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Farmers Bounty Desktop User Guide

Posted
Updated
ByPeter Westerman

Farmers Bounty Desktop User Guide

Complete Guide to Mastering Your Garden

Version: 2.1.0

Platform: macOS 13.0+ (Ventura and later)

Last Updated: February 13, 2026

Copyright © 2026 IT Influentials. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

  1. Welcome to Farmers Bounty
  2. Installation & Setup
  3. Quick Start Guide
  4. Understanding Personas
  5. Core Features
  6. Advanced Planning Tools
  7. AI & Automation
  8. Data Management
  9. Integrations
  10. Legal & Compliance
  11. Tips & Best Practices
  12. Troubleshooting
  13. Keyboard Shortcuts
  14. FAQ

Welcome to Farmers Bounty

What is Farmers Bounty?

Farmers Bounty is a professional-grade garden management system designed for serious gardeners who want to maximize productivity, track performance, and make data-driven decisions.

Key Benefits:

  • Hyperlocal Weather Integration – Connect to personal weather stations for accurate, real-time data
  • Comprehensive Plant Tracking – Manage thousands of plants across multiple locations
  • AI-Powered Assistance – Get personalized gardening advice using Claude AI
  • Visual Planning Tools – Design your garden with real-world measurements and environmental zones
  • Data-Driven Insights – Understand what works through comprehensive analytics
  • Native macOS Performance – Fast, beautiful, and fully integrated with your Mac

Who Is This For?

  • Serious Home Gardeners – Growing 20-50+ plant varieties
  • Urban Gardeners – Maximizing limited space
  • Food Preservation Enthusiasts – Tracking harvests through storage
  • Native Plant Advocates – Supporting local ecosystems
  • Data-Driven Gardeners – Using analytics to optimize yields
  • Community Garden Managers – Coordinating plots, members, and volunteers

System Requirements

  • macOS: 13.0 (Ventura) or later
  • Storage: 500MB minimum (more for photos)
  • RAM: 8GB recommended
  • Internet: Optional (required for weather, AI, plant ID)

Installation & Setup

Downloading & Installing

  1. Download Farmers Bounty from the Mac App Store or backyardgardener.app
  2. Open the downloaded .dmg file
  3. Drag Farmers Bounty to your Applications folder
  4. Launch from Applications or Spotlight search (⌘ Space)

First Launch

On first launch, you’ll see:

  1. Splash Screen – Beautiful gardening imagery (3 seconds)
  2. Welcome Screen – Brief introduction to features
  3. Onboarding Wizard – Optional guided setup (recommended)

Quick Start Guide

Getting Started in 10 Minutes

Step 1: Choose Your Gardening Persona (Optional but Recommended)

Farmers Bounty adapts to your gardening style through personas. Select one to customize which features appear:

Available Personas:

  1. Plant Parent – Focus on plant care and health
  2. Weekend Gardener – Casual gardening essentials
  3. Master Gardener – All features enabled
  4. Retirement Gardener – Accessibility and simplified workflows
  5. Homesteader – Food production and preservation
  6. Urban Farmer – High-yield in limited space
  7. Plant Collector – Rare varieties and collections
  8. Landscape Enthusiast – Design and aesthetics
  9. Therapeutic Gardener – Wellness and mindfulness
  10. Community Garden Manager – Plot coordination and volunteers

Tip: You can change your persona anytime in Settings → Gardening Profile.

Step 2: Create Your First Location

A Location represents a garden property (home, community plot, etc.).

  1. Click Locations in the sidebar
  2. Click “New Location” (+ button)
  3. Fill in:
  • Name: “My Garden” (or any name)
  • Address: Your full address
  • USDA Zone: Your hardiness zone (e.g., “7b”)
  • Coordinates: Auto-filled from address
  1. Click “Save”

Step 3: Add a Bed/Growing Area

Within each location, create Beds (raised beds, containers, in-ground rows).

  1. Select your location
  2. In the Beds section, click “+”
  3. Fill in:
  • Name: “Raised Bed 1”
  • Type: Raised Bed, Container, In-Ground, Grow Bag
  • Dimensions: Length, width, depth
  • Position: X/Y coordinates (for garden planner)
  1. Click “Save”

Step 4: Add Your First Plant

  1. Press ⌘N or click “+” in toolbar
  2. Fill in:
  • Common Name: “Cherokee Purple Tomato”
  • Plant Type: Vegetable
  • Location: Select your location
  • Bed: Select your bed
  • Planted Date: Today (or when planted)
  • Days to Maturity: 80 (example)
  1. Click “Save”

✅ Congratulations! Your garden is now in Farmers Bounty.

Step 5: Connect Weather (Optional but Recommended)

  1. Go to Settings (⌘,) → Weather
  2. Choose provider:
  • Weather Underground PWS (most accurate)
  • Or standard weather service
  1. Enter:
  • Station ID (for PWS) or Zip Code
  • API Key (get free at wunderground.com)
  1. Click “Test Connection”
  2. Click “Save”

Step 6: Explore the Dashboard

Press ⌘1 to return to the Dashboard. You’ll see:

  • Current weather conditions
  • Today’s tasks and overdue items
  • Plants needing attention
  • Recent harvests
  • Garden statistics (care logs, garden plans, shopping lists)
  • Integration status

Understanding Personas

What Are Personas?

Farmers Bounty uses persona-based adaptive navigation to show you only the features relevant to your gardening style.

