This time of year , there is so much excitement on the farm . The melody fills with the warmth of summer , the aroma of new mown hay and the buzzing cacophony of bees . Colors of ripening raspberries , plums and cherries bristle throughout the garden . It is important to commemorate during these busy weeks to take a few moment to keep your summertime records . Yes , farm record - keeping … I lie with . Not as exciting as harvesting those first carrots and savour your fresh salad , or take in the rake turn the rows of hay .
But without unanimous disk - keeping , squatter and farmers are hard pressed to meliorate their farm procedure from year to year and really make a deviation in their winter conclusion - making .
Why Is Record-Keeping Important?
Record - keeping can help find solutions for farm harvest event you encounter , such as when thecucumber beetlesshow up on your squash rackets . You disc will prompt you of the timing of cherry harvests to verify you have adequate labor ready in the time to come . you may even record simple musings and estimation for new farm builds ( like a volaille theater or new sheep direction system ) .
When we take records as they occur , we leave ourselves the opportunity to trace up on this datum when we have more metre to schedule our harvest plan , explore our resolution and introduce our ideas !
There are many way to keep records and a whole lots of fancy software . My experience has show me that the simplest organization are the good . Here are my six preferred way of keep simple and effective record and how I use these to make highly effectual plans for the next year .
Read more : Check out these homestead planner to get your growing organized !
Photos & Videos
remove picture and videos of your farm operations is a utilitarian way of book - guardianship .
A pic or video can show you a precise job , such as the caterpillar munching the leaves on the tree . It also turn up the photo on your property or , if you are a landscape painting designer , on any prop on which you work . And it will pigeonhole the visual record with the day of the month !
Keep in mind these important tips for using photos and videos :
Farm Journal
The farm journal is a great way to take flying notes and jot down thought in an orderly style . I just put the date and write my musical theme or make a preeminence .
I take metre at the end of every week to do this , compose only on the left - paw Sir Frederick Handley Page of my farm journal . The correct - hand page , I keep destitute to use for elaborate upon my mind and notes in the wintertime . This observe my originative juice flowing when I record over data point and notes .
Thus , I can go on to make designs and plans on the adjacent varlet .
Read more : train out these 4 steer for keeping a secure farm journal .
Work Log
A farm body of work logarithm is a simple and authoritative shape of criminal record - retention . you may use a calendar notebook or a calendar app and just put down who ferment and how long they figure out and what they did .
If you have employee , you dead need a work logarithm . I would boost nester to do this as well , but they could flux it with their farm journal .
Excel Map
I apply Excel mathematical function charts to organize my craw plan and plan my annual and perennial works guilds . I wo n’t go into contingent here , as this is a large discussion .
But if you are using Excel to map your gardens , orchards and paddock ( or other maps ) , you may update these over the course of the season to reflect not just what you planned to do , but also what you actually did !
Seeding Records
This is a very authoritative type of record and it deserves it own notebook or word of honor papers . only record what you seeded or transfer , and where .
Which seeder , seed plate and depth configurations were used ? Which mixed bag did you plant in how many rows , and where in your gardens ( block , secret plan , bed numbers ) ?
This is very crucial and very useful , especially when aggregate with a simple column to mark how the crop did from finicky planting .
Sale /Harvest Records
If you trade produce , you should always register what was sold and where . Record the measure , quality , venue , cut-rate sale amount and full sales .
I make my own sale record sheet and print them . These I put in a volute - bound folder with laminate sheets to protect them .
Grow on , Zach
