Published:

05/24/2014 03:36am

Do You Have A Plan?

Many of you are probably seeding, or almost done by now. Some of these crops may be used for green feed or swath grazing this fall or maybe part of your mixed operation. Many of you already have a plan for what you are going to do with these crops but do you have a whole farm plan?

What do I mean by this? Well I think everyone should have a farm plan set out at the beginning of the year. This would include items such as feed management, time management, money management, breeding management and much more.

These plans include what will you grow, how much will you feed, how will you feed it, when will you start feeding, what will you use for bedding, who will help during busy seasons, when will you put the bulls out, when will you wean and sell calves etc. As you can see there are a lot of decisions for you to make on your farm. If we leave these decisions until last minute we may not make the best decision.

This does not mean these plans are set in stone but it gives us a good guideline to follow to help us make the best decision. We all know how good our decision making abilities are when we are busy, stressed or upset.

Having a plan also allows us to plan for shortfalls. This can be in cash flow, feed or labor. By knowing in advance we can plan for this. If there is going to be a shortage of feed it will allow you the opportunity to plant more, purchase or rent more land, purchase feed or sell some cows. By knowing in advance you can save money by being able to shop around for more feed options or sell cattle at a more optimal time. Not knowing can cause stress and more money because it limits your options.

I also want to go back to money management at this time. I seem to talk about this a lot but that's because it is very important, you need a money plan, specifically a cash flow statement. You need to know when you have money going out and that you have enough money coming in to cover those expenses. This will help make your life a lot less stressful.

I hope everyone will take some time and work on their farm plans. This will definitely save you a lot of time and stress in the future.

Jen Gutfriend, The progressive livestock producer's profitability coach, works with progressive livestock producers who struggle with low profitability and lack of time. She helps them reduce costs, increase revenue, all while having more time to do what they enjoy! Get her free video lesson, "Learn the one biggest change you can make on your farm to increase profitability" at www.livestockmanagementsolutions.com