How To Prepare Your Farm For Winter
Winter is fast approaching, and time is quickly running out to start preparing to work on your farm in winter. The nights have drawn in, the air is much colder, and your farm will need some maintenance before winter gets into full swing. Fortunately, this article will tell you a few things about how to prepare your farm in winter.
Paint your agricultural shed
First things first, you should endeavor to paint your agricultural shed. There are plenty of types of agricultural paint that are designed to weather through challenging conditions that would be invaluable to not only the aesthetics of your agricultural shed and other buildings but to its functionality throughout the next few years and the following seasons.
Plan your winter crops
Although most of your plants may be in a state of hibernation, there are still some plants you can grow in the middle of winter. Planning and planting these crops can supply you with a fruitful harvest even when the general number of crops you obtain has decreased.
Clean and prep your gardens
Messes have no place on your farm in winter. By leaving plant matter to sit, you increase the risk of your plants rotting into a slippery mush. Conduct general pruning on your plants to encourage them to grow healthy the following year, and to reduce potential hazards.
Store tools
Most of your tools will be made of metal. Metal is especially susceptible to rust in the winter when the weather is damp and cold. So storing your tools away during the winter will be invaluable to maintaining the condition of your tools for the next year. This also applies to your hosepipes. If you have any, you should store them away for the winter and ensure there is no water left in them. Else the water could freeze, expand, and cause your pipes to crack or burst.
Keep your animals warm
If you’re wondering how to keep your animals warm in the winter, the answer is quite simple. Like humans, farm animals do also feel the cold. Even with their white fluffy coats, in the case of sheep. The best way to do this is to invest in an agricultural building. An agricultural building will not only provide adequate housing, but it will also shield your livestock from the elements, and help to keep their bedding in the building. If you’re interested in buying an agricultural building, Kit Buildings is the place.
Stock up on food and bedding
Natural sources of food will be scarce for your animals on your farm in winter. So, for this reason, it is vital to ensure your livestock is provided with enough food to last through the winter. They will struggle to find it themselves, so preparing in advance and having a steady supply of food will be invaluable.
Prepare your soil
This is possibly one of the most important things you can do on your farm in winter. Your soil must be prepared with the right nutrients to produce a fruitful harvest the next year. So, priming and feeding your soil nutrient-rich fertilizers and compost will help exponentially with this. This is guaranteed to ensure your soil is ready for the next planting season.
Check over your machinery
This is the perfect time to perform a full service on your machinery. If you find your machinery is fully functional and non-susceptible to damage before winter even begins, then it is likely that your machinery will continue to function as normal as the winter progresses.
Clear your entrances and exits
You’ll probably need to leave your farm a lot more often in the winter than you would in the summer. So you should ensure that all access points on your farm are clear, or can be cleared if they become obstructed due to the weather.
