Approach
This case is a good illustration of a situation where revenue recognition is not a cut-and-dried question. It also provides excellent reinforcement of the matching concept and statement articulation. The alternatives discussed are: (1) the production method, which recognizes inventory “holding gains” as revenue; (2) the sales method, which is analogous to the financial accounting method of revenue recognition of most manufacturers and retailers; and (3) the collection method, which recognizes revenues as collected, but is not quite the same as cash-basis accounting (since costs are accrued). While either the production method or sales method is acceptable under GAAP, that is really a moot point since Denise Grey is the sale owner of the incorporated farm, and not bound by GAAP. Once the issue of how much revenue to recognize is resolved, then how much expense to match can be dealt with. Together, these two issue determine how much gross profit Grennell farm will be shown as earning.