coronavirus

The more you plan ahead, the quicker you’ll be able to get back up and running following a disruption to your business. 

If you are a farmer, rancher or agribusiness operator, you may feel like you aren’t at risk or do not need to create a formal business continuity and contingency plan. It’s a process that takes time and often involves thinking about difficult situations that can disrupt operations. It’s something most people don’t want to think about. 

But situations like severe weather and health and safety scares like the COVID-19 pandemic show the importance of being prepared for when things don’t go as planned. The more you plan ahead, the better you’ll be able to adjust to situations like these that disrupt operations. And the better you’ll be able to adjust, the quicker you’ll be able to get back up and running.

Building a business continuity and contingency plan starts with a thorough self-assessment.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What are your greatest vulnerabilities and threats?
  • Which ones are most likely to disrupt your operation?
  • Which ones could affect your business most severely?

Create concrete plans

The disruptions that have the highest combination of severity and probability of interrupting or halting your business are the ones that require detailed, structured plans.

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed the greatest threat to the farm workforce given its health risk and the ramifications of widespread work stoppages. But a global pandemic is far less likely than crop damage from a strong windstorm or tornado.

The latter may have a more localized adverse effect on your operation, but it’s historically happened with a much higher frequency than the former. Consider the effects of such dangers specific to your operation as well as on a more macro-level, taking into account your customers and marketplace beyond the farm gate.

Account for specific situations

Once you’ve adequately prioritized your farm’s vulnerabilities and greatest risks, consider your output and how it will be affected by those risks. Just like with an initial self-assessment, this step involves asking a series of questions your agribusiness continuity and contingency plan should answer.

Ask questions like these:

  • How will you continue to operate? If you manage an agritourism business, for example, will you be able to remain open to visiting customers? If you’re a grower or small processor, how will output and market access be affected?
  • What specific business processes or operations will be disrupted? Which ones can continue?
  • What are the consequences of your operation being disrupted? Are there any specific functions your operation can do without if necessary?
  • How long can your operations be disrupted before you lose revenue or equity erodes?

Don’t forget your workforce

The answers to the above questions will likely involve your workforce and how it can contribute to resuming operations in a comprehensive contingency plan. Think about the specific tasks for which each member of your workforce is responsible and how those tasks could be disrupted in the event of something like a severe storm or illness. Consider how you can delegate different jobs to individual employees differently if some parts of your business are disrupted.

And if those jobs are temporarily slowed or halted altogether, think about how to continue to meet the needs of your workers. Doing so has potential long-term benefits; planning for how you will work through a localized COVID-19 outbreak, for example, accounts for the health and safety needs of workers in the short term and instills confidence that you’re acting both on behalf of your agribusiness as well as their safe, secure contributions to its productivity.

Start the process today

Nationwide logoAt the end of the day, building a well-thought-out contingency and continuity plan for your agribusiness may not be the most desirable task in the world, but given its importance in the event of something like a severe storm or outbreak of an illness, it’s something every agribusiness owner and manager should prioritize.

Consult your operation’s team of trusted advisors, including your local
Nationwide farm agent, to start the process today.

Additional COVID-19 resource

In the midst of a pandemic, it is important to stay safe and prepared. Nationwide’s COVID-19 resources can help you make the right decisions for your farm and employees moving forward.

Nationwide, and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of  Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2020 Nationwide
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
Gretchan Francis's avatar
Gretchan Francis

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Bringing the farm back to life
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
Jody Brown Boyd's avatar
Jody Brown Boyd

Brown's Family Farm Market

Finding farm labor
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
David Thomas's avatar
David Thomas

Ashtabula County Auditor

CAUV: Past, present and future
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
Hannah Kiser's avatar
Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
Chad Ruhl's avatar
Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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