For many farming families, it is now a period where harvest is still demanding attention while thoughts are already turning to pre-seeding maintenance and what lies ahead. It’s a season that rarely allows for a clean break, instead, it asks for balance, foresight, and good preparation.
While harvest often takes centre stage, these weeks are one of the most valuable windows for setting the tone for the year ahead.
As harvest winds down it’s tempting to push through until the last paddock is done. But this period is also an opportunity to reflect on what the season has delivered so far.
Questions worth asking include:
•What machinery has been under the most pressure?
•Where were the pinch points, the breakdowns or delays and staffing gaps?
•What worked well that should be repeated?
Taking note now, while it’s still fresh, is far more effective than trying to remember details months later. These insights can guide maintenance priorities and future planning.
January often feels too early to be thinking about seeding, but experienced operators know this is when the best preparation begins.
Pre-seeding maintenance done early can…
•Reduce the risk of costly breakdowns during tight sowing windows
•Allow time to source parts without urgency or inflated costs
•Spread the workload rather than compressing it into late autumn
This is the time to assess seeders, tractors, air carts, and support equipment. Small issues are far easier to manage now than when weather windows are closing.
The start of a calendar year is also a natural checkpoint for broader farm and business planning. While conditions, markets, and seasons remain unpredictable, clarity around processes and responsibilities helps reduce stress when things get tight.
Many families use this time to:
•Review roles and workloads across the business
•Check that key information is documented and accessible
•Confirm who makes decisions if someone is unavailable
Conversations like reviewing roles and workloads across the business and confirm who makes decisions if someone is unavailable does not need to be formal, but they do need to happen before pressure builds.
Weather shifts, health issues, and unexpected events rarely arrive with notice. The farms that cope best are prepared for it.
It is about creating enough structure so that when challenges arise, decisions are clearer and responses are faster.
A few hours spent now can save days and significant stress later in the season.
