Farmland history from satellites and public records
Ten years of water use, crops, yields, soil, water rights and risks for any field, in one report.
Center-pivot farms near Boardman, Oregon. Imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics
The water, crop and land history of a farm, like a vehicle history report
For one field or parcel: 10 years of satellite water use, the crops grown each year, estimated yields, fallow and water-short years, soil and salinity, irrigation water and its quality, water rights, land value, flood, wetland and easement checks, and the questions to ask before you buy or sell.
Before you buy, sell or lend on farmland: how much water the farm really used each year since 2015, what was grown, which years were fallow or short of water, and what the soil, water source, water rights and land records say.
Water use comes from OpenET satellite evapotranspiration at 30 m, about a quarter of an acre, every month. MyFarmFax combines it with USDA crop maps and yields, soil surveys, state water-rights records and public risk maps.
MyFarmFax is open to approved users. Request access with your name and email; once it's approved you'll get an email to set your password.
The water, crop and land history of a farm, like a vehicle history report
For one field or parcel: 10 years of satellite water use, the crops grown each year, estimated yields, fallow and water-short years, soil and salinity, irrigation water and its quality, water rights, land value, flood, wetland and easement checks, and the questions to ask before you buy or sell.
Who it's for: Farmland buyers, sellers, appraisers, lenders and brokers.
Search the parcel number, or click a parcel on the map where a statewide parcel layer is available (outlines appear when you zoom in). Anywhere else, press Draw boundary, click the corners and press Finish.
Choose Buyer or Seller and press Get MyFarmFax report. The summary gives a verdict (improving, stable or deteriorating), a confidence grade and the key numbers.
The crop strip shows each year's crop. The charts show water use and estimated yield by year, coloured by crop, with the trend.
The timeline lists fallow, water-short and drought years. Below the report, Soil and salinity and Irrigation water sources and quality show the soil map units, salinity and sodium risk, the nearest canal, stream or reservoir, and test results from nearby wells and streams. Use Print / save PDF to keep a copy.
OpenET ensemble ET, reference ET (gridMET) and precipitation, monthly from 2015.
USDA Cropland Data Layer for each year's crop; USDA NASS county yields; FAO-33 yield response to water for estimated yields.
USDA NRCS SSURGO through Soil Data Access: map units, drainage, available water, salinity (EC), sodium (SAR) and the NCCPI productivity index.
USGS National Hydrography and the Water Quality Portal, rated with FAO irrigation guidelines; Colorado water rights and ditch diversions (CDSS); USGS groundwater levels.
Statewide parcel layers and assessor values, USDA NASS land values and rents, FEMA flood zones, National Wetlands Inventory, conservation easements (NCED) and US Drought Monitor history.
Satellite estimates and public records, not meter readings or a title search. Informational only, not an appraisal or legal advice.
6 of 20 OpenET requests used this month.