Big Farm Decisions and How to Manage Them
/Owning a farm, and keeping it running effectively is a tough job, it’s not for everybody, and even though it may be the dream for many young children growing up, the reality is to get anything back you have to consider the hard work involved seriously. Growing up on a farm, however, will make people accustomed to the workload, and to knowing how to manage the day-to-day running. Many generations of farmers have watched their parents and grandparents run successful firms. But in 2020 things are changing. Farms are becoming much more of a communal space, and many people are setting up farms that are working areas for many other reasons than purely cattle or produced based activities. At some point during a farmer’s career, there will be a significant decision or two that will need to be made. And ultimately this can upset the balance but is also something incredibly important to get right. Here are some of the big decisions that farmers may need to make over the years and how these decisions can be made in the best way possible.
Changing Purpose
The purpose of the farm that is owned can change over time. New ideas, new trends and unique needs are all things that need to be considered. When you have a large piece of land, it can be tempting to capitalise on this. But doing so in the best way possible is essential. Having a dairy farm and re-purpose this into a wedding venue, may sound like a vast stretch, but there is no reason the impossible can’t be done. All it takes is a little bit of research, some confidence, and a large amount of support which isn’t always easy to come by. Ultimately the only way to repurpose a farm Successfully is by taking great care and putting plenty of contingency plans in place. You may also need legal advice and planning permission too so don’t forget to look into this.
More Land
Thinking about land and farm purpose, it’s something that crosses a farmers mind regularly, you have to consider the amount of land versus what you need to do to gain the most profits for your efforts. This obviously means that at times you may need to buy a plot of land closer to your budget than you would like. And these are times where things may take a change of course. Ultimately there is room to improve, and room to expand if you need to. So if you see a plot of land or even a new farm with a larger piece of land, then you have currently, and you would like to purchase it. Calculations, speaking to a financial advisor, and having a good team on your side can see you gain success quickly. Of course, these decisions don’t always go to plan, but at the end of the day, we never know unless we try.
Staff
Making the decision to employ more people to work on your farm is a daunting aspect, it is something that many farmers have to consider overtime, but ultimately you need to work out who you need to work for you, when, and how to make it a good situation for everyone. If you work with animals, you will, of course also need to consider their safety as well.