Fall has arrived here in Southeastern Colorado, and with it the urge (for me at least) to prep my little farm for the colder temps of winter. This time of year can be a little unpredictable with daily highs still in the 70’s while night time lows dip to near freezing. Here is a quick checklist of chores to help you get your property ready for winter.

•  Do fall cleanup while the weather is still warm. A clean and well-organized farm is much easier to manage and makes it easier to find things when they’re buried in deep snow. Keeping your pens and stables clean at all times is also vital to avoiding disease in your livestock.

•  Dust walls, lights and rafters to avoid fire hazards. Deep clean your barn and organize all cold-weather supplies and tools for easy access during storms.

•  Check roofing for leaks, not only in your home but all outbuildings. The weight of heavy wet snow can easily crush through damaged or weak roofs, and there’s nothing like having to clean up and re-roof in the icy temps of January.

•  Insulate where it's needed and seal any gaps in your home where cold air is leaking in, or warm air is leaking out. Replace damaged weather stripping. It's amazing how much heat can escape your home from one little gap.

•  Ensure all animals have proper shelter to escape the cold. Build windbreaks if needed to cut down on icy winds and have plenty of dry straw on hand for bedding.

•  Check all fencing. When it’s cold out animals tend to do whatever they can to find warm shelter. Reinforce where you can and ensure all holes are fixed to avoid losing livestock during blinding snowstorms.

•  Plant a cold-weather garden. Consider building (or buying) a cold frame. Cold frames act as mini greenhouses and allow you to grow certain cold weather crops like lettuces, kales, and chard well into spring.

•  Plant winter field crops. Growing a good cover crop over winter then tilling it in come spring adds valuable nutrients to your soil just in time for spring planting.

•  Gear up with durable new winter outerwear, gloves, boots & winter hats.

•  Inspect machinery and equipment. With a little more downtime after harvest season, winter is the perfect time to do maintenance and tackle those small repairs you’ve had on the back burner all summer. Don’t forget to pull the snow blower out, change the oil and make sure she’s purring nicely.

•  Clean out and check for damages on any de-icers or tank heaters and replace if necessary. Animals need fresh clean water at all times to stay healthy, especially in winter. These products are incredibly handy during the coldest winter months. Check out our new selection of Drinking Post waterers for even more convenience!

•  Stock up on livestock supplements, medications, and feed. Animals need to eat more in cold weather to provide extra calories for heat energy to stay warm during cold conditions. Having a fully stocked first aid kid on hand will ensure you’re ready for any injuries when they occur.

Deciding what to do to prep your farm for winter depends on a lot of variables but this checklist covers the general basics to get you going.