Persona System Benefits

  • Simplified Interface – Only see what you need
  • Faster Navigation – Less clutter in sidebar
  • Custom Workflows – Features tailored to your goals
  • Flexible – Switch personas or enable “Show All Features”

Persona Feature Matrix

Feature Plant Parent Weekend Gardener Master Gardener Urban Farmer Community Manager
Plant Tracking ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Calendar ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Harvests ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Garden Planner – ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Succession Planting – – ✓ ✓ –
Crop Rotation – – ✓ ✓ –
Light Meter ✓ – ✓ ✓ –
Container Designs ✓ – ✓ ✓ –
High-Yield Varieties – – ✓ ✓ –
Community Plot – – – – ✓
Plot Management – – – – ✓
Member Directory – – – – ✓
Volunteer Events – – – – ✓
Tool Library – – – – ✓

Customizing Feature Visibility

  1. Go to Settings → Gardening Profile
  2. Options:
  • Change Persona – Switch to different style
  • Show All Features – Override persona filtering
  • Customize Feature Visibility – Enable/disable individual modules
  1. Click “Save”

Core Features

Dashboard (⌘1)

Your garden command center showing:

Weather Widget:

  • Current temperature, humidity, wind
  • Precipitation (current + forecast)
  • Frost risk indicator
  • UV index and solar radiation

Today’s Tasks:

  • Overdue tasks (red)
  • Due today (yellow)
  • Upcoming (next 3 days)

Plants Needing Attention:

  • Water needed
  • Harvest ready
  • Frost protection needed
  • Disease/pest issues

Recent Harvests:

  • Last 5 harvests
  • Total harvest weight this week

Garden Statistics:

  • Total plants active
  • Care logs count
  • Garden plans count
  • Shopping lists pending

Locations & Beds

Hierarchy:


Location (Property)
└── Bed (Growing Area)
    └── Plant (What You're Growing)

Creating Locations:

  1. Click Locations in sidebar
  2. Click “New Location”
  3. Enter:
  • Name, address, USDA zone
  • Property size, soil type
  • Sun exposure, water access
  1. Save

Creating Beds:

  1. Select a location
  2. Click “+” in Beds section
  3. Enter:
  • Name, type (in-ground, raised, container)
  • Dimensions (length, width, height, depth)
  • Position (X, Y coordinates for planner)
  • Soil type, sun exposure, drainage
  1. Save

Bed Types:

  • In-Ground – Traditional garden rows
  • Raised Bed – Elevated planting area
  • Container/Pot – Portable pots
  • Grow Bag – Fabric containers
  • Hanging Basket – Suspended planters

Plants Management (⌘2)

Adding a Plant:

  1. Press ⌘N or click “+” in toolbar
  2. Fill in required fields:
  • Common Name* (e.g., “Basil”)
  • Plant Type* (Vegetable, Herb, Fruit, Flower, Tree/Shrub)
  • Location* (dropdown)
  • Bed* (dropdown)
  • Planted Date* (date picker)
  1. Optional details:
  • Scientific name, variety
  • Quantity, spacing
  • Sunlight needs, watering frequency
  • Days to maturity, expected harvest date
  • Soil pH range, hardiness zone
  • Mature height/spread, growth rate
  • Current status, health status
  • Tags, notes, photos
  1. Click “Save”

Viewing Plant Details:

Click any plant to see:

  • Overview Tab: All basic info, timeline progress
  • Timeline Tab: Key milestones, photo timeline
  • Care Tab: Watering schedule, pest issues, treatments
  • Harvests Tab: All harvests, total yield, chart
  • Notes & Photos Tab: Chronological journal
  • Related Tab: Companions, successions, same-variety plants

Bulk Operations:

Select multiple plants (⌘-click):

  • Bulk status update
  • Bulk archive
  • Bulk delete
  • Export selected to CSV
  • Bulk tag

CSV Import:

  1. Menu → File → Import Data (⌘⇧I)
  2. Choose “Plants CSV”
  3. Select file
  4. Map columns to fields
  5. Preview and import

Calendar & Events (⌘3)

Calendar Views:

  • Month View – Grid showing all events
  • Week View – 7-day detail
  • List View – Chronological list
  • Timeline View – Gantt-style chart

Event Types:

  • 🌱 Planting (Green)
  • 🌸 Flowering (Pink)
  • 🥕 Harvest (Orange)
  • 💧 Watering (Blue)
  • 🪴 Maintenance (Yellow)
  • ⚠️ Alert (Red) – Frost, pests
  • 📝 Note (Gray)

Creating Events:

Quick Add:

  1. Click any date on calendar
  2. Fill in: Type, title, time, associated plant
  3. Click “Add”

Detailed Event (⌘⇧E):

  1. Click “New Event”
  2. Fill in:
  • Title, event type, date & time
  • Associated plant/location
  • Description (rich text)
  • Recurrence (daily, weekly, monthly)
  • Reminders (at time, 15 min before, etc.)
  1. Save

Auto-Generated Events:

System automatically creates events for:

  • Planting dates from plant records
  • Expected harvests (based on days to maturity)
  • Frost dates (spring last, fall first)
  • Succession plantings (if scheduled)

Harvests (⌘4)

Logging a Harvest:

  1. Press ⌘⇧H or click “Log Harvest”
  2. Fill in:
  • Plant* (dropdown)
  • Date* (defaults to today)
  • Quantity* (number)
  • Units* (lbs, oz, kg, g, count, bunches)
  • Quality (Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor)
  • Size (Small, Medium, Large, X-Large)
  • Notes, photo
  • Destination:
  • Fresh Use
  • Preservation (creates preservation record)
  • Given Away
  • Sold
  • Composted
  1. Click “Save”

Harvest Statistics:

This Season:

  • Total harvests count
  • Total weight (lbs/kg)
  • Most productive plant
  • Average harvest weight
  • Best harvest day

By Plant:

  • Total yield per plant
  • Harvest frequency
  • Average quality
  • First/last harvest dates

Year-over-Year:

  • Compare with previous seasons
  • Identify trends
  • Best-performing varieties

Garden Planner (⌘5)

The Garden Planner is the most advanced feature in Farmers Bounty, offering visual planning with real-world measurements.

