Christine Gelley, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Noble County
In the
season of Thanksgiving, we gravitate to each other to express gratitude for blessings of all kinds. It feels good to be thankful and to be with grateful people. I hope that as you prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday that you take the time to meditate on the blessings in your life and on the farm and that it fills you with satisfaction.
When listing our many blessings, we often skip expressing thankfulness toward our learning experiences we gain through less than perfect scenarios. Yet, I think those scenarios are often more worthy of recognition than our obvious successes, because through challenges, we grow.
Along with your lists of blessings, I suggest making a list of things that went less than perfect in your operation this season, recognizing lessons learned in the process, and identifying ways to improve moving forward. It sounds a lot like “constructive criticism”, but I prefer to think of it as “constructive thankfulness”.
Here are some examples:
“I am thankful that our new hayfield made 100 round bales this year. Next year, I’ll fertilize after first cutting and aim for 150 bales.”
“I am thankful I signed up for the spotted knapweed program so that I could get my herbicide cost reimbursed. Next year, I’ll scout for new seedlings and treat them in the rosette stage.”
“I’m thankful I had enough pasture for my animals to graze from March to September. Next year, I’ll stockpile some tall fescue and try to graze until December.”
With constructive thankfulness you can turn shortcomings into goals. Every manager has room for improvements in their operation, but if you only focus on what needs to be improved, you will miss out on the joy and impact of what you already have and why you do what you do. Reflecting on your purpose and celebrating your successes will keep you motivated to improve.
To effectively track your successes and shortcomings, recordkeeping is essential. Day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year, keeping track of what management strategies were employed, how, and why is critical for the health and wellness of our animals, our pastures, our families, and our economic standing. If you do not have a recordkeeping system you like, find one without delay.
Your system should allow you to document and track the following information:
- Farm maps including property lines, fence lines, water sources, access points, and buildings
- Equipment inventory and values
- Fuel inventory and cost
- Weather conditions
- Types of crops and acreage planted
- Any products applied to crops
- Types, number, and weight of animals
- Any product fed, applied, or administered to the animals
- Breeding records
- Sales records
- Crop and feed storage inventory
- Authorized farm personnel roles and contact information
- Insurance documents
- Tax documents
- Emergency contact information
- More or less may be needed depending on your operation
There are templates available for written records kept in a notebook, digital records kept on the computer, and mobile apps designed to use on your phone. Using a combination of multiple systems may be helpful. For assistance finding a recordkeeping method that works for you, reach out to your local OSU Extension personnel for advice. We can also help you set realistic goals for improvement.
At a time when less 2% of our population are farmers, we are especially thankful that there are still people who dedicate their lives to feeding others. We at OSU Extension are here to help you get through the day to day and improve along the way. Providing resources for recordkeeping is just one way we can say “Thank you!”.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!