It is time to look back so you can look forward!
In a few months, the ground will be frozen and all the weeds that got away will be covered with snow. (Or at least that's what it will look like where we farm - your end of season might have a little less snow). And once the season ends, all the traces of your growing season will disappear.
This means that now is the time to pay to gather your farm thoughts and farm data while they are still active.
If you take the time to do that now, you'll have things to reflect on and work with when the quiet months come.
So you're invited to the Season Review Challenge to do just that!
The challenge itself is spread out over 5 videos with some homework for each video.
- Review your field records
- Review with your tream
- Review your sales channels
- Review your client's experience
- Review what you learned
At the end of the 5 videos, you will have reviewed all the key parts of your farm and be ready for some deep winter thoughts and planning.
This all kicks off on as soon as you sign up! We' ll jump into your farm records. And if you don't have many farm records, you'll get a few pointers for how to put together the most important records!
So, it's time for the …
The Season Review Challenge
photo: Sharif Mirshak
What you'll learn in the Season Review Challenge
- Why you should review your season
- What you can learn from your farm records and what you need to talk to people to learn
- The vital farm records to see how your farm is performing
- 3 ways to complete partial records in case you didn’t keep track of everything during the season
- How to use your records to quickly analyse your cropping systems
- An overview of all the elements of a good season review
- And a Season Review Checklist to guide you through the whole review
Meet Your Workshop Guide
Hey there, I’m Dan Brisebois
Farmer by day, spreadsheet maniac by early morning. (Asleep by night)
On a continual quest to keep farm systems simple and give farmers the tools to be able to keep farming.
I want to see soil and seed stewards across the landscape. I think it’s the best way that we can keep communities rooted in the land.
Every month I’m here with another online workshop to bring you systems and spreadsheets to better manage your farm so that you can keep farming!
Here’s are some facts about where I farm
Tourne-Sol co-operative farm is in Les Cèdres,Québec (that’s in Canada)
Tourne-Sol is a play on the French tournesol which means sunflower. The play on words is that it also means turn the soil.
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The farm runs as a workers coop (I’m one of the founding members)
In 2005 we were 5 coop members. Now we have 7 coop members + 12 non coop members
Non coop members can become members over time
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We grow
- 7 acres of organic vegetables
- 1 acre of organic seeds
- 4+ acres in full year cover crops in our rotation cycle
- There are also a lot of flowers in our fields
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In 2005, we had 110 CSA members and 2 farmers markets. Now, we’ve phased out markets and have 500 weekly CSA baskets
In 2005, seed sales were $700. These days we sell more seeds than vegetables - we have an online seed store and seed racks in 150+ stores
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This is what the farm looks like now, it is ever changing