Key Features:

  • Real-World Measurements – All positions use feet/inches or meters
  • Drag-and-Drop Planting – Visual plant placement with spacing validation
  • Environmental Zone Mapping – Sun, shade, frost pockets, wind corridors
  • Seasonal Timeline – Browse months to see growth stages
  • Bed Capacity Calculator – Area-based or Square Foot Gardening
  • Pollinator Pathway Visualization – Bloom corridors and gap analysis
  • AI Recommendations – Spacing, companions, zone compatibility

Using the Planner:

  1. Select location from dropdown
  2. Click “Add Bed” to place beds on canvas
  3. Drag to position, resize with corner handles
  4. From Plants Palette on right, drag plants onto beds
  5. System validates spacing (warnings if too close)

Environmental Zones:

  1. Select Zones tool in toolbar
  2. Click to place polygon vertices on canvas
  3. Close polygon by clicking first point
  4. Choose zone type:
  • Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun/Shade, Full Shade
  • Environmental: Frost Pocket, Wind Corridor, Wet Area, Dry Area
  • Microclimate: Sheltered Spot, Rain Shadow, Reflected Heat

Seasonal Timeline:

  • Browse months (Jan-Dec) using timeline bar
  • Plants show growth stage for selected month:
  • Dormant (faded)
  • Seedling (small)
  • Vegetative (green)
  • Flowering (blooms visible)
  • Harvesting (golden glow)
  • Set frost dates to see safe planting windows

Bed Capacity:

Area-Based Mode:

  • Calculates plants per square foot
  • Shows current usage vs. maximum
  • Color-coded: green (good), yellow (crowded), red (overcrowded)

Square Foot Gardening (SFG) Mode:

  • Right-click bed → “Enable SFG Grid”
  • 12-inch grid overlay appears
  • Each square shows how many plants fit
  • Drag plants into individual squares

Pollinator Pathways:

  • Flowering plants glow when in bloom
  • Lines connect nearby blooms (flight paths)
  • Bloom Gap Analysis Bar shows coverage by month
  • Suggestions appear for plants to fill gaps

Advanced Planning Tools

Succession Planting

What Is It?

Planting the same crop at intervals (e.g., every 2 weeks) to ensure continuous harvest.

Creating a Succession Plan:

  1. Click Succession in sidebar
  2. Click “New Succession Plan”
  3. Select plant/variety
  4. Configure:
  • First planting date
  • Last planting date
  • Interval (7, 10, 14, or 21 days)
  • Quantity per succession
  • Location/bed (can rotate between beds)
  • Days to maturity
  1. Click “Create Plan”

System Creates:

  • Planting events on calendar
  • Expected harvest dates
  • Reminders before each planting
  • Seed quantity needed

Pre-Built Plans:

  • Lettuce (Cool Season): Every 10 days, March-May + Aug-Oct
  • Beans (Warm Season): Every 14 days, May-July
  • Radishes (Cool Season): Every 7 days, March-May + Sep-Oct
  • Corn (Warm Season): Every 14-21 days, May-June

Crop Rotation

Why Rotate Crops?

  • Prevents soil nutrient depletion
  • Reduces pest/disease buildup
  • Breaks pest life cycles
  • Improves soil structure

Crop Families:

  1. Brassicas – Broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts
  2. Solanaceae – Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes
  3. Cucurbits – Cucumbers, squash, zucchini, melons
  4. Legumes – Beans, peas, clover (nitrogen fixers)
  5. Alliums – Onions, garlic, leeks, shallots
  6. Apiaceae – Carrots, parsley, celery, parsnips
  7. Chenopodiaceae – Beets, chard, spinach
  8. Asteraceae – Lettuce, endive, artichoke

Creating a 4-Year Rotation:

  1. Click Rotation in sidebar
  2. Click “Rotation Planner”
  3. Select beds to include
  4. System suggests order:
  • Year 1: Legumes (nitrogen fixers)
  • Year 2: Brassicas (heavy feeders)
  • Year 3: Solanaceae (medium feeders)
  • Year 4: Roots (light feeders)
  1. Or customize based on your crops
  2. Click “Create Plan”

Rotation Compliance:

System checks:

  • ✅ Good – Following rotation plan
  • ⚠️ Warning – Same family 2 years in a row
  • 🚫 Error – High-risk combination

Food Preservation

Track harvests through storage:

Methods Supported:

  • Canning (Water Bath & Pressure)
  • Freezing
  • Dehydrating
  • Fermenting
  • Root Cellaring
  • Pickling
  • Jam/Jelly Making

Creating Preservation Record:

From Harvest:

  1. When logging harvest
  2. Select destination: “Preservation”
  3. Preservation form opens with harvest pre-filled

Direct Entry:

  1. Click Preservation in sidebar
  2. Click “New Preservation”
  3. Fill in:
  • Method, food item, quantity
  • Date preserved
  • Method-specific details (processing time, blanching, brine %, etc.)
  • Storage location, expected use-by date
  • Recipe notes
  1. Save

