Why a Debrief Should be on Every Farmer’s End-of-Season Checklist

With the first frost approaching, you may be counting down the farmers market weekends left to attend or CSA boxes left to fill. As you look forward to the rest and recovery of the off-season, don’t forget to schedule a debrief session. An effective debrief can be critical to the growth and health of your operation in the seasons to come. 

Why Debriefing Matters 

• To remember your good ideas. At the end of a season, it’s easy to assume you’ll remember what you want to do differently next year. Don’t take the chance: write it down. This may save you from repeating mistakes or time spent troubleshooting something you already solved in the prior season. 

• To celebrate good work. Your debrief should allow time to appreciate the things that went well this season. It’s important to identify what factors contributed to your successes in the season and write them down so you can replicate them. 

• To gain perspective. If you discuss the season's highs and lows with your partners or employees, they can give you a more complete view of the season. A process that looks efficient to you may only seem that way because another team member puts in more effort than you realize—and that’s something you should know. 

• To continually improve. By taking time to review the season as a whole, you’ll have a clearer sense of what changes could lead to big improvements next season. You can clarify your desire to “do better” with actionable tasks that can help you reach your goals. 

   

Tips for an Effective Debrief 

• Timing Matters. Schedule your debrief as soon after the end of the season as you can. If your operation has multiple “peaks” in a season (e.g., Mother's Day flowers as well as a pumpkin patch), you may want to do smaller debriefs multiple times per year. 

• Write It Down. Resist the urge to evaluate ideas as they are introduced: record every insight from your debrief session. When you are ready to begin again next year, you’ll have a clear reminder of what to repeat and what to do differently. 

• Don’t Skip the Successes. Celebrate things that went well and identify the people and things that made them successful. If a team member set a sampling sales record or found a new post-harvest efficiency, this is a great opportunity to express appreciation to your team. You’ll also know what to repeat next year. 

• Dig Into the Data. It is important to consider your lived experience of the season, but you should also weigh your feelings against the data. Was there a “pain point” that was actually pretty profitable? Or an aspect of the work you felt great about, but actually only broke even? 

• Stay Action-Oriented. As you discuss challenges from the season, remember that the goal is not to assign blame in the past but to identify improvements for the future. Could more training, different equipment, or shifted responsibilities create a different outcome next time? 

• Encourage Accountability. Some problems you discuss may have easy-to-identify solutions. Others may require more thought, research, or collaboration in the off-season to resolve for next season. In either case, you should identify the immediate next step, the person responsible, and an achievable deadline for that task. Put these on your calendar! 

A debrief can be an invaluable way to approach the next season with clarity and confidence. Have you scheduled yours yet? 

To discuss your marketing goals on your farm, contact Annie Scott, CCD Extension Associate, at annie.scott@uky.edu. 

If you know your marketing needs work, but you aren’t sure where to start: 

Fill out the form below to request a consultation with a CCD team member.