Equipping for Efficiency

Equipping  for  Efficiency  2014

Tim  Livingstone

Strawberry  Hill  Farmwww.strawberryhillfarm.ca

Why  use  equipment• Replace  Labour  –  make  work  easier

• Improve  quality/producJon

• Ease  pinch  points  in  producJon  Jming

• Physically  do  jobs  you  can  do  by  hand– Plow– Lay  plasJc  Jghtly–Mow

– LiN  weights

Type  of  system  long  term?• Max  2  acre  market  style  garden?• What  about  Livestock?• Is  good  farmland  very  limited?• What  system  is  best  suited– All  by  hand  • Most  work,  least  cost,  most  efficient  use  of  space

–Walk  behind  tractors• Easier,  faster,  more  expensive,  and  sJll  quite  efficient

– Larger  Tractors  (40  hp  and  up)• Much  easier,  much  faster,  much  more  expensive,  less  efficient  use  of  space

$$  What  is  a  reasonable?• Our  basic  cost  proporJons?– Crops:  25%DC,    50%  Labour,  25%  Farm– Livestock:  50%DC,  25%  Labour,  25%  Farm

• Try  to  allocate  10%  of  gross  sales  to  equipment  and  other  capital  improvements  every  year.–Want  to  see  overall  farm  net  worth  constant  or    rising  all  the  Jme.    Usually  do  a  full  assessment  once  a  year  and  spot  check  throughout.

How  to  spread  the  $

• Lease  –  expense  the  equipment

• Outright  purchases  –  10%  tax  rebate  in  NB– Up  front  Purchase  –  3%  savings  possible– Purchase  over  Jme    • ie:  12  month  no  interest

• ie:  72  month  with  monthly  payments

Making  the  choice!• $  Spent  versus  $  Saved– Tunnel  paid  in  first  year– Bed  shaper  and  plasJc  mulch  layer  pays  annually

• MulJ-­‐use  equipment– Tractor  with  loader– S-­‐Jne  culJvator

• Equipment  with  the  most  hours  uJlized

Borrow/Rent,  or  Own• Borrowing  or  renJng  can  be  ideal– Round  baler  for  120  round  bales  a  year– Get  to  know  the  neighbors– Buy  a  trailer  so  you  can  transport  equipment

– “Borrow”  and  fix  up  an  old  implement

• Own  the  items  you  use  a  lot  and  don’t  have  other  access  to

• Benefit  of  using  a  more  tradiJonal  tractor–More  likely  to  find  a  bush  hog  then  a  BCS  flail  mower

New  or  Used• Are  you  a  mechanic?

• Do  you  have  employees  using  it?

• Does  it  have  lots  of  moving  parts?

• Can  you  find  it  used?

Few  other  Factors• Concurrent  Use– Self  powered  zero  turn  mower

– Gator  – Truck  with  flat  bed

• Changing  Implements  /  FuncJons– Belly  mount  versus  3  point  hitch

• Maximizing  labour  in  busy  Jmes– Ex:  PlasJc  mulcher  versus  a  vacuum  seeder

– Gator  or  UTV

Other  Equipment  for  Efficiency• Vacuum  Seeder

• Storage  boxes  and  bins

• Storage  faciliJes– Truck  box– Heated/cooled  rooms

• Drum  Washers

• Furnace

• Flame  Weeders

• Covers  and  Sand  bags