Staying Busy On Your Farm In Winter

Farming is not necessarily a seasonal occupation. While members of the general public may think all the work is done in spring through fall, farmers know that there are plenty of tasks that they still need to do to maintain their farms during the winter months. Some tasks are reasonably simple; others more complex. Regardless of the difficulty, they all need doing, and completing them will help you ready your farm for spring. This guide by Magnum Power of Lawson should help you figure out some of the things you can do while your fields lay dormant so you’re ready for the spring planting season.

Greenhouse Growing

You can still grow crops in winter! Many farmers take advantage of greenhouses, whether these are simple canvas shelters or more elaborate glass-windowed buildings, to continue to grow produce during colder months. You’ll need to plant cover crops like winter rye, hardy grasses or buckwheat or invest in row covers. Some crops even tolerate the cold well, like cabbages and other leafy greens and root vegetables like carrots or turnips. Weeds will be much less of an issue during winter, so your crops are more likely to flourish, provided you keep them warm and watered with plenty of access to sunlight.

Maintain & Repair Equipment

Over the planting and harvest seasons, your farm equipment has seen a great deal of use and is likely somewhat worse for wear. Winter is the perfect time to get your tractors, combine harvesters, hay balers, seeders and any other equipment tuned up and taken care of so they’re ready for spring. Remember that you can always bring your farm equipment into Mazgnum Power for any major repair needs! Just contact our service department and we’ll get you all fixed up.

Make Sure Your Shelters Are Adequate

Whether you keep animals or you’re simply storing equipment over the winter, you want your barn and your shed to be adequately insulated against inclement weather. Animals don’t take well to cold, so be sure to insulate your barn well against wind and rain to keep them warm. Window shutters or insulation will keep cold from seeping in. Roof repairs may be necessary if high winds have damaged your barn during summer. In very cold climates, you may need to invest in devices to keep water from freezing. This could mean circulators or heaters or simply keeping water in a large, insulated tank that animals can still easily access.

Ensure that each animal has enough space in their pen to be comfortable, some hay to sleep in and plenty of food and water, too. If feed or hay becomes wet, it is likely to grow mold which can be dangerous to both animals and humans. Make sure to at least cover your feed and hay with a tarp if it isn’t kept indoors.

Update Your Records

Remember all those bookkeeping tasks you put aside for later? Well, now is the time to address any accounting concerns, in addition to making records and reviewing the data you collected over the farm year. You can take note of how much your harvest yielded, when crops were planted, weather conditions that may have impacted growth and weeds or insects that might have affected your yields.

Cull Animals

If you keep animals, you can use this time to take stock of your livestock and determine whether you could sell or cull extra animals to save on upkeep costs. Only keep as many animals as you can successfully maintain; if you’re financially strapped, it may be time to cut down your numbers, whether that means butchering them, giving them away to a neighbor or selling them for a profit.

If you have any farm equipment maintenance needs, contact the service department at Magnum Power. We can help get your equipment repaired and ready for spring! Magnum Power also carries a full inventory of new and used equipment for sale at our Lawson showroom. We proudly serve all of Clay County, Missouri, and the Kansas City metro area.