Resolutions for the Farm
go.ncsu.edu/readext?839851
en Español / em Português
El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.
Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.
Português
Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.
Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.
English
English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.
Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.
Collapse ▲With the new year upon us, many begin to declare resolutions for themselves such as becoming more organized or losing a few extra pounds, but what about your farm resolutions for 2022? Have you had time to reflect on your farm successes or failures that you’d like to improve upon for the new year? If you haven’t yet, here are some suggestions that may help you reach your farm goals in 2022.
- Keep better records. Whether you’re tracking finances for tax or farm income purposes, time spent on management tasks or animal health inputs, make a plan to write more down this year. Knowing where your money or time is going when it comes to farm management can help identify improvement areas and aid in future decision making. Spending more time than ever on a specific task? Maybe a piece of equipment to make that task easier would pay for itself quickly. Spending more on feed or hay than you’d like? Invest in your pastures to increase available forage and reduce feeding costs.
- Collect more data. It may sound redundant, but you can’t record it if you don’t measure it. To track changes in soil health, you’ll need to start with a soil analysis. To balance your horse or livestock’s diet, you’ll first need to have your hay analyzed and record body condition scores. To improve feed efficiency in your livestock, you’ll need to track body weights. It may sound time consuming, but your Extension Agent is available to help collect this information and then assist with making valuable, often money saving, decisions based on the results.
- Make efficiency a priority. A little early planning can help you spend more time enjoying your farm rather than always feeling like you’re working. What is the farm task that takes the most time or that you enjoy the least? At our farm this year, we made improvements to how we feed our animals, making the task far more efficient than it used to be. For us, that meant investing in a feed truck to quickly feed cattle without manually hauling buckets and cutting windows in the horse barn so feed can be poured without entering the stalls.
- Learn something new. There’s nearly limitless amounts of information available today on any given topic. If there’s something you’d like to know more about, your Extension Agent is a source of unbiased, research-based information. The 4-H motto “learn by doing” extends beyond our youth, as we can also coach you through the “how” to do something. Want to know more about weed control? Extension can teach you how to identify the weeds, their growth habits and toxicity potential, as well as the best control methods and even how to calibrate your sprayer.
Whatever your farm resolutions are this year, I hope your North Carolina Cooperative Extension can help you reach your goals and enjoy your time spent on the farm more this year.