NRCS employees discuss conservation plan with farmer near Salisbury, Maryland. (USDA NRCS)
All planning processes share the following basic steps:
Assess the current situation and resources.
Establish goals.
Brainstorm and test strategies.
Develop the business plan.
Implement the plan and monitor progress.
Regardless of which planning approach a farmer or rancher is most comfortable with, their new ideas or strategies must ultimately prove workable. The best place to begin planning is with a farm’s current situation. By taking stock and inventorying resources, farmers and ranchers will be in a better position to determine what is realistically needed to move the business forward.
