2 AGRIBUSINESS – 2.20 - A FARM PLAN AND STRATEGY IS IMPORTANT
ORGANIC FARMING
COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY
2 AGRIBUSINESS –
2.20 - A FARM PLAN AND STRATEGY IS IMPORTANT
A FARM PLAN IS IMPORTANT,
ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL FARMS
Think you don't need a farm plan for a small or
urban farm? Think again—in many ways, sitting down to plan out a small space is
the most important work you can do.
Time and space are two elements that are
critical in any farming enterprise, and the smaller the enterprise, the more
critical they become. Within small urban agricultural enterprises, the careful
timing of all of our actions allows for maximum production, greater efficiency,
higher quality and more success in the marketplace.
Time in the small farm enterprise must be
balanced with space. They are interconnected. The successful urban farmer will
develop an overall plan that plots out the stages of a crop’s development from
seed to sale, including planting information, harvest details and
sales/marketing projections.
The plan determines, for example, how many
carrots will be planted, in which block and during what time period, and when
and in what amount repeat plantings will happen. And while instinct, experience
and intuition are critical to farming, it’s helpful to have a good written plan
to guide you, especially if you are just getting started.
WHO ARE YOU?
Farmers typically fall into one of two distinct
personality types: those who rely more on intuition, experience and memory and
those who rely more on planning. Find a way to develop and incorporate both
aspects. Making a good farm plan each year is about building the foundation.
Intuition and experience will allow you to
respond to the inevitable changes of a biological system that is constantly
shifting. The plan is the guide, and crop production and diversity at our
largest farm changes as the season progresses. A good farmer knows how to move
within that plan and when to deviate from it.
SET GOALS
Before making your plan, revisit your mission
and goals: Whom are you serving, and what is the purpose and vision of your
farm? Let these goals guide you as you develop the plan, and again as you
implement it. If you are growing for a membership program like a CSA, a good
plan is very helpful in order to ensure a consistent supply of a variety of
foods to that membership. This also holds true if your crop system is very
diversified: a large number of different crops, plantings and harvests over the
course of a season are more easily managed with a strong plan.
The planning process also serves to even out the
workload over the course of the season. Some people may have a goal of working
in very distinct chunks: For example, just hiring in a crew for a few weeks and
having the farm be quiet for the rest of the year. Others may want to keep the
work evenly spread out over the course of the season.
If you are working by yourself, spreading out
the workload helps prevent burnout, and if you work with a crew, providing them
with consistent predictable work throughout the full season helps retain people
so that you don’t have to retrain folks every year.
You should plan ahead if you want to sell at the
farmer’s market.
PLAN ON PLANNING
Good planning helps you use time efficiently
during the season and anticipate needs well in advance in order to prepare for
them; good planning prioritizes proactive management over reactive management.
For example, reactive management could be
planting a crop and realizing too late that it needs to be trellised but you
don’t have the stakes or the string, and that your time is already committed to
some other crop.
With proactive management, you have thought
through all of the needs and cycles of each crop and have recognized how those
needs combine with all the other crops. While there will always be a certain
amount of stress associated with commercial farming, good planning can reduce
that stress to a manageable level. Your farm plan will likely end up being a
series of sub-plans: documents and spreadsheets that, used in tandem, help you
track your crops from seed to sale.
The overarching plan should include at least the
following elements:
What you are going to plant
How much of it to plant
Where you will plant it
How you will plant it
When and how you will harvest it
How much it’s going to cost to grow it
How much the crop is going to yield
To whom and how you will sell it
How much it’s going to gross financially
GET STARTED
To get started creating the plan, you’ll need to
have some data on hand, such as field notes, yield data from previous years,
the dimensions of your planting blocks or fields, and how many boxes or beds
can fit into a block or a field. You need to know how much space you have to
work with, and any characteristics of those spaces that make them more or less
suitable for different crops or for planting at certain times of the year.
Other helpful resources are seed catalogues, any
notes from past markets or marketing, and any field diaries from prior years.
Seed catalogues are an excellent free source of information if you are just
starting out and don’t have any field diaries or prior notes to fall back on
(and if you have been farming for a while, they are a great addition to your
own notes).
Some seed catalogues have great cultural
information sections that include yield data, growing requirements and field
spacing for a multitude of crops.
SALES PLAN
You can create your plan on paper, but a
computer has many benefits. Spreadsheet programs allow you to insert formulas,
cross-reference and calculate costs and projections, and visualize time and
space.
You can start with creating a sales plan and a
harvest plan, and then a planting plan. To create your sales plan (what you
will sell, and to whom) and harvest plan (when you will be harvesting each crop
for your customers), you’ll need to determine what your six to 10 anchor or
signature products will be, what outlet(s) these products are best suited for
(restaurants, farmers’ markets, retail, etc.), and when you can have those
products available.
Start the sales plan with some simple research
(visiting markets, talking to other growers, etc.) to come up with a list of
products and a price range for each product (keeping in mind that prices will
differ depending on your sales outlets).
