With the new year upon us, the winter planning season for agriculture has officially begun. Looking back at the 2020 harvest And the lessons learned from that: now it's time to look forward and plan for 2021.
Good planning starts with a broader vision for the farm's future. Without a vision for the future, no one, including the leaders, really knows where the farm is going. And if you don't know where you're going, you probably can't make the right plan to get anywhere.
Business Vision
As a farm leader, it's your job to set the direction of your farm, and you'll want to make sure to get input from other stakeholders in the farm operation. You don't have to be a visionary to have a clear vision for your farm operation; you just need to be willing to take the time to think about the future and what you really want from your farm operation.
Depending on where you are in your farming career, part of your vision for the future of your farm may include specific people to lead the farm in the future. Investing in them as leaders through education or specific leadership experiences can mean a lot to the future of your farm, even if you are not involved with the farm.
Vision 2021
There are a few things to consider when coming up with your vision. The Future of Farming – 2021 onwards.
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Zoom outAt first, Thinking about the distant future – Perhaps 10 or 20 years from now. Imagine what your business will look like at that time. What businesses and side ventures will be involved? Who will be involved? What will their roles be? What will the business look like physically? Take the time to think about what you really want to be. Based on that, you can write out a more formal vision in a sentence or two to help keep that future in mind for everyone on the farm.
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Go back a littleSo, think about the near future, maybe a year to five years from now. What are the big goals you need to accomplish in the near future to realize your vision for the future? Now break that down into goals and plans that you and others on the farm can take concrete action on in the coming years. Goals might include officially welcoming others into leadership or undertaking a large capital project like building new bins. It all depends on where you envision your farm going.
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Making sense of the numbersOnce you have your goals and plans in place, another key step is to take a closer look at the numbers. Look at each plan and quantify the costs associated with it. Then create or review your 2021 farm budget and forecasts and develop a dynamic marketing plan for 2021 and beyond. Contact one of our market advisors or Free Trial Today we would like to introduce you to our solution.
The opinions of the authors are not necessarily those of the The Future of Agriculture Or farm progress.
