Know you made it through. First, consider that you persevered during one of the most challenging years in farming in recent memory. Maybe you’ve been through challenges that you believe were harder than those of 2019, whether in farming or in your personal life. Challenge always seems to be a relative concept. Now, when you encounter challenges in the future, you can remember how you were able to persevere in the face of challenge in 2019 – and you survived. You’ve done hard things in the past, and you can take that with you into 2020 knowing that you’re probably even more capable now because of what you’ve gone through.

Assess where you’re at now. It might seem tough to look at where the farm is at financially right now, but it’s key to have a good handle on the numbers as you continue to make plans for 2020. This might also be a good time to evaluate your process around marketing and merchandising plans. How were you able to adjust and adapt your plans as the markets and your farm’s situation changed? Were your plans flexible in the face of changing conditions? What do you need to look at for 2020? You can talk more about this with our market advisors.

Think strategically for the future. During challenging years, thinking further into the future can become more difficult if you feel like you’re in “survival mode.” The farm’s leader and CEO must create a vision with the farm’s key stakeholders for where the farm is heading and then put steps in place to make it happen. Take some time this winter to re-evaluate your vision for your operation, if you’ve created one in the past, or work to get one in place now. Your plan will help guide your decision-making throughout 2020 and beyond.