Category: Systems - Purple Pitchfork

Farm Labor: Systems for Efficiency and Accountability

12/1/2014

Title
Systems for Accountability and Efficiency on the Market Farm

Overview
Whether you manage one seasonal worker or a large year-round crew, good management can make the difference between making headway on your farm's work, or just creating headaches. Chris Blanchard has worked with farmers throughout the Midwest to develop systems that make it easy to achieve reliable results throughout your farming operation. He'll share what he’s learned about making it easy for employees to get the right things done at the right time and in the right way, without needing a manager looking over their shoulders all the time.

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Labor, Management, Systems

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

Farm Labor: Tools for Motivating Employees

11/30/2014

Title
Run Your Team: Tools for Managing and Motivating Employees on the Farm

Overview
Employees make it possible to get more done, but managing workers and their work takes dedicated time, energy and processes. Whether you manage one seasonal worker or a large year-round crew, good management can make the difference between making headway on your farm's work or just creating headaches. Chris Blanchard will discuss how to create a productive, positive work environment by communicating clear expectations and implementing systems for efficiency and accountability. This workshop will cover systems for removing emotion from management decisions and actions, implementing effective leadership, practical tools to increase employee satisfaction and productivity, employee recruitment and dismissal, and how to collect and use labor information to make operational and investment decisions.

Outline
1. What are employees for?
2. Leadership through inspiration, accountability, authority & support
3. Using systems to remove emotion from management
4. Creating pathways to accountability and efficiency
5. Specific tools to achieve workplace satisfaction and productivity for all

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Labor, Management, Systems

Audience
All Farmers

Length
120 - 240 minutes

Farm Systems: Designing a Productive Packing House

11/29/2014

Title
Productive Packing House

Overview
On a vegetable farm, the magic happens in the packing house. And the best magic happens when your packing house works smoothly and provides a food-safe environment. We’ll look at the principles and practices that you can use to make the most of your current packing facility, as well as what to consider if you have the opportunity to start from scratch. Covered topics include workflow, ergonomics, storage considerations, and food safety.

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Food Safety, Production, Systems

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

Farm Systems: Designing an Effective Irrigation System

11/23/2014

Title
Vegetable Irrigation: Basics for Beginning Farmers

Overview
On the market farm, a dry year shouldn’t keep you from producing a crop – and even in a normal year your farm will benefit from a well thought-out irrigation system. Learn the essential components to set up and maintain a system of irrigation for field-scale vegetable production. Chris Blanchard will address topics including source considerations (wells, rural water, or surface streams and ponds), pumps (gasoline, electric, and PTO-powered), flow rates, particulate filters, supply pipe (layflat, poly, and aluminum), application methods (sprinklers, stand pipe, traveling irrigation guns, and drip tape), as well as tips and tricks, and resources for more information. Learn how to calculate the volume of water you will need, and how to get it to you crops, so that you can grow a bountiful crop of veggies even in a dry year.

Outline
1. Water Amounts
2. Critical Irrigation Phases
3. When to Water
4. Use Enough Water
5. Application Methods
6. Supply Lines
7. Pumps
8. Sources

Series
In The Field

Topics
Irrigation, Production, Systems

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

Farm Systems: Designing an Effective Transplant System

11/22/2014

Title
Transplant Production Systems

Overview
Greenhouse-grown vegetable transplants are an important part of a successful vegetable farm, and the systems you use for everything from transplant trays and benches to the transplanter you use to set your crop in the field have a significant impact on the quality of your transplants and the cost of producing them. Chris Blanchard will present a review of transplant systems on farms throughout the Upper Midwest.

Outline
1. Growing Trays
2. Seeding
3. Germination
4. Benches
5. Irrigation
6. Fertilization
7. Hardening Off
8. Setting Out
9. Three Cool Things

Series
In The Field

Topics
Production, Systems, Transplants

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

Farm Finances: Setting Up and Managing Your Financials

11/20/2014

Title
Fearless Farm Finances

Overview
Chris Blanchard provides insights into developing a robust business model for your farming operation. Chris will review the financial and management systems you need to grow a profitable farm, with information about making and monitoring a budget, creating and understanding financial statements, improving profitability, and avoiding financial train wrecks.

