Moving the Goal Post
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By Sherri Talbot While goal setting is important for farming, the first thing to remember is that farms have different functions, depending on their product and output method. For instance, one hobby farm may casually raise egg layers for their own use and sell the extras. Another farmer may make their homestead a full-time career, raising goats, chickens, and a large garden. Still, another grower may have 200 acres and raise organic vegetables for sale at local farmers markets and restaurants. What all three of these businesses need are goals.
There is a lot about goal setting that is dependent on the particular farm setup. However, once a year, it is strongly suggested that a farm manager sits down with all of their involved parties and make plans for the year. This meeting may involve a complex assembly of accountants, project managers, family members, and others. They may spend an entire day laying out elaborate plans and prioritizing major projects. On the other hand, it may also be a couple discussing the pros and cons of buying new laying hens versus hatching chicks for a couple of hours.
However simple or complex those goals may be, the SMART method of goal setting needs to be followed. Each goal requires a need to be (S)pecific, (M)easurable, (A)chievable, (R)elavent, and (T)ime-limited. Again, this may be formal or not, but these steps are the difference between, “The laying hens are getting old. Maybe we should get more” and, “We need 10 more birds to keep up our egg production next year. By March, we need to have decided whether to buy chicks or try hatching our own.” These timelines make it easier to track those goals. It also helps ensure you are staying on track and allows you to shift your goalpost when needed, because the most vital part of goal setting in farming is flexibility.
Why is this, you ask? Surely a small farm doesn’t need this much thought.
In the case of our hypothetical hobby farmer, the goal may be fresh eggs, to get enjoyment from their birds, and to find a balance with how many eggs they want without getting overwhelmed by extra eggs. These seem like simple goals, but this can easily change. Perhaps the neighbor’s dog begins harassing the free-ranging chickens. A case of coccidiosis may occur amongst the birds and egg production stalls. Maybe the number of roosters grows unwieldy. In each of these cases, the breeder will need to reassess their goals to solve the problem — to keep their chickens safe, prevent injuries, and keep healthy birds.
For larger farms, goals may be even more complex and shifting. An increase in the price of the fertilizers they use on their fields may be an unexpected financial drain. A farmers market they do well at closing down may be a loss of revenue they had earmarked for something. In both cases, the farmer must reassess plans for the year to regain lost ground. To do this, the larger operation also needs to look at all their goods and markets, which means tracking individual products more carefully. If a market closes and the farmer doesn’t know which products sell well at which market, they may not even realize they are losing money.
The more the farmer depends on their crops or animals to support themselves, the more critical setting and meeting these goals becomes. The hobby farmer with their chickens may simply decide chickens aren’t for them if their flock is wiped out, but this, too, is changing their goal for themselves. When farming is a full-time occupation, having 3 to 4 goals that are followed each year closely is vital to success.
For example: Farmer Alex aims to sell 100 bushels of tomatoes, 200 bushels of potatoes, and 1,200 eggs at the current rates to make the farm profitable. The farm attends two farmers markets where these goals can be met — one has more vegetable customers and more egg clients. Then the flock is wiped out by the avian flu before the start of the farmers market season. There are no longer eggs to sell, and no chickens can be on the property for the next five months without risking reinfection.
Unless the original yearly goals are reset, Farmer Alex will lose money at the second farmers market. More importantly, the farm’s overall financial goals will fail since they cannot sell eggs. However, by creating a backup plan, new goals can be adapted. Alex can plant a crop of spinach in the hoop house and find a local restaurant interested in purchasing fresh spinach at a premium price. The farm can recover from the loss and find a new market. Trying a new crop may even help them grow as a business in the long run. By following up on the yearly farm goals and adapting to changes, the farm can come out ahead.
Farming can be affected by any number of factors. Crop disease, weather, injuries, and changing markets make flexibility a critical part of the job. Setting goals and not being afraid to move them when needed can make the difference between success and failure, no matter what you produce.
Originally published in the May/June 2023 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.