Staying Busy On The Farm During The Winter Season

Your harvest season may be over, but that doesn't mean your work on the farm is over. There are plenty of projects you can tackle during the off-season to keep your business running smoothly and to set yourself up for success come spring. Below we cover various ways to stay busy on your farm during the winter. If you want more tips or want to check out farm equipment for sale, head over to one of the six Bucklin Tractor & Implement dealerships throughout Kansas.

Grow Crops in a Greenhouse

There are some crops that can be grown during the colder months as long as you have a greenhouse. You can use a simple canvas shelter or something as complex as an elaborate glass-windowed building. Remember to plant cover crops, such as winter rye or buckwheat, or to invest in row covers. You can also seek out crops that are well-suited for the cold weather, such as cabbages and turnips.

Maintain Your Farm Equipment

Your agriculture equipment has spent the last several weeks working hard. They may be experiencing the effects of normal wear and tear. Now that you don't need your farm equipment to tackle the harvest, you can take the time to maintain them.

Spend some time inspecting each piece of equipment that you have. Are the tires inflated to the right air pressure and do they have enough tread? Are all the lights working well or do any light bulbs need to be replaced? Do you need to change any filters? Give your farm equipment a thorough examination to see if you spot anything that needs to be dealt with. You can then bring your agriculture equipment to a reputable service department, such as the one at Bucklin Tractor & Implement, to get repaired before you need it in the spring.

Inspect Your Shelters

Shelters are used to keep your farm equipment and animals protected from the ill-effects of harsh weather. Make sure your shelters are ready to go before you call on them to guard your agriculture equipment and animals. Make sure there are no cracks in windows, holes in roofs, or issues in the walls. Consider adding window shutters or extra insulation. You may even want to invest in devices that will keep your animals' water from freezing, such as circulators or heaters.

Update Your Records

The off-season is a great time to tend to your bookkeeping tasks. Make sure all your relevant data is recorded and spend some time reviewing it. You can take notes on how much your harvest yielded, any weather conditions that affected growth, weeds or insects that could have impacted the harvest, when crops were planted, and so on. You will also want to check the maintenance schedules for your farm equipment to see if anything that needs to be taken care of, such as oil changes.

Cull Your Animals

If you have animals, you can use the off-season to analyze whether you want to cull extra animals. Aim for only keeping the number of animals you can successfully maintain.

We hope you found this guide helpful. If your agriculture equipment needs some maintenance before spring, bring it to the service department at Bucklin Tractor & Implement. Our experts can get your farm equipment fully functioning and ready to go in no time. We also offer a range of agriculture equipment for sale if you are looking to expand your arsenal. Whatever you need, you can find with us. We have six dealerships in Kansas, so stop by your nearest location and visit us today!