Ruminations as we develop and manage a small farm in southeast Iowa. Click photos for larger images. Click here for farm map.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Tracking


I keep a list of rainy day tasks, and sunny day tasks, and whatever day tasks. I keep a list of field tasks and I keep an unwritten list of miscellaneous tasks. I keep a notebook in my pocket where there are another few lists, and a grocery list near the coffee maker. There'd be way too much to remember without them.

My primary improvements list is prioritized with cost estimates, and currently numbers about 50 items. I started this particular list as soon as I knew we would buy the place, but that's the last time that there were single digit items. In retrospect, I might have saved all of the completed items somewhere (there must be scores of them by now), just to give me a feeling of accomplishment when the list seems insurmountable. I've passed that stage, though, and most of what's left aren't so much critical items as quality of life items. There's a few priority ones and twos, but they're currently taking a back seat to our agricultural pursuits.

On dry days, once the crops are in and the grass is cut, we'll still have plenty to do. And on rainy days, there's sure to be something waiting for action, although those days aren't bad for simply watching the weather.

Before I forget, someone needs to remind me to change the oil in the tractors.

3 comments:

  1. Hey Joel, A reminder: the oil in the tractors.

    ReplyDelete
  2. re: previous post - add "change" before "the"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the reminder, Darrell! That post, by the way, was written by Alan aka Rex.

    ReplyDelete

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