Staying Busy On Your Farm In Winter
Some people may think of farming as a seasonal occupation, with long swathes of time where farmers aren’t really working. But if you’re a farmer, you know better; there’s always something to be done, even in the dead of winter!
Need some help to figure out what to do to keep your farm in good shape and prepare it for spring planting? Burrows Tractor, with three locations in Washington and Oregon, is proud to be your Pacific Northwest farm equipment dealer. Here are some of our top tips for keeping yourself occupied during the cold season.
Grow Plants in a Greenhouse
If you want to continue to grow food during the winter, you can make use of a greenhouse on your farmland to do so. A greenhouse can be anything from a basic canvas shelter to an elaborate all-glass affair. Plant some cover crops like winter rye to help insulate the crops you want to plant. You’ll want to go with hardier crops that can tolerate the cold, like root vegetables and leafy greens. Carrots, turnips and cabbages are all great choices!
Repair & Maintain Your Farm Equipment
You’ve undoubtedly got some machinery on your farm that has fallen into disrepair. Now is the time to clean it up and inspect it. Perform regular maintenance tasks, like sharpening blades, clearing undercarriages, changing oil, tendering batteries and swapping out spark plugs. You’ll want to add fuel stabilizer to your gasoline tanks to prevent corrosion from water condensation, too.
If you come across parts that need replacing, now is the best time to order them from us! And if you need some professional assistance with a tricky piece of farm equipment, contact the Burrows Tractor service department so that our mechanics can help you out.
Fortify Your Shelters
If you keep livestock on your farm, then you'll need to ensure that their shelters are adequate enough in terms of warmth and protection. Clean out pens, lay down fresh hay, mend locks, fill in cracks in the walls and examine your roof to see if it’s leaking. You can install insulation or window shutters to prevent cold air from getting in. Very cold regions may require that you insulate water tanks or use a heater to prevent animals’ water from freezing. Don’t allow hay or feed to get wet, as this could result in the growth of mold that might be toxic to your animals.
Update Your Farm Records
Whether you keep a notebook or a spreadsheet, you’ve probably got a place where you keep track of everything on your farm, from crop yields to livestock numbers. Make winter your time for bookkeeping tasks and review all of the data you gathered throughout the year on weather conditions, harvest time, livestock births and so forth. You can even make use of this data to help you plan what you’ll do in the new year to improve conditions on your farm and increase production.
This guide should help you to maintain your farm during the winter and avoid sitting around, twiddling your thumbs. With all of these tasks performed, starting up the planting season should be easy as pie!
In search of some new farm equipment to replace worn-down machinery? Come see us at one of our dealerships in Yakima or Wenatchee, Washington, or North Plains, Oregon, to take a look at our full stock of new and used farm equipment for sale, including a great selection of tractors. Burrows Tractor proudly serves the Portland, Oregon, metro area as well as the Tri-Cities region of Washington State.