A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FARMER

EPISODE 1 (the importance of a day)

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. One simple little step at a time. Every step, every move in its own time as the saying goes that there is a time for everything under the sun. For a farmer a time for planting and a time for harvesting. From planting to harvesting, a period of many hours and days. Hours and days which come with a lot of activities.

EPISODE 2 (the day before)

Making full use of a day spills over into the day before. It is what happens a day or days before the actual day of activity arrives that makes for a successful day in the life of a farmer. Monday feeds into Tuesday and Tuesday feeds into Wednesday. Well planned out mornings feed into good afternoons and even better evenings. 

EPISODE 3 (Early starts)

Many successful farmers have common tales of endless late nights and draining early mornings. Early mornings which begin way before the light of day. There is only a few hours that come with daylight and the pressures of farm activities demand that farmers have a good head start. Activities are always coming in thick and fast and thus leaving little or no time to keep up the pace.

EPISODE 4 (prioritization)

In as much as having an early start is important, knowing what to do first is also equally important, if not more important. At the end of it all, it is those major activities that have an impact on performance, production and productivity that will determine whether or not a farmer has had a successful day.

EPISODE 5 (moving with speed)

Sometimes time just seems to pass by so amazingly fast. How fast the recently born calves grow. How fast the pretty flowers turn into beautiful fruits. There never seems to be just enough time in a day to take this all in or to do everything that a farmer would want to do in a day. And once the day is gone, it is a simple truth it will never come back again, once it is gone, it is gone for good. 

EPISODE 6 (taking a break)

Motorists on the road are advised to take breaks when embarking on long journeys or to be well rested before they even get on the road. It is not recommended to just go on and on in the name of arriving on time, because chances may be that one may not arrive at all. Just as vehicles stop to refuel, the body also needs rest from time to time. 

EPISODE 7 (re-adjusting)

Each and every day comes with its own issues which in turn informs the choice of activities to be done on the day. Although internal factors can be controlled to a certain level, it is the external factors which pose the biggest threat of unpredictability to farmers. No matter how much one plans for the next day, unexpected things are always going to pop up out of the blue. 

EPISODE 8 (balance)

A well-functioning engine has all four cylinders firing at their best. A good bit of intake, a good bit of compression complemented by a good measure of combustion and exhaust. All parts playing their part move the vehicle forward. Farms, in very much the same way, are usually made up of different departments or components which all need undivided attention if maximum performance is to be achieved. 

EPISODE 9 (ending the day on high)

Whilst some days will be great, others will leave the farmer either wishing the sun had never risen or impatiently waiting for the day to just end. But in either case it is always important to try, no matter how badly things may be going, to end the day on high note. Taking one or two positives into the next day helps to create and maintain the desired momentum. 

EPISODE 10 (reflecting on the just ended day)

Eventually when everything possible has been said and done, it is finally time to call it day and have a good night’s rest. But for farmers the work should not end right when they step out of the field or the office. The end of the day should be meant for looking back on the day either in admiration of what well or in beating oneself up for what could have been done better.