One thing that many farmers don’t take enough of is time away from the farm – and now is a perfect time to do just that.
Up until now the year has been quite challenging, and likely stressfull for many farmers.
A dry start to the year then turned wet as calving got underway and farmers looked to get cows out to grass.
The weather then turned good, but conditions stayed good for too long and many experienced drought-like conditions.
These have only really come to an end is the last few weeks, with many hoping to harvest second-cut silage crops in the coming days/weeks.
As the weather starts to level up this month, and we move through the last official month of summer, it is time – if you haven’t already done so – to organise some time off for yourself.
Time away from the farm
Farmers, unlike many working in other jobs, don’t get a number of annual leave days – cows still need to be fed and on dairy farms they need to be milked.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a couple of days and head away somewhere.
Farming is a highly physical and stressful career; failing to take time to clear your head is not good for your mental or physical health.
Once second-cut silage has been harvested there should be a few quiet weeks which should allow you to get away for at least a couple of days.
Planning will be required, but it should be achievable for the vast majority of farmers.
Relief milking
Along with getting a number of days off, farmers should also be looking to get the best use out of relief milkers.
Good relief milkers are hard to come by and often even harder to keep, but you should be able to keep them if you offer regular milkings.
Rather than calling only when you need them, you should look at using them on set days during the week.
This will free up time for you to do other tasks or to get away from the farm for a few hours of the day.
Many farmers feel like they need to be there all the time, but if you can get someone trustworthy, you should be able get out of the yard a few evenings a week.
This could give you more time to spend with your family, or a opportunity to meet up with friends or to participate in a hobby.