Opinion: My three pre-calving resolutions

© Tim Scrivener

I was lucky to get away for a belated honeymoon this winter – a mere 18 months after the big day.

With calving looming and a baby on the way (infinitely more terrifying!), we decided to snatch a holiday while we could. Thankfully my husband Nick managed to avoid the trap of constantly checking his phone and, to our amazement, everything ran like clockwork.

Coming home to news of the continuing devastation of the floods was a sobering reality check and a harsh reminder of the challenges we will face in 2016.

We are all well aware of the tough market conditions expected across most sectors and, for those affected by the floods, just getting through the next few weeks – let alone the rest of the year – must seem like a daunting prospect.

As spring block-calvers, we are now coming up to our busiest period, an intense 12 weeks that determine our success for the rest of the season.

Of course, it is one of the most exciting times of the year and seeing the milk ticket rise each day along with the headcount of calves is always a pleasure, but the long days take their toll and it can be stressful.

Liz Haines and her husband Nick milk 320 spring-calving cows in a contract farming arrangement in north Shropshire.

It’s at times like these that we need to make our best decisions, but during periods of pressure we can end up making the worst ones.

There is plenty of advice out there on how to bolster our finances and stay in the black during difficult times.

But before we think about making our businesses more resilient, perhaps we need to step back and look at ourselves.

See also: Production costs are crucial to dairy future

I never bother with new year’s resolutions, so this year I thought I would make some pre-calving resolutions instead.

They aren’t about producing more litres of milk, doing my VAT return well ahead of the deadline or achieving record growth rates for the calves (although all of these things would be welcome).

Instead, they are about improving my personal resilience.

1. Look after myself and my team
I’m going to schedule in time off, no matter how long the list of jobs seems to be. It helps to get some perspective on what we are doing, recharge our batteries and come back firing on all cylinders. I’m also going to try to exercise every week and eat healthily, so I’m fit for calving just like the cows.

2. Accept help from others, and give it where possible
At busy times, it’s easy to bury your head in the work and isolate yourself from friends and neighbours.

Discussion groups are a great source of support, and I’m going to make sure I attend mine every month.

I’ll also be keeping an eye out for anyone who seems to be struggling, and offering whatever small bit of help I can – whether it’s lending some machinery, a listening ear or a piece of cake.

3. Look for the positives in every situation
It can be easy to get bogged down with negativity when the going gets tough.

There is no shortage of people wanting to criticise farmers at the best of times, and we don’t always help matters by criticising each other.

I will be ignoring the naysayers and focusing on having confidence and pride in what I do.

Many farmers have had a pretty dreadful start to the year, but hopefully in the coming weeks they will be able to start looking forward.

Seeing people rally together during the floods has certainly made me grateful for what I have, and renewed my determination to hit the calving season running.