From hailstorms to livestock disease, farm crises come in all shapes and sizes. Although they all spell an imminent threat to your operation, a well planned crisis management strategy is key to overcoming challenges. Three basic steps to developing a plan are:
1) Know Your Enemy
Although it’s not always possible to stop the disaster from happening, anticipating a crisis can help you deal with it on your own terms. Each farm has its own unique dangers; is yours the constant drought? Blight or insect infestation? Spring floods? Taking time out of the daily routine is tough, but time spent in identifying your biggest threats is always worth it.
2) Know Your Weakness
Every farm has its own internal weaknesses that are just as devastating as a natural disaster. This category includes health problems, aging infrastructure such as barns and heavy equipment, and more. You can’t always eliminate a weakness, but knowing what to watch out for is key to avoiding the worst of the crisis.
3) Know Your Strengths
If your enemy is an unpredictable cattle market but your strength is top quality pastures, a crisis management plan might suggest keeping surplus calves longer than you’d planned — and turning that enemy into a financial reward when the market swings back. If your weakness is a bad back, tapping into a strong family support network can help you find younger relatives to assist with physical labor. You have options; you only need to identify them.
When a crisis hits, taking the time to develop a plan is never wasted time. An enemy identified is an enemy you can defeat, and a weakness confronted will lose its power. Contact us, and take your first steps toward developing a crisis plan today. Your farm will thank you for it.
