5 Considerations Before Expanding Your Farm Set-Up

It’s not easy running a farm, especially in the early days. But after you’ve become settled, you might begin to look out at all those vacant acres you’ve got around you, and begin to wonder whether it’s a good idea to expand your operations. While having money behind you to do this is important, it’s not the only factor that you should be thinking about. Below, we take a look at five considerations to think through carefully before making too many plans.

Keeping Your Existing Operations Intact

You’ve got to keep your eyes on the prize. And when you’re on a farm, the prize won’t be whatever’s to come from the land you’re cultivating after your expansion: it’s the operations that you already have underway. Expanding a farm can be tough, time-consuming work, and, under those circumstances, it’s easy to say how your current tasks could begin to suffer. As such, you should ensure that you’re acing what you’re currently doing. As in, you should be completing those tasks to a high standard AND have time to spare. It’s in that spare time that you can get your expansion plans underway.

Additional Staff Needs

Are you going to be able to work efficiently once you’ve grown your farm, or do you need more staff? Do you have money in the locker to pay for them? And to point towards a wider, on-going problem: if you’ve had difficulties finding farm staff in the past, are you sure that you’re going to be able to fill your employment needs in the future? Sometimes, it’s not that you can’t afford the staff; it’s that you can’t find them! Before expanding, make sure you’re going to be able to complete all the tasks in order to make your new area profitable.

Constructing New Buildings

You’ve got a lot of land, and that’s a good start, but there’s going to be a long process before making it profitable. You may need to make it accessible for vehicles. If you’re planning on constructing new buildings, you may need to use vibro stone columns from HelitechCCD.com in order to make the land suitable for bearing the weight. Also, when it comes to designing your building, think about its use; is it going to be used for one particular task, or will you change its function, depending on your requirements?

Managing Security

It can be difficult managing the security of a farm. But at least when things are small, you’re located nearby. If you’re expanding your operations away from your primary residence, then you won’t be able to keep a watchful eye over your equipment, tools, and so on. As such, think about how you’ll handle the security aspects of your new farming area.

Long-Term Ambitions

Finally, think about what you’re going to be doing on the farm in one, five, and ten years. If you have plans to sell, then make sure you’re speaking with an expert to see if your ideas will help or hinder the valuation.