What is in this article?:
- Emergency plans vital to protect farms
- Review Plans Annually
- Farms need disaster plan to protect assets
- Plan should be written down and reviewed annually
- Identify high-risk enterprises, potential emergency situations
Every farm should have a disaster plan to protect assets from natural disasters and other emergencies, said a Kansas State University Extension communication specialist.
Producers should also develop a disaster plan as a way to find potential problems that could prove to be costly in the event of an on-farm emergency, said Mary Lou Peter, who also serves as K-State Research and Extension’s point of contact with the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN).
EDEN is a collaborative multi-state effort by extension services across the country to reduce the impact of disasters through education.
“Creating a plan helps producers find risks they may have overlooked or not thought about,” Peter said.
Disaster planning starts with identifying high on-farm risks and acknowledging past emergencies. In many states, the most common natural disasters are floods, straight-line winds, fires and winter storms.
Crop insurance can be one of the best ways to protect income if field crops become damaged. Farm disaster planning should include an analysis to determine if crop insurance is best for a particular farm. Peter also recommends producers take risk mitigation steps, such as buying a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio, labeling all truck and equipment keys, resolving electrical issues and cataloging assets that could be damaged.
Farmers, like other business owners, should back up computers and use off-site storage for electronic and hard copy records that are irreplaceable and easily protected but often forgotten. Peter suggests inviting emergency personnel to visit farm properties and help determine major risks. For example, this might help firefighters understand how to respond to a fire at a specific farm.
“If there is a fire near chemicals, it may be better to let it burn out rather than using water,” she said. “Thinking through these steps before an emergency can help farmers avoid the environmental issues with chemicals getting into the groundwater.”
