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Prepare your farm for spring curveballs
Take these three steps to proactively manage changes this spring.
3 Min Read
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As we get closer to planting time for much of the Midwest, many plans for the upcoming crop year have already been made. This includes plans for all sorts of different aspects of the season – crop plans, fertilizer plans, employee work plans, equipment plans, marketing plans – you name it.
If you and your operation have spring plans in place, you’ve made a smart decision already. Creating plans – and the very process of planning itself – is great to have done before everything and everyone start moving fast when it’s go time in the field.
Get ready
But in farming, we all know there are curveballs – and thinking just about the weather alone brings up so many. A plan can seem to quickly go out the window in the face of even just one unexpected factor.
This can lead to anxiety and uncertainty around how things will happen or how everything is going to get done. Spring plans that begin to go off the rails can make it start to feel like everything is out of control. But it is really?
How to respond
If something doesn’t go according to plan this spring (and if this isn’t your very first planting season ever, you know that will happen at some point), what are some effective ways to respond as a leader? Here are a few ways to help bring a more proactive response to the situation, rather than just reacting to it.
First, step back and take stock. In an operation with lots of people and moving pieces, it’s tempting when something doesn’t go according to plan to just make an alternative decision very quickly. There are some situations where a quick decision is necessary, but even in those cases, you still probably have time to think it through – even for just five minutes or so. In other cases, you might have a bit more time to think, maybe an hour or two. The key here is that when snap decisions are made, people often later find that the implications or consequences may not have been thought through very well. Especially in situations where time is of the essence, fear or anxiety may try to take over and drive decision-making – don’t let them.
Consider different options. Try to think through several different alternatives. The first alternative that comes to mind may not necessarily be the best one. Ask yourself how the decision fits into the whole picture of what you what your farm to be – including your major business goals and broader vision.
Reach out. When aspects of your plans get a curveball thrown their way, it might be a good opportunity to talk with a trusted advisor. Often, an advisor can offer up an outside perspective as a third party who isn’t necessarily right there on the farm in the thick of it. They might be able to offer approaches or ideas you hadn’t yet considered. And they can be a sounding board to bounce ideas off of or to talk through any uncertainty or anxiety you’re experiencing because of a curveball that’s been thrown your way.
When it comes to volatility and possible opportunity in the markets this spring and crop year, what’s your game plan? Consider working with a market advisor as a partner for your marketing plan – you can talk with our market advisors today.
The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.
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