Continuous Environmental Scan
Many problems on the farm don't actively advertise until they are emergencies. A Continuous Environmental Scan (CES) is the process of actively looking for small problems before they are large. It broadly consists of Maintenance, Repair, and Cleanup. It is the basic activity inherent in many of our cycles.
- So many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.[1]
To be successful at performing CES, it helps to keep the following in mind:
- This work is best performed simultaneous to accomplishing other tasks. It is the act of doing other work that puts you in places to notice these problems. When you notice one, stop and fix it immediately. It is easy to forget a problem spotted in the moment and fail to return to it.
- Remember the commitment: "I will do now what must be done eventually and can effectively be done now." Don't let your focus on other work prevent you from doing this work. By definition the problems here are not yet emergencies. It is easy to justify not performing the CES routine because it is not urgent.
Some of the information here is seasonal. The current set of active cycles overlays the activity here.
Contents |
Clean up
Do you see any tools that got left out? Is there litter or other debris that needs to be cleaned up? If you encounter trash on the property, please pick it up and deposit it in a trash receptacle.
Glass Shards & Wire
Main Article: Rusty Wire
If you see broken glass or wire laying on the ground, please pick it up and deposit it into the trash bin.
Dead branches
Cottonwood trees are "self-pruning." Branches will die, rot on the tree, and fall. These branches can sometimes be dangerously large. Are there significant dead branches in the cottonwood trees? Are they over footpaths or buildings?
Phenology
Feral Cats
Main Article: Feral Cats
If you see a feral cat, try to uniquely identify it by size, breed, fur color, and direction of travel. We survey our feral cat population to determine when we have new individuals that need to be neutered.
Feral Dogs
Main Article: Feral Dogs
If you see a dog on the property, try to uniquely identify it by size, breed, fur color, and direction of travel. Feral dogs are a transient population that can cause significant livestock damage.
Bird Song
Main Article: Bird Song
What birds are active right now? Are they alarmed? Courting?
Standing Water
Is there any standing water on the property? Standing water can exist in buckets, bottles, barrels, tires, boxes. Standing water attracts mosquitoes and should be emptied and upturned.
Orchard
Do our pear or apple trees have signs of Fire Blight?
How do the other trees look? Do they have wilted leaves? Necrotic spots?
Zone-Specific Scan
Zone 0
Main Article: Zone 0
Do any houseplants need water?
Zone 1
Main Article: Zone 1
Front Gates
Are the front gates open? They should be closed.
Driveway
Do any vehicles have flat tires? Are any vehicles leaking oil? This is a source of groundwater pollution which will need to be addressed, both temporarily and by permanently servicing the vehicle.
Weeding
Main Article: Weeding
Is there any weeding that needs to be done?
Fire Danger
Review the defensible space around the structures on the property.
Cottage
Main Article: Cottage
Is the lid secured on the red compost bucket sufficiently to prevent feral cats from opening it?
Does the red compost bucket need to be taken to the compost bins?
Are there any cups or dishes outside that need to be taken inside?
Compost
Is there enough leaf matter for the compost?
Barnyard
Main Article: Barnyard
Is Thistle present? Where is she defecating? Is the volume sufficient to warrant cleaning it up?
Is the gate between the barnyard and the garden closed? Is the gate to Mr. Hill's field closed? Is the gate to Zone 2 closed?
Is barn door closed?
Is the Turkey Coop closed and latched? Is the Chicken Coop closed and latched?
Are any of the gate or coop doors in need of repair?
Are all of the water spigots closed tightly?
Do the Rabbit Hutches need any repair?
Any signs of mice or rats? Burrows, passages under fences, feces?
Walk the perimeter of the fence. Any holes? Pushed down areas? Anything else not look right?
How do the animals look? Are they too warm? Too cold? Do they have enough food and water?
Garden
Main Article: Garden
Zone 2
Main Article: Zone 2
- Is there any Weeding that needs to be done?
- Are the outdoor chairs stacked and put away?
Zone 3
Main Article: Zone 3
Is there any trash to pick up? Have any new trails been created? Are there any animal tracks? Is there anything new in bloom?
Zone 4
Main Article: Zone 4
Zone 5
Main Article: Zone 5
See Also
References
- ↑ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Ch. 1 - Down the Rabbit-Hole
