If you’ve dreamed of owning a farm full of edible plants and livestock, you may be wondering what details are the most important when you are first starting. Here are some essential tips for creating your farm.
Insurance Needs Are Different on a Farm
When you have a car or home, you know what type of insurance you’ll need to protect your asset, but owning a farm involves insurance. If you plan to live on your farm, you can often find combined policies that cover both in case of damage or injury. Depending on your unique situation, there are various options to ensure all aspects of your farm, from barn coverage to livestock mortality insurance. Often, your farm is both your home and your business, so you’ll want to talk to an insurance agent to find a policy that covers all of your needs.
Farming Is More Than a Full-Time Job
You probably realize that farming will take a lot of hard work, but it may take more work than you realize. Especially when you are first starting, agriculture will turn into a way of life for you and will involve odd hours, long days and plenty of labour. It is essential to be realistic about the amount of work you can put in when planning your farm’s size and range. For example, animal husbandry, no matter the scale, involves possible care around the clock, caring for your livestock throughout the day and physical work cleaning barns or hauling feed. If you are lucky enough to be able to hire workers to help lighten the load, you will still need to spend large amounts of your days managing your farm to ensure everything is being done.
You’ll Need to Learn Constantly
Farming takes immense amounts of knowledge, from caring for different types of livestock to growing crops that will thrive. Before you start, you’ll want to make sure you learn as much as possible about anything you plan to use your farm for. Many farmers who raise livestock endeavour to learn veterinary skills to better care for their animals and lower veterinary costs, such as wound care, treatments for common illnesses and assisting animal births. Cultivating plants can also involve vast amounts of knowledge, especially if you are trying to grow crops on a large scale for a business.
Starting a farm can be a daunting experience, but these tips can help you feel more confident in achieving your agricultural dreams.
