I am setting up an Excel Spreadsheet to help me prioritize my fields, and the tasks involved in getting the most out of those fields. Basically the computer program has to automatically do two things: (1) Prioritize each field based on which is the highest priority for my farm, (2) assign each field an overall value. I do this basically through a list of perimeters that I rate by percentage. For instance, if a field can be tilled for row crops, but also be crop-rotated into grass ground, is fenced for pasture, it can do all three so it would be rated at 100%. However if it can only be a pasture due to its current state, it would be rated at 33%. If I can be both tillable and grass ground, but not pasture because it lacks fencing, it would be 66%.
Then I break the individual fields down into what I call Work Orders, which are just steps to correct a deficiency. Say big rocks make a field as only pasture, well by picking the rocks, it would make the field go from 33% to 100%, so that is a pretty important job to get done. But that takes money and time. So I score those so that, so when all is said and done, I get a list of Job orders that is in multiple categories. That way I can look at what needs to be done on my farm and decide what to do based on how much time I have, and how much time it will take to do a job. Lets say I have 2 hours of free time, where can I put that to the best use? I have a list of jobs that would take 2 hours. Or I might have $500 and want to reinvest it in the farm...what jobs cost $500, but not more so I don't go over budget yet get the most out of my money...I have a list. I do this based on time to do the job, the date I want the job completed, the priority of the job, who is going to do the job, and how much each job costs.
I have done this with my equipment and it has worked out great. I have a list now of every piece of equipment, what it is going to take to make it 100% functional, then assigned it priorities. For instance, I have a leaking seal on my
tractor, that is a lot higher in priority then fixing the harrow teeth on a harrow I have two other types of, and is used only once per year. That is done through a series of questions. But I am not having luck in making this apply to fields.
What field traits do I need to rate to get a proper priority analysis? So far I have come up with:
Organic matter
NPK
PH levels
Exposure
Drainage
Can you help me think of some more. The greater the amount of questions to
answer, the better the computer prioritizes the fields/equipment.
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