Expiration Alerts:

  • 7 days before (default)
  • 3 days before
  • 1 day before
  • Day of expiration
  • Push notification + dashboard alert

Seeds & Shopping Lists

Seed Inventory:

Track all seeds:

  • Purchased: Vendor, date, quantity, price, viability
  • Saved: Parent plant, collection date, generation (F1, F2)

Adding Seeds:

  1. Click Seeds in sidebar
  2. Click “Add Seed”
  3. Choose source: Purchased, Saved from Plant, Traded
  4. Fill in:
  • Plant type, variety name, quantity
  • Year harvested/purchased
  • For purchased: Vendor, cost, catalog number
  • For saved: Parent plant ID, processing method
  • Storage location, container type
  1. Save

Viability Tracking:

  1. Select seed lot
  2. Click “Test Germination”
  3. Enter: Test date, seeds tested, seeds germinated
  4. System calculates rate (e.g., 80%)
  5. Status: Excellent (85-100%), Good (70-84%), Fair (50-69%), Poor (<50%)

Shopping Lists:

  1. Click “New Shopping List” in Seeds view
  2. Name your list
  3. Add items manually or “Generate from Garden Plan”:
  • System compares plan to seed inventory
  • Adds missing items automatically
  1. Mark items purchased as you shop
  2. Push to AnyList integration (if connected)

Garden Tools Inventory

Track tools, equipment, maintenance, and loans.

What You Can Track:

  • Tools/equipment with category, brand, serial number
  • Purchase info (date, price, warranty expiration)
  • Loan tracking (who has it, due date, overdue alerts)
  • Maintenance schedules (e.g., “Sharpen blades every 180 days”)
  • Maintenance history (date, description, cost, notes)

Views:

  • Inventory: Search + filter by category/status
  • Maintenance: Overdue/upcoming schedules and history
  • Reports: Asset summary by category, location, status

Note: Tools inventory visibility depends on your persona. Enable Show All Features in Settings → Gardening Profile if you don’t see it.

Community Garden Management

Coordinate shared gardens with plots, members, volunteers, and reporting.

Features:

Community Garden / Plot Manager:

  • Track community plots (number, size, assignment, status)
  • Occupancy metrics and inspection tracking

Members:

  • Member directory with status (active, waitlist, suspended, alumni)
  • Track fees paid, waivers, volunteer hours, plot assignments

Volunteers:

  • Schedule work days and events
  • Mark complete and log attendees + hours credit
  • Summary metrics: upcoming events, total hours, volunteer counts

Tool Library:

  • Shared asset check-in/out with due dates
  • Overdue alerts and maintenance tracking

Impact Report:

  • Log food donations (recipient, pounds, crop type)
  • Generate snapshots for reporting/grants (donation totals, volunteer hours, members)

Note: Community features are designed for the Community Garden Manager persona but can be enabled via Settings → Gardening Profile.

AI & Automation

AI Assistant

Powered by Claude AI with access to:

  • Your complete garden data
  • Local weather conditions
  • Growing calendars for your zone
  • Extensive gardening knowledge
  • Current web search (via Tavily)

Example Questions:

  • “When should I plant tomatoes in zone 7b?”
  • “Why are my cucumber leaves turning yellow?”
  • “What should I plant now?”
  • “Show me companion plants for basil”
  • “How do I treat aphids on roses?”
  • “Recipe for preserving green beans”

Context-Aware:

The AI knows:

  • Your USDA zone
  • Current local weather
  • What you’re growing
  • Your garden history
  • Upcoming frost dates
  • What’s ready to harvest

Ask with Photos:

  1. Click 📷 camera icon
  2. Upload or take photo
  3. Ask: “What’s wrong with this plant?”
  4. AI analyzes photo and provides:
  • Pest/disease identification
  • Suggested treatment
  • Prevention tips

Privacy Settings:

Configure in Settings → AI Assistant:

  • What data AI can access
  • Web search on/off
  • Conversation storage

Web Search Integration (Tavily):

For current information:

  • Latest pest outbreaks in your area
  • New growing techniques
  • Product recommendations

Domain Filtering:

  • In Settings → Web Search (Tavily)
  • Set Allowed Domains (e.g., extension.edu)
  • Set Blocked Domains (avoid low-quality sites)

Semantic Search (Optional):

Enable in Settings → Semantic Search (Pinecone + OpenAI):

  • AI can retrieve relevant notes from Journal/Learnings
  • Requires explicit consent
  • Can delete all vector data anytime

Plant Identification

Powered by PlantNet (default) or Plant.id (premium)

How It Works:

  1. Click Plant ID in sidebar
  2. Click “Identify Plant”
  3. Choose: Take Photo or Upload Photo
  4. Select what you’re photographing: Leaf, Flower, Fruit, Bark, Habit
  5. Upload/capture photo
  6. Click “Identify”

Results:

  • Top 5 matches
  • Confidence % for each
  • Photos of each match
  • Scientific and common names
  • Full plant profiles

Tips for Best Results:

  • Clear, focused images
  • Good lighting (natural light best)
  • Show whole structure
  • Multiple photos from different angles
  • Photograph: Leaves (both sides), flowers, fruit, bark

Adding to Garden:

  1. After identification
  2. Click “Add to My Garden”
  3. Form pre-fills with name, type, care info
  4. Complete remaining fields
  5. Save

Plant Health Diagnosis (Optional):