Essentially, you’re planting the entire farm on
paper; consider it a dry run for the real thing. It also ensures that you allow
enough space to grow the crops in the volumes you need. It’s easier to go back
and reconfigure a plan on paper than to do it in the field!
Text from Joship Enterprises
More
Info … Grow successful with
consultant.
For successful SMART FARMING see
80 lessons about AGRIBUSINESS and
70
lessons about perfect irrigation SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION.
We supply this in Western Kenya.
Please send us your request, when you will double your yield to 3, 4, 5 $ per
m² per season, and we plan your farm activities.
Save 50% water, energy and use MORGANICS SEAWEED FERTILIZER from us, see
under ..
https://smart-farming-solutions.blogspot.com
Find the LEVEL 1: ORGANIC FARMING COURSE, in fb
https:// www.facebook.com/FAIREC-Atlas-Developement-SARL-654505228040366/
Find my lessons in the following hashtags:
#organicfarmer #organic #organicfarmingpractices
#organicfarming #organicfarm #foodforest #syntropic #agroecology #syntropicfarming #agroeconomy #introductiontopermaculture #permacultureprinciples #creativethinking #permaculturehomesteading #regenerativefuture #Ubuntu #United4Land
Biashara za Joship
KOZI YA KILIMO HAI KILIMO-UCHUMI
2 KILIMO – 2.20 - MPANGO NA MKAKATI WA KILIMO NI
MUHIMU
MPANGO WA KILIMO NI MUHIMU, HASA KWA MASHAMBA
MADOGO
Unafikiri huhitaji mpango wa shamba kwa shamba
ndogo au la mijini? Fikiria tena—kwa njia nyingi, kukaa chini kupanga nafasi
ndogo ndiyo kazi muhimu zaidi unayoweza kufanya.
Wakati na nafasi ni vitu viwili ambavyo ni
muhimu katika biashara yoyote ya kilimo, na jinsi biashara inavyokuwa ndogo,
ndivyo inavyokuwa muhimu zaidi. Ndani ya biashara ndogo ndogo za kilimo za
mijini, muda wa uangalifu wa hatua zetu zote unaruhusu uzalishaji wa hali ya
juu, ufanisi zaidi, ubora wa juu na mafanikio zaidi sokoni.
Wakati katika biashara ndogo ya shamba lazima
iwe na usawa na nafasi. Wameunganishwa. Mkulima wa mijini aliyefanikiwa
atatengeneza mpango wa jumla ambao unapanga hatua za ukuzaji wa mazao kutoka
kwa mbegu hadi uuzaji,
ikijumuisha habari ya upandaji, maelezo ya mavuno na makadirio ya mauzo/masoko.
Mpango huo huamua, kwa
mfano, ni karoti ngapi zitapandwa, ambayo kuzuia na wakati gani, na lini na kwa
kiasi gani upandaji wa kurudia utatokea. Na ingawa silika, uzoefu na angavu ni
muhimu kwa kilimo, ni muhimu kuwa na mpango mzuri wa maandishi ili kukuongoza,
haswa ikiwa ndio kwanza unaanza.
WEWE NI NANI?
Wakulima kwa kawaida
huangukia katika mojawapo ya aina mbili tofauti za utu: wale wanaotegemea zaidi
angavu, uzoefu na kumbukumbu na wale wanaotegemea zaidi kupanga. Tafuta njia ya
kukuza na kuingiza vipengele vyote viwili. Kufanya mpango mzuri wa shamba kila
mwaka ni juu ya kujenga msingi.
Intuition na uzoefu
itawawezesha kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya kuepukika ya mfumo wa kibiolojia
ambayo ni daima kuhama. Mpango ndio mwongozo, na uzalishaji wa mazao na aina
mbalimbali katika shamba letu kubwa hubadilika kadri msimu unavyoendelea.
Mkulima mzuri anajua jinsi ya kwenda ndani ya mpango huo na wakati wa
kukengeuka kutoka kwake.
WEKA MALENGO
Kabla ya kufanya mpango
wako, tembelea tena misheni na malengo yako: Unamtumikia nani, na madhumuni na
maono ya shamba lako ni nini? Acha malengo haya yakuongoze unapoendeleza
mpango, na tena unapoutekeleza. Ikiwa unakuza mpango wa uanachama kama CSA, mpango
mzuri ni muhimu sana ili kuhakikisha ugavi thabiti wa vyakula mbalimbali kwa
uanachama huo. Hii pia ni kweli ikiwa mfumo wako wa mazao ni wa aina nyingi
sana: idadi kubwa ya mazao, upandaji na mavuno tofauti katika kipindi cha msimu
husimamiwa kwa urahisi zaidi kwa mpango madhubuti.
Mchakato wa kupanga pia
hutumika kusawazisha mzigo wa kazi katika kipindi cha msimu. Baadhi ya watu
wanaweza kuwa na lengo la kufanya kazi katika sehemu tofauti: Kwa mfano,
kuajiri tu wafanyakazi kwa wiki chache na kufanya shamba kuwa kimya kwa mwaka
mzima. Wengine wanaweza kutaka kuweka kazi sawasawa kuenea katika kipindi cha
msimu.
