Running a farm is a tough job. Farmers rarely have days off because when they’re not managing the day to day farm practices, they’re sorting out the finances and planning next seasons planting rotation. Whether you’re running a new-age no-till farm or sticking to the traditional methods of the past, you should read these 3 tips!
Don’t forget it’s a business
Farming might be your passion. It might be an ancient ritual that’s been passed down through your family for generations… but it’s still a business. If you want to keep your farm profitable and alive then you need to make sure it’s run like a business.
Luckily, with a growing population it looks like we’ll never not need farmers. You just need to find the product for your farm that turns a great profit and cuts down on expenses.
There’s no point trying to grow soybeans to improve nitrogen in the soil if your next crop in the rotation uses very little nitrogen. Even though soybeans are profitable, you should look at the long term profit your farm will make over several seasons.
That’s just one example of profitable business decisions on farms.
Plan carefully
Following on from my soybean example, you need to plan very carefully for the future. Problems like herbicide resistant weeds and flooding or drought (depending on your location) due to climate change, are issues that we should start planning for now.
Not only will you be greatly admired for taking precautionary steps now, but you’re also less likely to be faced with a disaster. You’ll be prepared for whatever the world throws at you and your profits will remain steady while other farms fall.
Cover crops, for example, could be the alternative you try instead of herbicides to prevent weeds. Careful integration of cover crops amongst cash crops will prevent soil erosion, pesky weeds and water logging.
Use the right equipment
Finally, you should be using the right equipment for your farm. Agricultural technology is steadily progressing, each week there is a new machine or attachment brought to the market. Some are very expensive and not all that useful right now (like autonomous tractors) and others are so simple and effective that you’ll wonder why you never thought of inventing the machine yourself. The key is picking the useful tech from the gimmicky tech.
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