Small Bites – Taking Stock
Authored by Coach Abby Sadauckas
Small Bites are short, informational articles with practical ideas about stress reduction, improved communication, and farmer well-being. They are written by coaches from UMaine Extension’s Farm Coaching team. Farm Coaches are available at no cost to work remotely with farmers and farm families.
Small Bites – Taking Stock
As the days get shorter, my to-do list gets longer. A sense of urgency has descended on the farm as the mornings grow cooler and darkness arrives earlier. In this time, I try to jot down a few things each day under the headings of successes, failures, refinements.
What worked well this season? I think of a new plant I put in the garden that I’ve enjoyed immensely, so I’ve marked that down to grow again next year. Failures include free-ranging our geese who removed several plants from the garden and have eaten all my kale! Refinements include writing down notes on SOPs (Standard Operating Principles) for our broilers, hens and brooders to add to our employee manual.
With these prompts, I fill the pages of my planner with clear, effective notes to both capture the successes of the season AND to make notes about specific changes to improve the 2021 season.