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Farm Planning for Unexpected Situations

Mary Sobba

Summary

The pandemic over the past two years has heightened the awareness of how quickly the temporary absence of one person in a farm business can affect daily operations. Many farms and ranches have experienced the primary decision maker unable to make decisions for a variety of reasons including health and military deployment. Frequently, family members struggle with carrying on with daily work and finding key information to continue the normal operations and decision-making. University of Missouri Extension developed a short-term operating plan to organize essential farm information to assist family members in continuing the farm operations while the key decision-maker is absent. The plan was designed to include pertinent information and encompass most types of farming enterprises. The initial plan was developed using paper copy and pdf format. Farmer input showed there was a need to also have the plan in an internet-based format. University of Missouri Extension partnered with the University of Minnesota to expand the plan into an electronic format. The development stage took time to consider many details including privacy, security, updates, accessibility, and ease of use. The enhanced experience and knowledge of partnering were very helpful in building the tool in a format that can be accessed from a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The plan is being shared with farmers and ranchers through presentations, classes, articles and media. The purpose of the short-term operating plan is for farm families to have organized information available at all times to use in sustaining and operating the farm business.      

Details

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