Family labor model and coverage matrix — two-site smart farm
Purpose
Make who can respond at SITE_FARM and SITE_HOME explicit for a three-generation family labor pool (father / son / grandson placeholders below). Pair with travel time (COMMUTE_ONE_WAY) so coverage gaps show up before calving season or equipment failure.
Does not: Replace employment law advice; does force honest “nobody available” rows.
Key decisions supported
| Decision |
Use |
| Max herd / enterprise complexity |
If coverage cannot meet Tier 1 response → reduce exposure |
| Hired help / neighbor |
Trigger when matrix shows systematic gaps |
| Automation priority |
Gaps that telemetry can narrow vs cannot (animal handling) |
| Surge calendar |
Pre-block off-farm commitments |
Roles (assign real names locally)
| ID |
Role |
Typical availability |
Primary skills |
Hard constraints |
| R1 |
Primary ops (e.g. father) |
HRS_WK = ___ |
Stockmanship, equipment |
Off-farm: Y/N |
| R2 |
Secondary (e.g. son) |
___ |
Trailer, tech stack |
|
| R3 |
Tertiary (e.g. grandson) |
___ |
Physical tasks, learning |
School / age limits |
Coverage matrix — weekly (template)
Legend: ✓ = primary responsible · ○ = backup · — = cannot cover · T = travel from other site acceptable within MAX_RESPONSE_TIME (define minutes: ___).
| Time block |
SITE_HOME (min checks / homelab) |
SITE_FARM (eyes-on / field) |
Notes |
| Mon AM |
|
|
|
| Mon PM |
|
|
|
| Tue AM |
|
|
|
| … |
|
|
|
| Sun |
|
|
Exception rows for surge |
Copy rows or use Weekly coverage matrix — two-site farm operations for a finer grid.
Tiered response (define)
| Tier |
Example |
Target response |
Who |
| T1 |
No water / escape / pump dead |
≤ T1_MAX_MIN |
|
| T2 |
Fence down non-critical |
≤ T2_MAX_HOURS |
|
| T3 |
Telemetry flaky |
Next batch visit |
|
Surge windows (placeholders)
| Window |
Enterprise driver |
Coverage rule |
| Calving (if applicable) |
|
|
| Hay weather |
|
|
| Shipping / haul |
|
|
Known / assumed / open
| Class |
Content |
| Known |
Family labor as default staffing model in business plan |
| Assumed |
At least two adults often available most weeks—validate |
| Open |
CDL / trailer coverage across how many people? Neighbor agreement? |
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