14 AFTER THE 2023crop harvest, 2024 crop planning and goal setting begins. However, before jumping right into crop planning, take time to reflect on the 2023 crop and the previous three to five crop years. This is an important step that, if missed, could cost a grower not just extra financial expenses by paying for additional crop needs and services but also possibly a lack of anticipated yield. So, what does reflecting really mean? It means thinking deeply and carefully about something. STEPS TO FOLLOW One — use the tools and resources you had accessed during planting, throughout the growing season, and into harvest. Although yield and quality of the harvested crop are the end goal for most growers financially, the question to ask is, ‘How did I get there?’. Whether that result is good, bad, or somewhere in between, the data collected throughout the previous and past seasons are key to investigate. Examples of tools and resources that you may have relied on include: • Personally collected data: written down notes; even chicken scratch notes can be of value. • Digital platform data: pull data from platforms you may have used, such as Climate Fieldview, Trimble Ag Software or another type of digital platform. • Agronomic: ask for a review of your A look back at the season LEARN, PREPARE, GROW FOR 2024 Kelsey Banks purchases and connect those with the issues encountered and the result. • Other people you worked with throughout the season: this could be a neighbouring grower, another grower you met through social media, or someone you discussed for a solution or ideas to grow your farm business. Two — growing environments One of the top factors for quality crops is the growing environment. Reviewing and reflecting on what type of growing environments the crops were grown in over past years is a good way to know and plan for the potential growing environment of the next crop and how to manage different situations. Agronomy
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