Farm Planning Checklist
Last month on the blog, our Enlow Tractor Auction team shared some of the farm equipment you’ll need to kickstart your farming operation. This month, we want to dive into some of the more in-depth items you should have on your checklist if you’re preparing to start your own farm. Whether you want to grow specialty crops or produce quality meat for your community, there are a few things to keep in mind as you begin planning.
1. Identify Your Purpose
When you’re at the beginning stages of planning to start a farming operation of any kind, the first thing on your checklist should be to identify your purpose. That might look like establishing a mission statement or it might be a description of your long-term dream, but either way, knowing why you are starting a farm will help guide your planning and decision making from this point forward.
2. Set Short-Term Goals
Once you really know your purpose, you’ll want to spend some time identifying your short-term goals. Starting a farm can be overwhelming if you start from the big picture and try to work backwards, so instead, think about your goals on a smaller scale. What can you accomplish in the next week? Month? Year? Breaking your goals into smaller timelines with realistic checkpoints can make the process much simpler and help you identify what is and isn’t working as you begin to grow.
3. Tackle the Finances
A big checklist item for starting a farm is tackling the financial element of your business. You should understand your financial obligations as a business, how to track income and expenses, and how to plan for taxes. Since this is a big bucket item, you may need to ask for help and break down this step into smaller action items.
4. Grow Your Resources
Another thing to do as you begin planning to launch your business is to utilize your current network and grow your access to resources. Contact your county extension office, research different USDA programs, and talk to your neighbors. The resources and network you establish now will be crucial for your long-term success!
5. Dive In
There is only so much you can write on a checklist and plan for. At some point, it will be time to just dive in! You’ve planned, gathered, information, purchased your farm equipment, and prepared the land; now all that’s left is to get started!
Starting a farm takes a lot of effort, planning, and risk, but with the right intentions and resources, it can be a rewarding experience! We hope to be a small part of your farm journey when you visit us in Tulsa, OK. We proudly serve Oklahoma City, OK, and Wichita, KS. We specialize in auctions, wholesale, and consignment.