Chapter 1: Develop a farm plan

Developing a farm plan is a critical step for any agricultural extension professional aiming to guide farmers towards sustainable and profitable farming practices. A well-structured farm plan facilitates efficient resource allocation, optimizes land use, and anticipates challenges related to climatic, economic, and market conditions. In Kenya, where smallholder farms dominate and environmental variability is high, a comprehensive farm plan helps farmers increase productivity while conserving natural resources. This chapter explores the foundations of farm plan development, types of plans used in agriculture, and how to analyze farm conditions to tailor plans effectively.

1.1 Farm plan development

Farm plan development is the preparation and recording of where each part of a farm will be placed and how it will be used, so that fields, buildings, roads, water points and fences work together. In the farm structures unit the plan is what the farmer and the technician refer to before a single peg is driven: it decides where the cattle shed, the store, the water tank and the access road go, and it shows how each fits the land. A plan made after the structures are built can only record mistakes, while a plan made first can prevent them. This topic covers the terms used in farm planning, the types of farm plans and the analysis of the conditions on the farm that decides what can be built and where.

1.1.1 Definition of terms

Farm planning has its own vocabulary, and the same words must mean the same thing to the farmer, the technician and the builder. The terms below are the ones used throughout the unit.

Farm plan

A farm plan is a document, often with a drawing, that sets out the objectives, resources, activities and timelines for a farm. It guides decisions on crops, livestock, buildings and finances. For example, a dairy farm may use its plan to schedule feed purchases, milking routines and the construction of a new calf pen.

Farm layout

The farm layout is the physical arrangement of fields, structures, roads, water points and fences within the farm boundary. A good layout shortens the distances people and animals move and avoids wasted effort. On a tea or coffee farm, for example, the layout places the leaf or cherry collection point and the store close to the access road and keeps planted rows along the contour to limit erosion.

Farm structure

A farm structure is a permanent or semi-permanent construction that supports farm work, such as a cattle shed, poultry house, grain store, hay barn, greenhouse, water tank, fence or farm workshop.

Farm component

A farm component is any separate part of the farm that needs space, such as a crop field, a paddock, a milking shed, a feed store, a manure heap, a nursery or a farm road. The plan allocates land and position to each component.

Site

A site is the actual piece of ground on which a structure will stand, with its slope, soil, drainage and surroundings. Two sites on the same farm can differ greatly, which is why each structure is sited separately.

Resource inventory

A resource inventory is a complete list of what the farm has: land area, soil types, water sources, labour, machinery, buildings and money. It is the baseline for planning, because it shows what exists and what is missing. A vegetable and dairy farm, for instance, records the area under crops, the number of cattle sheds and the capacity of its water tanks before it plans any new building.

Crop calendar

A crop calendar is a schedule of planting, growth and harvest dates for the crops on the farm. It is used in structure planning to time construction work outside the busiest field seasons and to make sure that stores are ready before harvest.

Risk assessment

A risk assessment identifies the hazards that could damage the farm or its structures, such as flooding, strong winds, fire, theft, drought, pests and price changes, and decides how each will be reduced. A farm on a river plain, for example, may decide to raise its store floor above the flood level seen in past seasons.

1.1.2 Types of farm plans

Farm plans differ in how far ahead they look, how much of the farm they cover and what they show. A farmer usually uses several together, and the technician chooses the type that fits the decision to be made.

Strategic farm plan

A strategic farm plan covers the long term, usually five to ten years. It sets major goals such as expanding the herd, adding a milk cooling room or changing the main enterprise, and lists the large investments needed. A growing dairy unit, for example, may plan a new milking parlour, a bigger feed store and a biogas digester over several years.

Operational farm plan

An operational farm plan covers one season or one year. It sets out inputs, labour, planting dates and expected output, and it includes the structures that must be ready in that period, such as a drying platform before harvest.

