Learning from others I plan on stepping out in 2018 on the right foot!
I want to start out our farm using the knowledge and insight I have gained from the farming/gardening/homesteading community found here, YT, different website articles and books. This first year will be a crucial year and will set the stage for years to come. I have read time and time again that people and families wish they could go back to their first year on their farm or homestead and document everything. I am hoping that I can present this record of data to my wife along with a full freezer full of meat and vegetables and eggs that will last us through next winter. (She is an accountant so she wants to see the bottom line.!)
To all those in or were in the military...I am basically making a Desktop Turnover/Turnover Binder! Ha Ha If I had to leave and someone else had to do my chores would they know how to operate the farm? When and how much to feed the animals? When to amend or harvest? Who to call if something happens to our livestock? That is what this binder is to me. My turnover binder
DOCUMENTATION IS EVERYTHING!!
With a hard copy or digital record this binder will let us know where we were successful, not so successful and where we failed. Also what about pests, weather, contact sheets, etc. While we are not starting a business, something I just thought about adding later was a Depreciation Calculator for tax purposes (Buildings, Equipment, Implements, etc).
THE GARDEN...
Seeds may not be that expensive when buying a few packets here and there but over time it can be costly. I will use this binder to account for each seed, their yield, whether or not to continue with that variety of fruit or veggie.
What worked in the garden? What worked in the hoop house? I will not remember that next year or the year after so why not record it.
THE LIVESTOCK...
How many eggs are you collecting each day and month? Winter egg production drops, so with this binder I can plan for the following year when we need to start storing eggs. (FYI, if you did not know, eggs can last a long time! And you could collet enough to last you through the winter.)
I just added a feed calculator for goats. How much hay, pellets and minerals will I need for the year? If I get two Nigerians that average (say 140 lbs), I am looking at a yearly weight of 6,000 lbs of hay!. Lets break that down into bales. An average bale can weight 40 - 50 lbs. (45#). So 6000 / 45 = 133.333, so 134 bales. So I need to find the space for 134 hay bales. (And that is not even including straw!!) Hay varies in price, first cut....fifth cut. So we will say $7.00 per bale. 134 bales x $7.00 is just under $950.00 per year. I NEED TO KNOW THAT TO BUDGET
Rabbits...same thing. How much feed/pellets/veggie scraps, etc do I need for meat rabbits? Breeding is important if I want to fill our freezer.
EQUIPMENT/INFRASTRUCTURE...
Equipment and infrastructure requires upkeep and maintenance. As a Shop Chief/diesel technician in the Marines, Preventive Maintenance Checks & Services (PMCS) was critical at keeping the fleet mobile! The same goes for equipment and implements! Document when services and repairs were conducted and how much it costs you.
INCOME/EXPENSES...
What cost us the most this year? Is there a way to implement a mitigation to reduce the amount of expenses? What if any revenue did we have this year? Selling eggs, milk, livestock?
I want this binder to help us, to complement our efforts and actions.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER RAMBLING...
Below is the link to a MS Word document that you can use. There are no graphics or off the wall fonts. That is up to you. Brand your own binder, that is why it is blank. Also, if you can think of anything else that would be beneficial, please let me know. Then everyone can potentially add that to their binder.
If you would like to upvote and resteem this post, I would be very appreciative of that. Thank you.
In a previous post or comment I mentioned that I was working on an MS Excel version. I am still working on that. A lot of information and formulas to consider. And in being the good husband I continue to try to be, I am listening to my wife by putting the annual financial overview sheet first. (Hey, she is the accountant so I think she knows what she is saying. I will play along. Ha Ha.) But once I complete it, I will post it.
Thank you for visiting.
As always, have a great and blessed day and continue to help each other grow in knowledge.
Kenny~~~Pfeiler Family Farm~~~