Outline
1. Goals
2. Think (about getting) Big
3. Capacity
4. Invest in Systems
5. Invest in People
6. Budgeting
7. Monitoring
8. Financial Statements
9. Balance Sheet
10. Income Statement
11. Statement of Cash Flows
12. Ratios and Analysis
13. Solvency
14. Am I Making Money?
15. Improving Profitability

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Business, Finances, Records Management, Risk Management, Systems

Audience
All Farmers

Length
180 minutes

Farm Labor: Systems and Tools

11/14/2014

Title
Systems and Tools for Managing Employees on the Farm

Overview
Employees make it possible to get more done, but managing workers and their work takes dedicated time, energy, and processes. Whether you manage one seasonal worker or a large year-round crew, good management can make the difference between making headway on your farm's work, or just creating headaches. Chris Blanchard will show you how to create a productive, positive work environment by communicating clear expectations and implementing systems for efficiency and accountability.

Outline
1. Thoughts on Labor
2. Capacity
3. Invest in People
4. Strength in the Workplace
5. Employee Manuals
6. Hiring and Firing
7. Timekeeping and Payroll
8. Systems for Accountability and Efficiency
9. Invest in Systems
10. Safe and Healthy
11. Automation

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Labor, Management, Systems

Audience
All Farmers

Length
120 - 300 minutes

Market Farming: Ten Things to Consider Before You Start

11/13/2014

Title
Ten Things to Consider About Starting a Market Farm

Overview
Getting started in market farming means more than just growing vegetables. It means taking on the responsibilities of owning a business, managing markets, grappling with philosophies, and managing a labor force. Chris Blanchard will discuss ten things to think about as you prepare the ground for starting your market farm, or as you seek to expand your market farm into a significant income-generator for yourself and your family

Outline
1. Goals
2. Scale
3. Local Food Lies
4. Capacity
5. Invest in Systems
6. Invest in People
7. Regulations and Image
8. Plan for Change
9. Keep Perspective

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Business, Finances

Audience
Beginning Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

Management: Time and Productivity Management for Farmers

11/4/2014

Title
Too Many Rutabagas: Time and Productivity Management for Farmers

Overview
There’s always something to do on the farm, and nobody knows it better than the farmer. Chris Blanchard will show you ways to overcome the overload of information, tasks, and projects on your farm while you keep things from falling through the cracks with time and information techniques that will improve your business and your quality of life.

Outline
1. Three Tips to Change Your Life
2. Time and Productivity Matters on the Farm
3. The Challenge and Importance of Time and Priority Management
4. Goals for a Productivity System
5. No Free Rides
6. Workflow Details
7. Tools
8. It’s All Important
9. Where to Start
10. Getting Unstuck
11. Three Things To Remember

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Business, Systems, Management

Audience
All Farmers

Length
45 - 90 minutes

Farm Labor: Saving Labor on the Market Farm

11/1/2014

Title
Saving Labor on the Market Farm

Overview
Market farming is all about moving stuff around; whether you're moving vegetables from the soil to the packing house, water from the well to your transplants, or seeds from their packet to the soil. From big ideas down to practical examples, consultant, educator, and veteran farmer Chris Blanchard draws on 25 years of farming experience around the country at a wide variety scales to provide this engaging session that will help you better understand the systems and tools for seeding crops in the field and greenhouses, transplanting sets, pruning and greenhouse crop maintenance, weeding tools, harvesters, post-harvest handling, materials handling, and record-keeping.

Outline
1. Overview
2. Capacity
3. Invest in People
4. Invest in Systems
5. Safe and Healthy
6. Automation
7. Saving Time and Work
8. Seeds and Transplants
9. Irrigation
10. Weeds
11. Picking and Packing

Series
On The Farm

Topics
Labor, Production, Systems

Audience
All Farmers

Length
90 - 180 minutes