Newsletter #4

I am sat here writing this newsletter in my favorite little cafe in Newmarket (https://www.victorvictoriacoffee.com/), making the most of another wet day by getting some shopping done, a haircut and publishing this latest newsletter - so trying to be as productive as possible on another frustratingly wet day in the middle of harvest.

I put a tweet out yesterday discussing the calculator I built, and use, to provide a rough end of harvest date, depending on various factors that can be tweaked within the settings. Its a super simple tool, but can provide powerful information that in turn can be used as a management tool to plan a delayed harvest and subsequent operations.

Turns out that the tweet generated a fair bit of interest and I had lots of DMs requesting a copy of the calculator, which was really cool and it has already helped some people going by the feedback I have received.

So what are the benefits of trying to predict an end date to harvest?

Although we can have zero influence on the weather, we can mitigate results of what might happen if we continue to get poor harvesting weather. Obviously there are loads of variables that can disrupt even the best thought out plans, but establishing potential finish dates to harvest (or any project) will have numerous benefits, such as….

• It gives staff a goal and a focus. Used properly it can motivate and improve output levels

• It can highlight potential clashes where machinery might be needed elsewhere. For example, tractors and trailers needed on potato harvest but also still required on cereal harvest. If you highlighted this potential clash earlier rather then later, you can work with it and have more chance of finding a solution.

• If you have contracts to fill by a set date and things are looking tight, the calculator will show this and you can plan and communicate with buyers etc.

I sent the tool to a friend who requested it and he put it to good use earlier by playing out a couple of different scenarios, in the image below. He is going to now have a word with a contract to keep in touch with him - communication is absolutely key when the pressure is on like it is right now.

If you would like me to send over a copy of the calculator then please just let me know. I really believe that planning for even the worst case scenarios is better then not planning at all!

To sum up harvest 2023 so far - it is obviously very challenging out there right now and the weather forecasts don’t look overly helpful. Keep talking to friends, neighbours and contractors. Discuss alternative harvesting plans, do this now and it will make you feel so much more in control of a situation that is so much out of our hands and at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Make use of wet days by having some down time, when we get cutting again it could be a long stint (hopefully!) of harvesting days in front of us. Make sure machinery is already to go now. Is there strategic office planning that can be done on wet days that might not otherwise get done this time of year?

Above all, stay safe and do what you can to keep in control of the wet harvest that we are all trying to deal with.

Thanks and take care

Ben

*The content above does not constitute direct advice, I am just sharing my experiences and what works for me!

Fancy working together?

- I offer a strategic Farm Manager service. 

- Mentoring and coaching individuals and employees.

- Creating sociable events for physcial and mental wellbeing.

I would love to hear from anyone who would like to start a conversation. Just reply to this email.