Enterprise-specific plan

An enterprise-specific plan deals with a single enterprise such as poultry, dairy, horticulture or fish. It states the structures, equipment, feed, health care and marketing that the enterprise requires. A poultry plan, for instance, covers the houses, brooders, feeders, drinkers, vaccination schedule and egg store.

Resource management plan

A resource management plan focuses on the careful use and conservation of soil, water and vegetation. It brings in structures such as terraces, water pans, tanks and tree windbreaks, so that building work protects the land and does not damage it.

Layout and site plans

A layout plan, sometimes called a master plan, is a scaled drawing that shows the whole farm with the position of every structure, road, fence, water point and field. A site plan zooms in on one building and shows its boundaries, access and services. Both are produced from the analysis of farm conditions in this topic, and the drawing of the layout itself is taught in Farm plan layout.

1.1.3 Analysis of farm conditions

Before any structure is placed, the farm is studied so that the plan fits the land and not the other way round. The technician walks the farm with the farmer, records each factor on a sketch map and marks the areas that are suitable, doubtful or unsuitable for building. The factors that affect the siting of structures are set out below, and each is checked for every structure that is planned.

1.1.3.1 Topography

Topography is the shape of the land, including its slope, high and low points and the direction in which water runs off it. Structures need ground that is level or gently sloping and that drains well. Low spots and valley floors collect water and may flood, while exposed hilltops take the full force of the wind.

Slope is measured as a percentage:

Slope % = rise ÷ run × 100

Example: A site rises 3 m over a horizontal distance of 60 m. Slope = 3 ÷ 60 × 100 = 5%.

Slope is also used to the farmer's advantage. A water tank placed on higher ground supplies the cattle shed and the nursery by gravity, and a manure heap placed lower than the shed and well away from water sources keeps runoff away from them. A steep site needs cutting and filling to make a level platform, which adds cost and can cause erosion if the cut face is left bare.

1.1.3.2 Wind direction

Wind direction means the direction from which the prevailing wind blows during the main seasons. It affects ventilation, odour, dust, fire and the spraying of chemicals.

• Ventilation: Animal houses need a steady flow of fresh air, so their long sides are placed across the prevailing wind where heat and humidity are the main problem. Where the sun is the bigger problem, as near the equator, the long axis is placed east to west so that the sun does not shine directly on the long sides, and airflow is provided by openings, roof overhangs and tree shade.
• Odour and dust: Manure heaps, pig and poultry houses and feed mills are placed downwind of the homestead, the milk room and the produce store, so that the wind carries smells and dust away from them.
• Fire: A hay barn or a haystack placed upwind of the workshop and the homestead can carry a fire towards them, so it is sited downwind of occupied buildings and with a clear space around it.
• Spray drift: Chemical stores and the mixing area are placed so that drift from spraying does not blow onto people, water or animals.
• Damage: Greenhouses, light roofs and tall structures need shelter from strong wind, which is often provided by windbreaks of trees planted upwind.

1.1.3.3 Soil type

Soil type decides how well the ground can carry the weight of a structure and how it behaves when wet. Firm, well-drained soils such as sandy loam and murram carry buildings with simple foundations. Soft or very wet soils settle and need deeper or wider foundations. Black cotton and other expansive clays swell when wet and shrink when dry, which cracks floors and walls, so they call for special foundation work or a different site.

Soil also affects other things. Sandy soils drain quickly and are suitable for pit latrines and soakaways, while clay soils hold water and are used for pond and dam bases. A simple field check is to dig a pit at the site and look at the layers, the depth to hard ground and any water that seeps in. Soil is also a source of building material, as murram for floors and approach roads and sand or clay for blocks.

1.1.3.4 Accessibility

Accessibility is how easily people, animals and vehicles can reach a structure in all seasons. A feed store that lorries cannot reach in the rains is of little use, and a milking shed far from the road adds to the cost of milk collection.

