For proper planning of future activities, a full knowledge of the history and current state of the farm and its environment is necessary.
In a sustainable approach to agriculture as a business planning is very important, also in a differentiated time perspective, as follows:
- short-term planning – setting the direction and implementation of our activities for the coming season or production cycle,
- medium-term planning – setting the direction, objectives and operation of our farm over the next few years,
- long-term planning – setting the direction, prospects and place of our farm in the distant future (covering many years ahead, including the end of our participation in management and preparation for the transfer of the farm).
When planning, it is important to bear in mind that the farm affects the environment and the local community beyond its boundaries, directly and also indirectly through its impact on other farmers and through landscape management. This function is of increasing importance and is linked to recent European Union legislation.
For more on the principles of planning and the mistakes made in the process, see Area 3: Financial Sustainability.