Enable in Settings → Plant Health Diagnosis:

  • Upload photos of sick plants
  • Receive likely disease/pest diagnosis
  • Confidence indicators
  • Treatment suggestions

Weather Integration

Weather Sources:

Option 1: Weather Underground Personal Weather Station (Best)

  • Most accurate (hyperlocal to your yard)
  • Real-time updates
  • Historical data
  • Free API access

Option 2: Standard Weather Services

  • National Weather Service
  • OpenWeather
  • Weatherbit

Setting Up:

  1. Go to Settings → Weather
  2. Choose provider
  3. For Weather Underground PWS:
  • Find station at wunderground.com
  • Enter Station ID (e.g., “KGAATLAN1017”)
  • Enter API Key (free at wunderground.com/member/api-key)
  • Click “Test Connection”
  1. Save

Weather Data Displayed:

Current Conditions:

  • Temperature (°F or °C), “Feels Like”
  • Humidity %, Wind (speed, direction, gusts)
  • Barometric pressure, Precipitation
  • UV index, Solar radiation
  • Visibility

Extended Forecast:

  • 7-10 day forecast
  • High/low temps
  • Precipitation chance & amount
  • Conditions (sunny, cloudy, rain)
  • Frost forecast (if applicable)

Weather Alerts:

Automatic alerts for:

  • Frost Warning – Temps below 32°F (0°C)
  • Heat Warning – Excessive heat (>95°F / 35°C)
  • Heavy Rain – >1 inch in 24 hours
  • High Wind – Sustained >20 mph, gusts >35 mph
  • Drought – Extended period without rain

Weather-Based Recommendations:

Watering:

  • Skip watering if rain forecast
  • Increase during heat
  • Adjust frequency based on evapotranspiration

Planting:

  • Optimal soil temps reached?
  • Rain coming = good planting day
  • Too wet to work soil?

Growing Degree Days (GDD):

  • System tracks daily GDD
  • Seasonal accumulation
  • Compare to plant requirements
  • Predict actual maturity dates (more accurate than calendar days)

Formula: GDD = (Daily High + Daily Low) / 2 – Base Temp

Smart Watering

Water Dashboard:

Today’s Recommendations:

  • Which plants need water
  • How much water needed
  • Best time to water
  • Rainfall in forecast (skip watering?)

Based On:

  • Plant water needs
  • Recent rainfall
  • Weather forecast
  • Temperature/evaporation rate
  • Growth stage

Recommendations:

  • 💧 Water Today – Needs water now
  • 🌧️ Skip Today – Rain expected
  • ✅ Adequate – No action needed
  • 🚫 Too Wet – Do not water

Water Budget:

  1. Go to Water Management settings
  2. Enable “Water Budget”
  3. Set monthly water allowance (gallons)
  4. Track usage against budget
  5. Get alerts when approaching/over limit

Data Management

Backup & Restore

Creating a Backup

  1. Go to Settings → Data Management
  2. Click “Backup Now”
  3. Choose save location
  4. A .zip archive is created containing:
  • Complete SQLite database
  • App settings and API keys
  • Plant photos
  • manifest.json with backup details

Restoring from Backup

  1. Go to Settings → Data Management
  2. Click “Restore from Backup”
  3. Select .zip backup or raw .db file
  4. Review backup manifest (date, table count, photos)
  5. Safety backup automatically created before restoring
  6. Confirm and restore
  7. App reloads with restored data

Best Practices:

  • Backup before major changes or app updates
  • Keep backups in cloud storage (iCloud, Dropbox)
  • Test restores occasionally

Importing Data

CSV Import:

  1. Menu → File → Import Data (⌘⇧I)
  2. Choose import type: Plants, Harvests, Seeds, Calendar Events, Locations/Beds
  3. Select CSV file
  4. Map columns to database fields
  5. Validate (system checks for errors)
  6. Import

CSV Format Tips:

  • First row must be headers
  • Dates in YYYY-MM-DD format
  • Use UTF-8 encoding
  • Commas as delimiters

Exporting Data

Full Export:

  1. Settings → Data Management → Export All Data
  2. Choose format: CSV (multiple files) or JSON (single file)
  3. Choose destination folder
  4. Click “Export”

Selective Export:

  1. In any list view (Plants, Harvests, etc.)
  2. Select items (or Select All)
  3. Click “Export Selected”
  4. Choose format
  5. Save file

Database Maintenance

Regular Maintenance:

  1. Settings → Advanced → Database
  2. Vacuum monthly – Optimizes database, reclaims space
  3. Re-index if search slows – Rebuilds search indexes
  4. Check Integrity – Verifies database health

Integrations

Todoist Integration

Sync garden tasks bidirectionally with Todoist.

Setup:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Todoist
  2. Click “Connect”
  3. Authorize in Todoist OAuth flow
  4. Choose project to sync with

What Syncs:

  • Calendar events push to Todoist as tasks
  • Todoist completions pull back
  • Task titles, due dates, descriptions sync both ways

Google Calendar Integration

View and manage garden events alongside your schedule.

Setup:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Google Calendar
  2. Click “Connect”
  3. Authorize via Google OAuth
  4. Select or create calendar for garden events

What Syncs:

  • Calendar events push to Google Calendar
  • Events color-coded by type
  • Changes in Google Calendar pull back

AnyList Integration

Push shopping lists to AnyList.

