Make a Homestead Emergency Book
You can plan for a trip to ensure everything goes smoothly, but what about when the unexpected suddenly pulls you off your property: mandatory evacuation orders, natural disaster, or hospitalization? You might find a farm-sitter on short notice, but how will you give them all the information they need during a stressful situation?
I recommend you compile an emergency planning notebook.
Consider how you could assist someone who steps into your muck boots, and assemble this information into a binder containing all the pertinent information needed to get the job done.
Begin with your name, phone number, email, and your farm’s address. GPS coordinates might be helpful too. This information should be kept at the beginning of the book, along with how you can be reached, where you’ll be, and for how long.
Then, add the following information to your notebook. Update the information as phone numbers and contacts change. Place each page into a clear plastic sheet protector to make the pages water-resistant.
Emergency contacts. List your neighbors by name, phone number, email, and address with directions; tell them about your book and where it can be found. Include veterinarian names and contact numbers; utility company phone numbers for reporting outages; and contact information for local law enforcement, the fire department, and emergency medical services.
Livestock health List all livestock and where they’re housed; a map of your property will be handy for this. Record specific information so if one of your goats is ill, the person holding the notebook will know which one. Add notes on who’s friendly, wary, and so on.
