Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, nsbruce@udel.edu
Most farming operations have primary decision makers in place that make timely decisions to guide the farming business. Anything can happen over the course of a farming season. Whether that involves injuries, illness, military deployment, or even death. It is important for others on the operation to know how to proceed if the key decision maker in the farming business can is unable to make decisions. Having a contingency plan in place is always a wise idea for any farming business. The University of Missouri Cooperative Extension developed a short-term operating plan to cover the “what-ifs” if such a situation occurred on the operation at the onset of the Covid outbreak. The plan is designed to assist an operation make it through a two-to-six-month period, or a typical farming season. Locating key information during a time of unexpected problems can often be difficult or stressful. This plan can help streamline this process and serve as a supplement to any farm business plan.