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Off-Season Farm Tasks

The off-season may move at a slower pace, but that doesn’t mean there is any shortage of work around the farm.  Every farm is a bit different, which means that their off-season may vary slightly also.  One constant for everyone is that planning through the offseason can lead to a successful year.  Any farmer will tell you that you can’t plan for everything that may happen in a year.  That’s true, however.  Having a plan in place for equipment, records, purchases etc. can reduce the impact of stress throughout the year.

Maintenance

When it’s time to start planting will your machinery be ready to go?  What small repair items have been put off throughout harvest?  Taking time to make sure that your equipment and operation is in ideal working conditions can help lead to a successful season.

Here are a few things to consider:

  • Check, Clean, Maintain & Repair Equipment
  • Tidy Fields and Fence Lines
  • Repair Important Structures & Buildings
  • Donate, Toss or Sell Parts or Equipment No Longer Needed
  • Remove Clutter and General Debris

Maintenance can also extend past the front facing farm operation.  Managing books, receipts, field notes and other important documents is also extremely valuable. 

Planning for Next Year

There are many decisions made on every farm operation that impact its overall performance.  Each of these can lead to a very productive or unsuccessful year for a farmer.   Do you have a system in place for comparing year by year records?  Keeping track of these items can help budget and plan for the upcoming season.  Farming is a complex and unique business, and the smallest of decisions can have a major impact to an operation.

Consider

What resources and tools will you consider using to inform your decision making?  Are you planning on attending any traditional off-season meetings for the various commodity groups?  Is there a new tool to help with record keeping?

This time can be a great opportunity to expand your knowledge or investigate new equipment that may be beneficial to your operation.  As new technology keeps working its way into the market it’s important to stay up to date on the newest products and services.  As your operations grows it’s needs change and it’s valuable to your farm to review your needs yearly.

Review Your Policy

You should ensure that you have at least one touchpoint a year with your broker.  This meeting will help make sure your coverage is up to date with any changes that may have occurred throughout the year.  Insurance is a risk management tool.  With the assistance of your Josslin Insurance Broker you can ensure that your policy can respond to your operations needs & any changes made through the year.

These can include:

  • Purchases of new machinery or equipment
  • New hires or potential changes to liability
  • Construction of a new building
  • Purchase of other high-value assets
  • Much More!

Farming is hard no matter what time of the year it is.  Farmers work extremely hard throughout the year and the off-season is no different.  When fields look empty and farms look slow, there is so much going on behind the scenes.  We wish you all the best in the upcoming off-season!