7 Things Farmers Do On A Rainy Day

Cameron Jodlowski
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

Athletes often use the phrase “no days off” when it comes to training, however farmers have the same mentality. There is so many things for a farmer to do both in and outside of the field. Farmers are always running when it’s a bright and sunny day. The days that rain comes, farmers are playing catch up on little tasks. So what do farmers do on a rainy day?

1. Visit with a Trusted Advisor

Farmers have many trusted advisors, whether it is their local agronomist, insurance agent, or farm credit advisor; farmers have many people to catch up with. It is important for farmers to seek their guidance for decision making on their operation. Visiting with a trusted advisor also allows a farmer to be sure they are doing the right things to make the best agronomic decisions and stay profitable on a sunny day.

2. Work in the Shop

For farmers, pieces of machinery break and need to be fixed. Often times during a good weather day, they don’t have the time to fix them. A rainy day is a perfect opportunity for to fix those pieces of machinery. Farmers also must provide preventive maintenance to the machinery, and can use those days in the shop to do to make sure their machinery stays working longer.

3. File Crop Insurance Paperwork

If a farmer participates in some crop insurance programs, they need to visit with their crop insurance agent and often their local Farm Services Agency (FSA) county office to report their acres. These must be done before July 15th, which leaves only a short window between planting season and the deadline to report their acres for government crop insurance programs. Farmers can use their rainy days to work on important crop insurance paperwork to ensure their protected for the year.

4. Work on their Farm Management Software

Rainy days allow for farmers to do some work on their computers or IPads and utilize their farm management software. Farm management software allows for farmers create prescriptions for sprayers and look return on investment of farm ground. A farmer’s time spent on their farm management software can help a farmer be more efficient on their sunny days.

5. Spend Time With Their Family

With 97% of farm being ran by a family operation, their just is not enough time in the day most days for them to spend time with the people they love. Rainy days allow special moments to be created with between the family around the farm. Rainy days allow farmers to remember what farming is about: providing for their family.

6. Get Caught Up On Industry Trends

On rainy day, farmers can play catch up when it comes to learning new information about the industry they work in. It gives them to time to read information on seed decisions, new best practices for nutrient management, and other industry trends that may be going on. A rainy day also allows a farmer to catch up over coffee with their neighbor and talk about practices they may be doing.

7. Plan for Next Year

Farmers are always planning ahead, and a rainy day helps them continue to plan ahead. A farmer makes most of their agronomic decisions for the spring of the upcoming year, before they harvest. Rainy days allow farmers to make decisions for upcoming years, instead of just focusing on the first year ahead.

Farmers wear a lot of different hats, and rain or shine, they are always doing something.

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