5 Ways To Take Action While Waiting To Access Flooded Fields

By: Tharran Gaines

Farmers are stuck in a precarious position ahead of planting this spring. It seems like a lot of advice lately is to “hurry up and wait.” Wait for waters to recede, wait to assess field conditions, wait for financial assistance. While patience is a virtue, how can you make the most of this time given to you?

START DOCUMENTING.
If you haven’t already, take pictures of damage, write down rainfall totals, and take measurements of sediment and erosion. A thorough record will aid in your conversations with agencies. We often forget the details and severity as time goes on. Should a similar disaster happen again, you can reference the historical data and understand the reality of what it takes to get through.

CREATE A PLAN FOR NATURAL DISASTERS.
There was no set precedent for the extreme weather events of Mid-March, and everyone jumped into crisis mode. If you have an action plan with assigned roles and responsibilities on your operation, you’ll experience less stress and more efficiency. One plan can be adapted and put to work in cases of fire, hail, tornadoes, etc. Consider answering the following questions:

What roles do your family or operators have?
How are you keeping records?
What organizations do you need to reach out to?
Who contacts whom?
What are your policy details and requirements?
What questions do you need to ask?