August 08, 2019

What Type of Feed Is Best for Your Farm Animals?

August 08, 2019/ Better Farm

The health and happiness of your farm animals will largely depend on how you feed them. Whether you're tending to your cows, pigs, goats, chickens or sheep, you need to take a special approach to their diet. Proper nutrition will keep them strong, healthy and happy.

Unfortunately, you don't have a one-size-fits-all solution for animal feed. Every species of animal is different with unique characteristics, and you have to acknowledge these distinctions if you're going to manage your livestock successfully. The right type of feed for a chicken isn't the right type of feed for a goat, and vice versa.

So what should you keep in mind when you're feeding your farm animals? What do you need to know? We'll provide an overview of the subject to guide you in the right direction.

July 23, 2019

10 Tips for Growing and Storing Grains

July 23, 2019/ Better Farm

From pasta to beer, we can thank grain for a variety of our favorite foods and beverages. The popularity of this simple crop has made it a staple in many farming operations. If you're planning to grow it on your land — or you could use a little help with storage — we'll walk you through everything you need to know.

Here are 10 easy tips to help you on your way.

July 10, 2019

How to Ensure Pests Don't Wreak Havoc with Your Livestock's Health

July 10, 2019/ Better Farm

Taking care of livestock is a full-time job. You may not clock in and out, but your whole life revolves around taking care of your animals and making sure they're healthy.

One of the most common issues that livestock farmers face is pest invasions. There are many different types of livestock pests, which makes it difficult to know exactly what to do about them. What you do to banish one pest may not affect any others.

To better protect your livestock and make sure that pests don't wreak havoc on them, read on to learn what you can do to be proactive. You and your livestock will be better off once the pests are taken care of.

July 05, 2019

How to Boost Your Farm’s Eco Credentials

July 05, 2019/ Better Farm

We think of farms as inherently earth-friendly, but this isn’t automatically the case. Sometimes, the farm does above average damage to the environment. The good news is that there have been plenty of developments in recent years, and now it’s more than possible to run a farm that has a low carbon footprint, especially if it’s a small farm. Whether you’re already on the path towards being eco-friendly or it’s the first time you’ve thought about it, take a read below, where we outline some useful tips for reducing your farm’s carbon footprint.

June 18, 2019

Throwing an Event for Your Farm: What You Should Know

June 18, 2019/ Better Farm

Every business needs a little help now and then to be seen and to earn some money to keep going. Farms are beloved by all, but the farms that are typically visited by families are not as famous as they used to be. It's due to this that farms now struggle with getting an income, notably if they used to be places that people would visit often. Creating a fundraiser to bring some money into your farm is one of the best ways that you and raise some awareness about what you're doing as well as raise some money to keep your farm going.

June 13, 2019

Farm-to-Table Unlocks Forgotten Cuisine

June 13, 2019/ Better Farm

Since farm-to-table or farm-to-fork started regaining popularity, with consumers demanding a fresher food source than the processed foods at their local supermarkets, there has been an average decrease of food-related diseases of 17% since 2012. There are innumerable benefits to sourcing fresher foods, not just for the the body but also the environment. For farms, fostering relationships with local restaurateurs and grocers is just part of it, as it not only creates stability in the local economy, but also helps their bottom line. For restaurateurs, however, this movement unlocks a whole new menu.

June 06, 2019

What Are the Best Feeds for Your Livestock and Animals?

June 06, 2019/ Better Farm

Modern livestock and animal feed is made by blending carefully selected ingredients, including essential nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and antibiotics. A high-quality feed with these nutrients will improve the health of your animals while also enhancing the quality of the end-product, such as meat, milk and eggs. Some feed is grown specifically for animals. Others are a by-product from crop processed for human consumption. When it comes to finding the best feed for your livestock, you should look at the needs the specific animals on your farm.

May 20, 2019

7 Ways We Can Help the Environment

May 20, 2019/ Better Farm

When it comes to looking after our planet and helping the environment, it can be hard to know where to start. Whilst we all know how important it is to do our part, knowing exactly what it is we have to do is difficult, especially when there is so much conflicting information available online. The truth is, absolutely anything you can do that will help the environment is important, even if it’s only stopping yourself from grabbing a plastic straw. After all, every little helps. With that in mind, here are 7 ways you can help the environment:

May 20, 2019

4 Ways That Farms Are Wasting Money

May 20, 2019/ Better Farm

The running costs of a farm are very high and if you’re spending too much, it’s just not economical and you could end up losing a lot of money. There are a lot of costs that you simply can’t avoid and you’ll have to find a way to cover them, but so many farms waste money unnecessarily. But if you can find ways to avoid that wastage, you’ll save yourself a lot of money and it will be a lot easier to keep your farm running effectively. These are some of the most common ways that farms waste money and what you can do about it.