Ikiwa unafanya kazi peke
yako, kueneza mzigo husaidia kuzuia uchovu, na ikiwa unafanya kazi na
wafanyakazi, kuwapa kazi thabiti inayotabirika katika msimu mzima husaidia
kuhifadhi watu ili usilazimike kuwafundisha watu tena kila mwaka.
Unapaswa kupanga mapema
ikiwa unataka kuuza kwenye soko la mkulima.
PANGA KUPANGA
Upangaji mzuri hukusaidia
kutumia wakati ipasavyo wakati wa msimu na kutazamia mahitaji mapema ili
kujitayarisha; upangaji mzuri hutanguliza usimamizi makini kuliko usimamizi
tendaji.
Kwa mfano, usimamizi tendaji
unaweza kuwa unapanda mmea na kutambua umechelewa sana kwamba unahitaji kukatwa
mara tatu lakini huna vigingi au uzi, na kwamba muda wako tayari umejitolea kwa
mazao mengine.
Kwa usimamizi makini,
umetafakari mahitaji na mizunguko yote ya kila zao na umetambua jinsi mahitaji
hayo yanavyochanganyikana na mazao mengine yote. Ingawa daima kutakuwa na kiasi
fulani cha dhiki inayohusishwa na kilimo cha kibiashara, upangaji mzuri unaweza
kupunguza mfadhaiko huo kwa kiwango kinachoweza kudhibitiwa. Mpango wako wa
shamba unaweza kuwa msururu wa mipango midogo: hati na lahajedwali ambazo,
zikitumiwa sanjari, hukusaidia kufuatilia mazao yako kutoka kwa mbegu hadi
mauzo.
Mpango wa jumla unapaswa
kujumuisha angalau vipengele vifuatavyo:
Unaenda kupanda nini
Ni kiasi gani cha kupanda
Ambapo utaipanda
Utaipandaje
Utavuna lini na jinsi gani
Itagharimu kiasi gani
kuikuza
Ni kiasi gani cha mazao
kitatoa
Kwa nani na jinsi gani
utaiuza
Ni kiasi gani kitakuwa kikubwa kifedha
ANZA
Ili kuanza kuunda mpango, utahitaji kuwa na
baadhi ya data mkononi, kama vile maelezo ya uga, data ya mavuno kutoka miaka
iliyopita, vipimo vya vitalu vyako vya kupanda au mashamba, na ni masanduku au
vitanda vingapi vinaweza kutoshea shamba. Unahitaji kujua ni nafasi ngapi
unastahili kufanya kazi nayo, na sifa zozote za nafasi hizo zinazowafanya kuwa
zaidi au chini ya kufaa kwa mazao tofauti au kwa kupanda wakati fulani wa
mwaka.
Nyenzo nyingine muhimu ni katalogi za mbegu,
madokezo yoyote kutoka kwa masoko au masoko yaliyopita, na shajara zozote za
miaka ya awali. Katalogi za mbegu ni chanzo bora cha habari bila malipo ikiwa
ndio kwanza unaanza na huna shajara za uga au vidokezo vya awali vya kurejea
(na ikiwa umekuwa ukilima kwa muda, ni nyongeza nzuri kwa maandishi yako
mwenyewe. )
Baadhi ya katalogi za mbegu zina sehemu kubwa za
taarifa za kitamaduni zinazojumuisha data ya mavuno, mahitaji ya kukua na
nafasi ya shamba kwa wingi wa mazao.
MPANGO WA MAUZO
Unaweza kuunda mpango wako kwenye karatasi,
lakini kompyuta ina faida nyingi. Programu za lahajedwali hukuruhusu kuingiza
fomula, marejeleo mtambuka na kukokotoa gharama na makadirio, na kuibua wakati
na nafasi.
Unaweza kuanza kwa kuunda mpango wa mauzo na
mpango wa mavuno, na kisha mpango wa kupanda. Ili kuunda mpango wako wa mauzo
(utamuuzia nini, na kwa nani) na mpango wa kuvuna (wakati utakuwa unavuna kila
zao kwa wateja wako), utahitaji kuamua bidhaa zako sita hadi 10 za nanga au
sahihi zitakuwa zipi, nini maduka ya bidhaa hizi zinafaa zaidi kwa (migahawa,
masoko ya wakulima, rejareja, n.k.), na wakati ambapo unaweza kupata bidhaa
hizo.
Anzisha mpango wa mauzo kwa utafiti rahisi
(kutembelea soko, kuzungumza na wakulima wengine, n.k.) ili upate orodha ya
bidhaa na aina ya bei kwa kila bidhaa (ukikumbuka kuwa bei zitatofautiana
kulingana na maduka yako ya mauzo).
Kimsingi, unapanda shamba zima kwenye karatasi;
fikiria kuwa ni kukimbia kavu kwa jambo halisi. Pia inahakikisha kwamba
unaruhusu nafasi ya kutosha kukuza mazao katika ujazo unaohitaji. Ni rahisi
kurudi nyuma na kupanga upya mpango kwenye karatasi kuliko kuifanya kwenye
shamba!
Kommentare
Kommentar veröffentlichen