The November weather was unreal. It was unseasonably warm so we were able to get a lot done around the farm. The harvest was just completed, and then we began preparing for winter. Now, that the December cold has set in, we’re really glad we’ve been working hard to get everything ready for winter.
A lot of the winter preparations we do are precautionary. With the cold weather, things can break more easily and we can have more problems.
All areas of the farm need to be “winterized.” With harvest completed, our field crew takes on a lot of these tasks.
- We washed all of the equipment that came in from the fields while the weather was still nice.
- We adjust all of the curtains on the barns and make sure the cables are ready to work.
- We test everything to make sure it’s working now because if it’s going to freeze, we need to have everything stored properly.
- We do a complete inventory of feed and minerals to make sure we have enough to get through winter.
- We clean all of the pumps so none of them crack and freeze.
- We make sure all of the fans in the barn are working properly.
- Even though we hope there won’t be a big snow anytime soon, we make sure the snow plowing machinery is ready and working.
Taking advantage of the quieter times on the farm is key to always staying prepared.
