Computer Logbook and Management (CLAM) Software

The CLAM software package was developed to assist Florida hard clam growers in managing the information concerning their nursery and growout operations.  The software is composed of various modules, or worksheets, which allow growers to track their clam inventory from original seed purchases, through nursery and growout planting, to final harvest and sale of market clams.  CLAM provides growers with a tool to determine the status of their standing inventory of nursery and growout clams at any point in time.  CLAM allows growers to map their lease sites and keep track of where clams are located within each lease.  CLAM also provides growers a means to keep track of their costs and earnings over the course of a production cycle.  The resulting set of information provided by the software can be useful for day-to-day business management decisions, monitoring survival and growth of crops, retrieving information needed for year-end tax reporting, periodic loan application information requirements, and documenting changes in inventory that may be needed for crop insurance and other crop assistance programs.

CLAM CD 2in
The user-friendly software program, available for PC systems, was developed using Microsoft Excel 2000. System requirements include 20 MB of available RAM and 146 MB of hard disk space.  CLAM will run on later versions of Excel.  For example, in opening CLAM with Excel 2007, the following message will be displayed: “Excel has detected that this file contains labels in formulas. These are no longer supported in Excel 2007 and will be replaced by cell references. Your formulas will still work correctly. You cannot undo this change. Do you want to continue?” Click OK, and the program will run.

CLAM User's Guide
The companion User’s Guide (in PDF format) provides easy-to-follow explanations on how to use the software package as a tool to enhance record keeping and inventory management for commercial clam culture operations in Florida.

Investigators:

  • Leslie Sturmer, University of Florida IFAS Shellfish Aquaculture Extension
  • Mike Zylstra, University of Florida IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department
  • Chuck Adams, University of Florida IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department

Funding:

  • USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
  • USDA Risk Management Agency
  • Florida Sea Grant College Program