3 Easy Things You Can Do TODAY To Simplify Your Farm
Small, diversified farms like yours can get overwhelming, complex, and complicated. And although there will always be some level of complexity to farming, you can simplify your farm as much as possible to feel some relief and get control back of your life.
There are plenty of things we unknowingly do that complicate our farm businesses: we try to grow too many varieties, we sell through too many sales outlets, we try new things too often, we overload our schedules, try to do too much, and in general don’t ask for enough help that we need.
Simplify your life by trying these three simple tactics. You’ll feel more clear, centered, unrushed, and on-top of things.
1. Stop buying shiny new things you don’t need
You know that beautiful new variety of scabiosa (or dahlia, zinnia, lisianthus, etc.) that just came out? Chances are you don’t need it. It’s great to experiment a little on your farm, but don’t overwhelm yourself with always buying the fanciest new varieties. Most of my customers couldn’t tell one white dahlia from another, and chances are yours won’t either.
Simplify inventory on your farm by focusing on just one or a few sales outlets. Every sales outlet (farmers markets, CSA model, selling to florists, weddings, etc.) requires different supplies and inventory. In turn, the more sales outlets you pursue, the more inventory you need to keep. All those different buckets, sleeves, ribbon, vases, pins, etc. take up space and require TIME to organize and manage.
Before you buy a new piece of equipment or a new tool, consider if the investment will be worth it. Is there another farm you can purchase it with, or possibly rent it from? Farm equipment and tools can get expensive, so being selective about your purchases not only minimizes costs, but also simplifies your farm.
2. Create a weekly schedule
Develop a weekly schedule for repetitive tasks. Instead of starting each day looking over a looming to-do list, create blocks of time to fit random tasks in, between regularly scheduled work.
For example, on our farm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning is blocked off for harvest. Plus, Wednesday afternoons and Friday afternoons are blocked off for CSA and Farmer’s Market prep. Every Tuesday is reserved for office work, and Thursday morning is reserved for wire weeding. Then, every Sunday I look at our to-do list of other, non-repetitive tasks and fill in the empty blocks during the week on Monday afternoons and Thursday afternoons.
If there isn’t enough time available to get essential tasks done in empty time blocks, then I know I either need to hire help or eliminate tasks. This system has simplified and streamlined the work on our farm immensely!
3. Delegate repetitive tasks
Repetitive tasks that must be accomplished on a daily or weekly basis can easily be delegated to a part time helper or assistant. Things like data entry, weeding, washing buckets, or cleaning don’t take a lot of skill and can be easily taught. These repetitive tasks can take up hours of your week that is more well-suited to you working ON your business, rather than IN your business. Here on our farm, I delegate weekly weeding, data entry, bucket washing, cleaning the barn, taking out the trash, and harvesting certain flowers to our wonderful helpers. It free’s me up to tackle more complex tasks such as bookkeeping, responding to customer emails, and managing the farm more efficiently.
This is a BONUS tip: Use a task-management software system such as Asana or Monday to organize and delegate tasks. These systems usually let you prioritize a to-do list, allowing others to find and complete tasks without you.
Try these three tips and I guarantee your farm and your life will feel more simple and effortless.
Let me know how you make out by commenting below.