In order to highlight the farmer's perspectives on planning, ESAP held a series of seven regional forums in the winter and spring of 1996. A diversity of farming philosophy and farm enterprise were represented at the forums. Describe your ideal farm. The participating farmers generally found it very stimulating to visit this important but not often talked about part of their lives. The following trends emerged from these discussions that apply directly to the whole farm planning debate.
Planning is an ongoing process.
It can be divided into creative planning and structured planning. Creative planning is happening all year long and is stimulated by observation of yield variation, weed pressure and overall field performance. Structured planning happens in reaction to specific deadlines with professionals such as the banker or the fertilizer dealer. When asked about their ideal farm, farmers shared a desire for manageable debt and reduced stress so that they could enjoy farming more. They crave respect from their community, to be seen as professionals who are caring for the land.