It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at seeding time, particularly in a year that’s off to a late start. One week, there’s nothing you can do in the field. The next week, everything should be done right now.
The list of tasks is long. There may be last minute seed cleaning or seed acquisition. Fertilizer may need to be delivered.
There may be granular herbicide to spread. Some fields may need harrowing for residue management, or perhaps fertilizer is banded in advance of seeding. Weed burnoff needs to be accomplished either before seeding or just after.
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Which fields are dry enough? Where is the weed growth heaviest? Has anyone caught the latest weather forecast?
There are probably kinks to be ironed out if you’ve bought a new tractor, seeder or sprayer. Just how does the auto steer work on this new-to-you implement? What step are we missing to make the seed blockage monitors work?
And amidst all the distractions and challenges, you need to keep the seeder rolling as continuously as possible.
Running longer days to make up for lost time may seem like a great theory, but all the associated tasks still need to be done and people still need to sleep.
Extra labour is available for seeding on many farms, but many of the jobs are specialized.
There may be only one person on the farm who normally runs the sprayer. Or perhaps Grandpa, who still likes to help out, can no longer fill the seeder by himself.
The teenagers in the family are keen to do more, but are they really ready for the jobs they want to tackle?
How do you find time to properly train new people? And how do you keep all these people fed without wasting valuable time?
Then there are all the curve balls to deal with. It’s too windy to spray for a couple days in a row. A monitor malfunctions and a replacement has to be ordered from the main factory. The seed you were getting from Company X still isn’t available.
The local fertilizer dealer is having trouble keeping enough sulfur or phosphorus on hand, and you have to wait for the next truck to arrive. The fertilizer you bought last fall at a higher price than what you could buy it for this spring has lumps that are blocking fertilizer tubes.
As days grow long, tempers can grow short. One of the greatest joys in farming can be working with family, but it can also be one of the greatest frustrations.
Being a farmer must look pretty easy from the outside. You just ride up and down the field with hands free operation. You even have time to play on your smartphone. However, for the people running the show, the skill set required is amazing.
You need to be equipment operator, mechanic, agronomist, negotiator and human resource manager all rolled into one.
On top of that, it helps to have good business relationships with input suppliers, machinery dealerships and your lender.
Top managers play to their strengths and know how to compensate for their weaknesses.
Somehow, they can keep on top of all aspects of the operation and calmly resolve issues as they arise. If they feel overwhelmed at times, it doesn’t show.
Farmers come from a multitude of backgrounds and vary widely in sophistication and ability. By any business standard, many have developed an amazing level of management acumen.