• Roads: Access roads should be passable in wet weather, wide enough for the vehicles that will use them and with room to turn.
• Deliveries and collection: Stores, milk rooms and produce sheds sit near the road for loading and unloading.
• Animal movement: Races and lanes lead stock between paddocks, the shed and the dip or crush without crossing crop fields.
• Supervision: Structures with sick animals, young stock or valuable goods are placed where the farmer can see them easily.
• Expansion: Space is left beside the access route for future buildings, so that added structures do not block the paths.

1.1.3.5 Location of related structures

Structures that work together are placed close to one another, and structures that harm each other are kept apart. The location of existing and planned structures is therefore recorded before a new one is sited.

• Close together: The milking shed, the holding yard and the milk cooling room; the feed store and the feeding area; the nursery and its water tank; the crop store and the drying yard.
• Kept apart: The manure heap and the milk room; the pesticide store and both the feed store and the water source; the hay barn and the farm workshop, where welding or open flames may be used.
• Clean and dirty flow: Produce moves from the field to the drying yard, the store and the loading bay, and never across the manure area.
• Services: Structures that need water, power or drainage are placed near the existing supply lines to keep pipe and cable runs short.
• Future growth: The position of one structure should not block the extension of another.

1.1.3.6 Security

Security is the protection of animals, produce, tools, chemicals and buildings from theft, predators, wildlife, fire and vandalism. It is considered when siting a structure, because the position cannot be changed easily afterwards.

• Perimeter: A fence and one controlled gate keep people and animals going in and out through a single point that can be watched.
• Distance from the homestead: Valuable stores and night shelters for livestock are placed within sight and hearing of the homestead.
• Lockable stores: Stores for tools, chemicals, fuel and produce have strong doors, secure roofs and no hidden corners that are hard to see.
• Predators and wildlife: Poultry and small stock houses are made predator-proof, and farms near wildlife areas use stronger fences or night enclosures.
• Lighting and guards: A security light at the main gate and the stores, and a night watch where the value justifies it, discourage theft.
• Fire: Fuel and hay are kept away from dwellings, and fire breaks or cleared strips are maintained around them.

Water supply

Water is needed by livestock, nurseries, wash-down areas and the household, and the position of the source decides where many structures are placed. A water tank, trough or irrigation pump should be near a reliable supply so that carrying water does not take up labour. The quality and the quantity of the source in the dry season are checked, because a source that fails in a drought leaves the structures it serves unusable.

Climate

Rainfall, temperature and sunshine decide the type of structure and its design. A farm in a wet area needs roofs with good overhangs and drainage around buildings, and one in a hot, dry area needs shaded, well-ventilated animal houses and covered stores for water. Rainfall figures also help to decide the size of roof catchments and water tanks. A horticultural farm in a cool highland area may use greenhouses to protect crops from cold, while one in a hot area uses shade nets and open sides.

Labour, capital and markets

What can be built depends on the labour and the money available, and on how far the farm is from its market. A farm with limited capital may build in stages, starting with the structure that earns most, and a farm far from the market may need a store to hold produce until transport is available. A household farm with little labour avoids a layout that makes the daily work heavy, such as a feed store far from the animals it feeds.

Pest and disease pressure

Pests and disease affect the design and position of structures. Rodents and insects attack grain and feed in poorly built stores, so floors are raised, walls are sealed and doors fit closely. Ticks and flies are more common where manure and stagnant water collect near animal houses, so drainage is kept in good order. Sick-animal pens are separated from the main herd, and structures that handle fresh produce are kept away from manure and chemicals.

Chapter Summary

This chapter focused on the development of a comprehensive farm plan, beginning with clear definitions of key terms related to farm planning. It explored various types of farm plans, highlighting their distinct purposes and applications in agriculture. A detailed analysis of farm conditions was presented, covering critical factors such as topography, wind direction, soil type, accessibility, the location of related structures, and security considerations. The chapter then addressed how to determine the space requirements for different farm components, ensuring efficient use of land and resources. Finally, it discussed the layout of a farm plan, emphasizing the arrangement of farm elements to optimize productivity and management. Together, these topics provide a structured approach to designing and organizing a functional and sustainable farm.