Setup:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → AnyList
  2. Click “Connect”
  3. Authorize via AnyList OAuth

What Syncs:

  • Purchase lists push as shopping lists
  • Item completion status pulls back

macOS Calendar Sync (EventKit)

Enable in Settings → macOS Calendar Sync:

  • Choose calendar (or create new “Farmers Bounty” calendar)
  • Click Sync Now
  • Optional: Remove previously synced events

iCloud Sync

Enable in Settings → iCloud Sync:

  • Sync garden data across Macs on same iCloud account
  • Shows sync status, last sync time, pending changes
  • Conflict resolution (if needed)

WordPress Sync

New in v2.1.0

Synchronize garden data bi-directionally between the desktop app and the Farmers Bounty WordPress plugin.

Setup:

  1. Go to Settings → Third-Party Integrations → WordPress Sync
  2. Enter your WordPress Site URL (must use HTTPS — see note below)
  3. Enter your WordPress Username
  4. Enter your Application Password (generated in WordPress → Users → Profile → Application Passwords)
  5. Click “Test Connection” to verify connectivity
  6. Click “Connect” to save and enable sync

HTTPS Required: The Application enforces HTTPS for all WordPress sync connections. If your WordPress site uses HTTP, you will see the error: “WordPress site URL must use HTTPS for secure credential transmission.” This protects your credentials and garden data during transmission.

What Syncs:

  • Plants, locations, beds, and garden layouts
  • Calendar events and tasks
  • Seed inventory and purchase lists
  • Harvest records and season learnings
  • Photos (optional)
  • Layout snapshots

Sync Controls:

  • Sync Now — Trigger a manual sync immediately
  • Last Sync — View the timestamp of the most recent sync
  • Reset Sync State — Clear sync history and start fresh
  • Disconnect — Remove WordPress credentials and stop syncing

How It Works: WordPress Sync uses the WordPress REST API with Application Passwords for authentication. Data flows bi-directionally — changes made in either the desktop app or the WordPress plugin are merged during sync. The sync service is integrated with the Integration Sync Log for monitoring.

Credential Storage: During this early preview, WordPress sync credentials (site URL, username, and application password) are stored in UserDefaults. A future update will migrate these to the macOS Keychain for enhanced security. See the Legal & Compliance section for more details.

Integration Sync Log

Monitor sync activity: Settings → Integration Sync Log

Shows:

  • Timestamp, service name, direction (push/pull)
  • Items synced count
  • Success or error status
  • Error details

Legal & Compliance

New in v2.1.0

Farmers Bounty includes three comprehensive legal documents accessible from the Legal section in the sidebar and from Settings → About.

Accessing Legal Documents

From the Sidebar:

  1. Locate the Legal section in the left sidebar (below Integrations)
  2. Click the section header to expand/collapse
  3. Click any document to view it in the main content area

From the Menu Bar:

  • Go → Legal → Terms of Service
  • Go → Legal → Privacy Policy
  • Go → Legal → Cookie & Data Storage Policy

From Settings:

  • Navigate to Settings → About — direct links to all three documents appear at the bottom

Terms of Service

The Terms of Service (24 sections) governs use of the desktop application. Key sections include:

  • Section 8: AI-Generated Content & Data Provider Limitations — Disclaimers for AI recommendations, plant identification, disease diagnosis, and third-party data accuracy
  • Section 9: Weather Data & Recommendations — Disclaimers for weather-based guidance from personal weather stations
  • Section 10: WordPress Sync & Cross-Platform Data — Terms governing data exchange with the WordPress plugin
  • Sections 12-14: Warranty Disclaimer, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification — Standard legal protections
  • Section 15: Garden Outcomes & Horticultural Disclaimer — No guarantee of garden success; assumption of risk for all recommendations (planting, harvest, watering, soil, sunlight)
  • Section 16: Location Information & Business Listings — Disclaimers for farmers market, restaurant, and business location accuracy
  • Section 17: Product & Tool Recommendations — Disclaimers for outdated product information, chemical safety, regulatory changes
  • Section 18: Desktop Application & System Disclaimer — Comprehensive coverage for computer damage, data loss, system compatibility, and data protection responsibility

Privacy Policy

The Privacy Policy (13 sections) documents how your data is handled:

  • Local-First Storage — All garden data is stored locally in a SQLite database on your Mac
  • API Key Storage — Currently stored in UserDefaults (see Early Preview Notice for Keychain migration plans)
  • Third-Party Services — Complete list of all 13+ services that receive data, including what data is shared and when
  • No Tracking — No analytics, telemetry, crash reporting, advertising, or user-behavior tracking
  • Your Rights — Data export, deletion, and portability options
  • WordPress Sync — How data flows between the desktop app and WordPress when sync is enabled

Cookie & Data Storage Policy

Because Farmers Bounty is a native macOS application (not a web app), it does not use browser cookies. Instead, this policy documents the macOS-native storage mechanisms:

  • SQLite Database — All garden data, plants, harvests, events, journal entries, and history
  • UserDefaults / AppStorage — Application preferences, sidebar states, selected persona, and currently API keys (see Early Preview Notice)
  • Local File System — Exported backups, photos, and temporary caches

The policy includes detailed tables showing exactly what data is stored in each location, its purpose, and whether it contains personal information.

