within the View Reports tab. You can view the specific error message there to help identify and resolve the issue.
By default, all FARMS reports are private. They can be password-protected under the settings icon for secure sharing. If a report is set to public with the toggle icon, anyone with the shared link can access it—but they must have an OpenET account to view it.
Last updated
