Forage - LiveStock Systems

Goals

Goals are the objectives that are to be accomplished in order to achieve your defined vision. Goals differ from plans, which are specific actions needed to accomplish the goals.

Goals focus management action by specifying what, when and where things will be done. Goals can be divided into long-term goals (5yr+) and short-term goals (1yr +).

Plans

Plans are specific actions needed to achieve a defined goal. Planning should occur in a recurring cycle and include how things will be done and who will do it. Like goals plans can be divided into long-term (strategic plans) and short-term or operating plans (tactical plans).

Vision (the big picture or destination)

Goals (objectives or way points on the trip)	Plans (actions or road to a goal)
Focus management action and are the road map for achieving the vision (more specific than vision) What When Where	Provide road map and means of achieving goal (a recurring cycle) How Who

Goals and plans can cover short-term or long-term periods.

Long-term goals (5yr +)	Five-year plans (strategic plans)
Short-term goals (1yr +)	Operating plans (tactical plans)

Goal Statements

Goal Statement	Operating Plans
We will achieve a net farm income of $4,000 within five years and have adequate time to have and activity with the children one weekend a month.	1. Improve genetics in our cow herd hy buying performance tested bulls in 1997 and 1999 2. Provide adequate and quality pasture and hay that allows cows to express their genetic potential. 3. Cull cows not weaning steers > 550# and heifers > 500 # at 205 days. 4.Keep work load in line to achieve family activities.
To have all fields having a soil test in the medium or high range within 5 yr. and have 25 to 50% legumes in pastures and hay fields.	1.Soil test each field in spring of 1997. 2.Apply university -ecommended rates of P, K, lime to one-third of fields testing low in the respective nutrient in 1997. 3.Continue item 2 until all fields in medium range. 4.Frost seed or tread-in seed clovers on one-third of the fields each year starting in 1998. 5.Implement MIG (management intense grazing) on my aftermath meadows in 1997 and my best pasture in 1998.