We're Closed (And It Didn't Have to Happen)
Hey Reader
At the moment, Farm is closed.
It was a choice we made last week, but also a necessity.
It's been about 2 weeks since we received about 4 inches of snow / ice / freezing rain. Not the end of the world, right? We (I'm sure you as well) have dealt with way more than this.
Except from the time the storm hit, we've been in this constant frozen state. The temperature has dropped into the single and low double digits most nights. Daytime highs stayed below freezing. This has turned 4 inches of snow / ice into 3-4 inches of ice that looks almost as it did 2 weeks ago.
Our driveway has turned into a skating rink. Same for the road to our barn which is our customer pick-up area. Essentially, it's packed ice and we've shut down the farm. We did this to prevent people from getting hurt, but also, as a business, I worry about lawsuits (and you should too).
So we shut down. No pickups. No deliveries. Revenue lost.
And here's the kicker: It didn't have to happen.
The Mistakes That Compounded
I thought I'd just scrape the driveway with the tractor. Same thing I do for every snow we get.
This time, the tractor stopped working. Turns out the tractor starter went bad. Wouldn't start. It sat in my pole-barn for a week and half before it got repaired.
I had about 100 lbs of salt on hand (couple bags), but that has turned out to be a joke in single digits. That and when I realized I needed a lot more, every store was sold out.
So no salt, solid ice, and tractor out of commission mean't making a decision about pick-ups on the farm, and we opted for the safe option.
The Real Cost
This isn't just about lost revenue (though that stings). It's about:
- Disappointed customers who can't order
- Looking unprepared when you're supposed to be running a professional operation. I should have this cleared by now.
- The liability risk of inviting customers onto icy property where someone could get hurt
I've spent the last week thinking about what I should have done. And it's pretty simple:
✅ Pre-salt before the storm (when salt is in stock and cheap)
✅ Keep backup equipment ready (or address the problem before things like this. Starter has been acting up for months and I ignored it.)
✅ Have an emergency communication plan (I should have communicated before the coming storm for people to stock up, we might be down for whatever reason)
✅ Have a few numbers for road clearing services. Of course they're are swamped at this point, but doesn't hurt.
None of this is rocket science. It's just systems that prevent chaos (Yes, I'm still in system mode from the last email)
Why This Matters for Your Farm
If this can happen to me, it can happen to you.
Maybe it's not snow. Maybe it's:
- Equipment breakdown at just the wrong time.
- Power outage during a big order week.
- Family emergency right before a farmers market.
- Supplier delay when you're fully booked.
The question isn't if something will go wrong. It's what systems do you have in place when it does.
Because here's the truth: Your customers don't care about your excuses. They care about whether you can deliver what you promised.
And if you can't—even for a good reason—you better have a plan for how you communicate, reschedule, and make it right.
What I'm Doing Differently
I made a video walking through this past week, what I should have done, and maybe some ideas that will help you when weather (or any disruption) hits you farm.
Because the next storm is coming. And I'm going to be more prepared when it does.
P.S. - If you've dealt with something like this on your farm, hit reply and tell me about it. I'd love to hear how you handled it (or what you learned the hard way).