Early Preview Notice

All three legal documents include a prominent Early Preview — Development Notice (highlighted in orange) that transparently explains:

  • Current state: API keys and credentials are stored in UserDefaults rather than the macOS Keychain
  • Why: UserDefaults provides simpler storage for rapid development iteration during early preview
  • What’s planned: Automatic migration to macOS Keychain (AES-256 encryption) before general availability
  • WordPress Sync: HTTPS is enforced for all sync connections even during early preview

Navigation Between Documents

Each legal document includes:

  • A tab bar at the top for switching between all three documents
  • A searchable table of contents
  • Meta information (effective date, last updated, version)

Tips & Best Practices

Starting Your Garden

1. Start Small

  • Don’t try to add everything at once
  • Start with a few plants and expand

2. Take Photos

  • Document growth, identify problems, share successes
  • Photos auto-dated for timeline

3. Use the Calendar

  • Keep updated with succession plantings, fertilizing, harvest windows
  • Set reminders before each planting

4. Log Regularly

  • More you log (harvests, care, observations), better insights in Analytics

5. Check Weather Daily

  • Dashboard each morning for frost warnings, watering recommendations, today’s tasks

Organization Tips

Naming Conventions:

  • Locations: “Home Garden”, “Community Plot A”, “Balcony”
  • Beds: “Raised Bed 1”, “Tomato Containers”, “North Row”
  • Plants: Include variety: “Cherokee Purple Tomato”, “Genovese Basil”

Tagging System:

  • Use tags for grouping: “heirloom”, “container”, “succession-planted”
  • Filter by tags in Plants view

Photo Documentation:

  • Take photos at key stages: Planting, flowering, harvesting
  • Add captions with observations

Data Entry Efficiency

Keyboard Shortcuts:

  • ⌘N – New Plant
  • ⌘⇧H – New Harvest
  • ⌘⇧E – New Event
  • ⌘S – Save
  • ⌘. or Esc – Cancel

Quick Actions:

  • Right-click plants for quick status updates
  • Use bulk operations for multiple plants
  • CSV import for large initial data entry

Seasonal Workflows

Spring:

  1. Review last year’s learnings
  2. Plan crop rotation
  3. Order/purchase seeds
  4. Create succession planting schedules
  5. Set up irrigation
  6. Add cover crop termination events

Summer:

  1. Log harvests daily
  2. Update plant status (flowering → fruiting)
  3. Record pest/disease issues
  4. Track watering needs
  5. Take growth photos

Fall:

  1. Final harvests
  2. Document what worked/didn’t
  3. Save seeds
  4. Plan cover crops
  5. Archive finished plants

Winter:

  1. Review analytics
  2. Plan next year’s garden
  3. Order seeds early
  4. Study new techniques
  5. Update crop rotation plan

Maximizing AI Assistant

Good Questions:

  • Specific: “Why are my Cherokee Purple tomato leaves turning yellow?”
  • Context-aware: “What can I plant now in my zone 7b garden?”
  • Plant-specific: “How often should I water my basil in full sun?”

Poor Questions:

  • Too vague: “Help with garden”
  • Too broad: “Tell me about tomatoes”

Use Photos:

  • Upload photos for pest/disease identification
  • Show multiple angles for plant ID
  • Include affected leaves, flowers, fruit

Analytics Best Practices

Track These Metrics:

  1. Harvest Yield per Square Foot – Identify most productive beds
  2. Days to Maturity (Actual vs Expected) – Adjust future planting dates
  3. Success Rate by Plant Type – Focus on what works
  4. Cost per Pound – Calculate ROI
  5. Year-over-Year Comparisons – See improvements

Create Annual Reports:

  • End of season: Generate harvest summary PDF
  • Compare to previous years
  • Identify best performers
  • Note varieties to avoid

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Weather Not Updating

Problem: Dashboard shows old weather or “No Data”

Solutions:

  1. Check internet connection
  2. Verify API key in Settings → Weather
  3. Click “Test Connection”
  4. Check Weather Station ID is correct
  5. Try alternative weather service

Plants Not Appearing

Problem: Added plants don’t show in list

Solutions:

  1. Check filters – disable all filters
  2. Check if plant status is set
  3. Verify plant has Location and Bed assigned
  4. Refresh view (⌘R)
  5. Check if plant was archived

App Running Slowly

Problem: App laggy or unresponsive

Solutions:

  1. Check number of plants (>1000 may slow performance)
  2. Clear cache: Settings → Advanced → Clear Cache
  3. Vacuum database: Settings → Advanced → Database → Vacuum
  4. Check free disk space (need at least 1GB)
  5. Close other apps to free RAM
  6. Restart Farmers Bounty
  7. Restart Mac

Database Error

Problem: Error messages about database

Solutions:

  1. Settings → Advanced → Database → Check Integrity
  2. If corrupted, try Repair Database
  3. If repair fails, restore from backup
  4. Contact support with diagnostic report

Lost Data

Problem: Plants/harvests disappeared

Solutions:

  1. Check if accidentally filtered or hidden
  2. Check if status changed to “Removed” or “Archived”
  3. Settings → Data Management → Restore from Backup
  4. Check Time Machine backups
  5. Look for .db file in ~/Library/Application Support/Farmers Bounty/

AI Assistant Not Responding

Problem: AI doesn’t answer or errors

Solutions:

  1. Check internet connection
  2. Verify Claude API key in Settings → API Keys
  3. Check if API quota exceeded
  4. Try rephrasing question
  5. Check diagnostic logs for errors

Diagnostics

Location: Sidebar → Diagnostics

Logs Tab:

  • Browse all application log entries
  • Filter by level (Error, Warning, Info)
  • Filter by category (Database, Network, Weather)
  • Search log messages

Services Tab:

  • Check connectivity for all external services
  • Weather API, Plant API, AI service status
  • Last successful connection time

Performance Tab:

