I read someplace there are three categories of work when it comes to farming. For the time invested, manual labour has the lowest return and requires the least mental effort. The highest return comes from planning, where you map out the enterprise or the year ahead. In hours spent planning, you try to anticipate potholes and other costly upsets as well as looking for best practises and new ideas. Obviously, this is the hardest work on the mind but the benefits should multiply across the whole business.

if the plans are more of the on-the-fly variety then it can be mentally very tough

In between labour and planning comes management. It’s the connection between the two where plans are turned into labour. If your planning is good, management shouldn’t be too hard on the old grey matter, but if the plans are more of the on-the-fly variety then it can be mentally very tough.

Invest in planning

Since we started farming in August 2015, most of our time has been spent on management and labour. While the returns have been poor naturally enough, we have learnt huge lessons on how to run a successful farm enterprise. No doubt we have many more mistakes to make, but I’m confident now that the most important time we’ll invest is in planning.

Rather than reacting to events like lameness and the peaks and troughs of grass growth, we’ll get out ahead of them and cut them off at the pass, as any good cowboy might say.

Starting with the ewes, we have someone organised to scan them this year. Feeding plans are ready, as is adequate housing. A proper flock health regime is in place for 2017, as is a footbath and new semi-permanent fencing.

We’ve various other actions in train too, but our main plan is an earlier lambing date and the big jump forward in the quality of the ewes, plus the ram we joined with them. This will give 2017 a major head-start on 2016.

Much needed boost

What I’ve written above may be as obvious to everyone else as it is to me now. However, looking back at where we were 12 months ago compared to now gives a much-needed boost during these dark days, in the depths of winter.

Christmas is great for many reasons. But for me, the best thing about it is when it passes. You can then safely look back at the year that was, look forward to the brighter evenings on the way, and dive into your new knowledge and the better returns to come from your time spent planning.

Merry Christmas and more importantly Happy New Year!

Kieran Sullivan and his brother farm part-time in Co. Waterford. You can follow him on Twitter: @kieran_sullivan

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