What Spring Prep Actually Looks Like

This time of year is where everything starts coming together.

One of my main roles on the farm is working through the numbers. I go back through last year’s budgets, build out estimates for the coming season, and look at projected costs and potential crop prices based on our rotations.

From there, we start asking the bigger questions:

• Do these numbers still make sense with current markets?
• What are moisture levels looking like?
• What is the weather telling us so far?

Once we have a direction, the rest of the planning starts to fall into place.

We figure out:

• How much seed needs to be cleaned
• Which crops are going where
• And which fields need to be planted first for efficiency

Before anything goes in the ground, we’ll start checking fields.

This year, we had a pretty open winter—less snow and warmer temperatures—but that doesn’t mean we can skip the checks. We still need to look at:

• Soil moisture
• Ground temperature
• Frozen vs. thawed areas
• Waterways and muddy spots

All of that helps determine which fields are actually ready.

Farming Isn’t “Just Planting”

There’s a common idea that farming is just putting seed in the ground and hoping it rains.

The truth is—it’s a constant process of watching, adjusting, and responding.

From now until harvest in the fall, we’ll be in the fields every week checking:

• Soil conditions
• Moisture levels
• Weather impact (wind, rain, drought)
• Weed pressure
• Crop growth
• Disease
• Insects
• Even things like cattle getting into fields

Every piece matters.

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t just to grow a crop—it’s to grow a quality crop.