  • Memory usage, CPU usage
  • Database query response times
  • API call latency

Generate Diagnostic Report:

  1. Click “Generate Report”
  2. Includes system info, database stats, service status, error logs
  3. Export for support tickets

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global Shortcuts

Action Shortcut
New Plant ⌘N
New Harvest ⌘⇧H
New Event ⌘⇧E
Import Data ⌘⇧I
Export Data ⌘⌥E
Search/Find ⌘F
Settings ⌘,
Help ⌘?
Keyboard Shortcuts ⌘/

Navigation

Section Shortcut
Dashboard ⌘1
Plants ⌘2
Calendar ⌘3
Harvests ⌘4
Garden Planner ⌘5
Seeds ⌘6
Water Management ⌘7
Journal ⌘⇧J

Editing

Action Shortcut
Edit Selected ⌘E
Delete Selected ⌘⌫
Duplicate ⌘D
Save ⌘S
Cancel ⌘. or Esc

List Operations

Action Shortcut
Select All ⌘A
Deselect All ⌘⇧A
Select Multiple ⌘-Click
Select Range ⇧-Click
Refresh ⌘R

View

Action Shortcut
Zoom In ⌘+
Zoom Out ⌘-
Actual Size ⌘0
Toggle Sidebar ⌘⌥S
Toggle Toolbar ⌘⌥T
Full Screen ⌘⌃F

FAQ

General Questions

Q: Do I need internet access?
A: Most features work offline after initial setup. Internet required for: Weather updates, AI Assistant, Plant identification, Web searches, API plant data lookups.

Q: Can I use this for multiple gardens?
A: Yes! Create multiple Locations (home, community plot, friend’s garden, etc.).

Q: Does it sync across devices?
A: Yes—Farmers Bounty supports iCloud Sync for syncing data across Macs on the same iCloud account. Go to Settings → iCloud Sync. Mobile sync not yet available.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: Pricing TBD. Check Mac App Store or backyardgardener.app.

Q: What about mobile (iPhone/iPad)?
A: Mobile apps planned for future.

Data Questions

Q: Where is my data stored?
A: Locally on your Mac at: ~/Library/Application Support/Farmers Bounty/

Q: Is my data backed up automatically?
A: Not automatically by default. Use Settings → Data Management → Full Backup… and consider Time Machine.

Q: Can I export my data?
A: Yes! Full CSV export available in Settings → Data Management.

Q: What if I switch computers?
A: Backup on old Mac, restore on new Mac. Or move database file manually.

Plant Questions

Q: How many plants can I track?
A: No hard limit. Performance may slow with >1000 active plants.

Q: Can I track indoor plants?
A: Yes! Create an “Indoor” location.

Q: Can I track ornamentals (non-food plants)?
A: Yes! Use plant type “Flower” or “Tree/Shrub”.

Weather Questions

Q: Do I need a personal weather station?
A: No, but highly recommended for accuracy. You can use standard weather services.

Q: Can I use a neighbor’s weather station?
A: Yes! If they share it on Weather Underground, you can use their station ID.

Q: Why does frost date matter?
A: Determines safe planting times and warns you to protect plants.

Feature Questions

Q: Does it plan my garden layout?
A: Yes! Garden Planner provides visual layout with real-world measurements, spacing validation, and companion planting.

Q: Can it tell me when to water?
A: Yes! Based on plant needs, weather, and evapotranspiration.

Q: Does it track seed inventory?
A: Yes! Seeds module tracks purchased and saved seeds, viability, and germination.

Q: Can I track food I’ve preserved?
A: Yes! Preservation module tracks canning, freezing, dehydrating, etc.

Q: Does it identify plants from photos?
A: Yes! Uses PlantNet API for photo identification.

Q: Can the AI answer any gardening question?
A: Most questions, yes. It has access to your garden data and can search the web.

Getting More Help

In-App Help

  • Help Menu → Farmers Bounty Help (⌘?)
  • Tooltips: Hover over any button or field
  • AI Assistant: Ask questions about features
  • What’s New: Help Menu → What’s New

Documentation

  • This User Manual: Comprehensive guide to all features
  • Quickstart Guide: Get started in 10 minutes
  • Keyboard Shortcuts Reference: Help Menu → Keyboard Shortcuts

Support

  • Email: support@backyardgardener.app
  • Website: backyardgardener.app/support
  • Community: Discord or forum for fellow gardeners
  • Knowledge Base: Searchable articles and guides

Diagnostic Reports

If contacting support:

  1. Settings → Advanced → Export Diagnostic Report
  2. Save file
  3. Attach to support email

Conclusion

Thank you for using Farmers Bounty!

We hope this User Manual helps you get the most out of the app. Whether you’re growing a few herbs on your balcony or managing a full backyard garden, we’re here to help you succeed.

Happy Gardening! 🌱🥕🍅🌻

Document Information

  • Version: 2.1.0
  • Last Updated: February 13, 2026
  • For: Farmers Bounty macOS Desktop App v2.1.0
  • Copyright: © 2026 IT Influentials. All rights reserved.
  • Contact: support@backyardgardener.app
  • Website: backyardgardener.app

Related Documentation:

Copyright Notice

This document and the Farmers Bounty software are copyrighted materials.

© 2026 IT Influentials. All rights reserved.

No part of this manual may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of IT Influentials, except for brief quotations in reviews or analysis.

Farmers Bounty and the Farmers Bounty logo are trademarks of IT Influentials.

macOS is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

All other trademarks mentioned in this manual are the property of their respective owners.

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