May 09, 2019

How to Control Irrigation on Your Farm

May 09, 2019/ Better Farm

An efficient irrigation system is one of your most powerful tools for agricultural production. It influences the entire growth process from seedbed preparation to yield and quality. With efficient irrigation, you'll grow more crops, reduce water stress and enjoy a diverse range of similar benefits.

At the same time, over-watering with inefficient irrigation can cause erosion, increased costs and a whole host of other issues. You have to find a comfortable balance to ensure your fields get the right amount of water. To that end, careful management of your irrigation system is key.

So what should you keep in mind when controlling the irrigation system on your property? What are the primary points to remember about water conservation and efficiency? We'll answer those questions and others like them, looking at the subject of irrigation in greater detail.

May 09, 2019

The Main Expenses for Farmers

May 09, 2019/ Better Farm

When you start your own farm, you will need to think of it as a business. If you are using it as your main source of income, then it will certainly be a business anyway. However, for many people who run their farm as a hobby and alongside their main line of work, they often don’t regard it as a business, even though they should. That is because running a farm, no matter how big or small, can be expensive. If you don’t think of your farm as a business, then it could make it very difficult to manage your money.

First of all, you will need a budget. Make sure you include these main expenses so then you know what you are regularly spending money on each month.

April 21, 2019

Starting Up Your Own Farm Shop

April 21, 2019/ Better Farm

There’s a growing demand for locally produced goods, with at least one in three households now buying from farm shops- according to FARMA research. Consumers love the idea of helping the planet by reducing the air miles their food has taken, not to mention freshness and the movement away from factory farms and other mass produced products. So opening a farm shop can be an excellent way to earn more money. Essentially you’re cutting out the middleman by selling at least some of your products directly, and opening yourself up to new markets. And there clearly is a market for these kinds of products so it’s well worth expanding operations to include something like this. Here are some ideas for going about it.

April 20, 2019

4 Tips for Selling Your Farm

April 20, 2019/ Nicole Caldwell

Farmers often face a crossroads when it comes to their selling their farm. Some of them want to sell up and move on, others want to sell and buy again but a bigger farm this time. Others don't have much choice but to sell their farm to pay off debts. Farms and estates are often assets that sell very well, whether at auction or in a private sale, and there are more reasons now more than ever to buy into the land. Buyers and sellers have a bright future in farming, and if you want to sell, you need the right tips to help you to get there.

Sometimes, when there is nothing on the market, and you know you have no choice but to sell up, you need to explore your options. Perhaps instead of downsizing the farm, you could downsize the equipment through farm equipment auctions in order to generate more cash to buy another farm. There are always options out there for those serious about moving on. Below, we're going to explore a few tips to help you with your farm sale so that it can move as smoothly as possible.

Get Ready to Work

Selling a farm - from downsizing the equipment to moving the farm through sales - is not an easy job. So, it's time to get ready for some hard work and get proactive with it. It's competitive as a market as fewer farms are coming onto the scene than you think. It's essential to register with some agents so that they can let you know if any other farms are available, and if you're going through the auction process, it's essential to map out your next steps.

Sort the Finances

Are you looking to expand and buy again? In that case, you need to speak to your bank about further borrowing as early as possible. A loan from the bank can bridge you from one farm sale to the next purchase, speeding it up along the way.

Get an Agent

Selling a farm takes the experts to work with you to get it right. A farm agent can help you to get your whole farm ready to market while managing your communications and marketing, too.

Arrange for Great Presentation

From the photography of the farm to the brochure and online description, you need to realize that the presentation of your farm is not something that should be overlooked. Making a good impression is key if you want to have a successful sale, and you should consider the timing of your sale, too, so that you get the pictures of a farm that's flourishing rather than one that's messy and dying.

Your farm has untapped potential, and you should consider how much you need your farm to sell. If you go through the process properly, you shouldn't have much of an issue getting the sale right. Take your time, plan correctly and you can have a successful farm sale.