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New workers on the farm may (at first) not appreciate the need to be safety conscious. They should all get trained on general safety procedures and the consequences of not following safety rules. Once this becomes the norm, then a safety-conscious culture spreads through the farm.

You may want to check the market around your area and see what is more marketable. A new farmer should choose either broilers or layers but first start with a reasonable number of birds.

We leave our tree up at times until mid-January to maintain the Christmas mood. When you have a beautiful tree, you feel guilty every time you want to take it down. May you and your family continue to enjoy the holiday season!

Yes, I would. The workload on the farm can be overwhelming when a farmer has diversified farming. I don't have any open positions now, but I wouldn't hesitate to hire if the need arose.

Yes, they are easy to grow, but you may want to consider later-maturing varieties since, unlike the early-maturing ones, they are less susceptible to imbibitional chilling. Again, it is advisable to plant early to increase yields.

If you ask any successful farmer if their journey was smooth, they'll most likely talk of the many challenges like getting land, access to loans, or acquiring equipment. Would you quit to cut losses if things weren't working out, or would you hold on and change tact where necessary?

Whereas this hasn't been an easy year for many farmers, I think that we've all put our best feet forward and gotten to work. I am weighing my options because incentives are a perfect way to keep people motivated.

I haven't noticed anything new in the past few months as well. They are known to shut down their reproduction during the cold months and resume in earnest during the other seasons.

Starting a farm is one thing, but running and managing it is a different concept altogether. Despite encountering challenges like the ever-changing weather, efficiently managing a farm will keep a farmer a step ahead. What would you change if you could turn back the hand of time?

It must have been tough for you last year since animals' water needs increase over winter. A simple method I have used before is to group water troughs. You can also (partially) enclose the water tank in a well-insulated shed.

Most of us wouldn't know where to start because the tax landscape is very complicated. A financial advisor or expert can help to break everything down and help you get as many tax breaks as possible. By the way, even part-time farmers can still benefit.

I agree, and you may want to use artificial light directly overhead to produce fewer shadows. Cattle are also sensitive to the sound of rattling head gates or dangling chains. Additionally, it is advisable to have two holding pens with a gate separating them. In this way, you can sort calves...

What would you do if your banker was pressurizing you to abandon a venture just because you were yet to break even and start making a profit? The decision to liquidate should be a farmer's idea and should be arrived at after consultation. However, we are often forced to make difficult decisions...

I know that a lot of fresh produce went to waste, or farmers had no option but let them rot. The pandemic has thrown a lot of things into disarray, and one option would be to donate to a food bank. The challenge would be in transporting the food, or suddenly there being a surplus too.

It has been a challenging year for all of us, but I am grateful that most of the farmers have been able to pull through, somehow. In such times, it is better to keep our heads up and keep doing what we do best.

Yes, the most effective method is cutting them down before they seed, though this can be labor-intensive in an extensive garden. What are your thoughts on the chemical options? I have heard that pre-emergent herbicides can stop the weeds from germinating.

I think that more and more farmers are moving away from traditional subsistence farming and adopting intensive subsistence farming by applying modern cultivation techniques like the use of commercially produced fertilizer. Technology is already in use, say, by the introduction of effective water...

If you are a farmer whose land gets classified in the farmland category, there is a chance of reaping significant tax savings. Have you ever considered consulting a professional before?

You did well for a first-timer, and I guess it is not too late to start over? I have seen these plants in stores before, and after reading this thread, I believe I can give it a try!

I guess you're referring to a walk-behind tractor? They are mostly a preference for farmers who plant densely, target compaction in high clay content soils, or have odd-shaped fields. At the micro-production stage, they can improve efficiency.