Weekly coverage matrix — two-site farm operations¶
Purpose¶
A fillable weekly grid to make who is responsible for eyes-on at SITE_FARM and SITE_HOMESTEAD explicit when travel time is COMMUTE_ONE_WAY. Use it to expose gaps (no one within MAX_RESPONSE_TIME) before they become emergencies. Not a substitute for contracts or employment law—placeholders only.
Scope¶
- In scope: Roles, shifts, minimum checks, handoff notes.
- Out of scope: Payroll, insurance classification, 24/7 professional coverage (unless you add rows).
Assumptions¶
| Placeholder | You define |
|---|---|
SITE_HOMESTEAD |
Smaller / family base |
SITE_FARM |
Production parcel needing regular presence |
COMMUTE_ONE_WAY |
Typical drive (e.g. 35 min) |
MAX_RESPONSE_TIME |
Worst acceptable delay for Tier 1 issue (water off, escaped animal)—your risk tolerance |
ROLE_OWNER |
Primary decision-maker |
ROLE_PARTNER |
Optional |
ROLE_COVERAGE |
Neighbor, employee, hired hand, nobody |
Minimum checks (edit to your enterprises)¶
Define what “covered” means in minutes and tasks:
| Check type | SITE_FARM |
SITE_HOMESTEAD |
|---|---|---|
| Tier A (daily non-negotiable) | e.g. water, feed, eyes on livestock | e.g. pets, freezer, basement leak |
| Tier B (2–3×/week) | fence walk, gate test | garden irrigation |
| Tier C (weekly) | equipment fluid levels | fuel for generator |
Matrix template (copy and fill)¶
Week of: YYYY-MM-DD
| Day | Primary on call | Location morning (H/F/away) |
Location afternoon | Tier A done @ SITE_FARM Y/N |
Tier A done @ SITE_HOMESTEAD Y/N |
Notes / handoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | ||||||
| Tue | ||||||
| Wed | ||||||
| Thu | ||||||
| Fri | ||||||
| Sat | ||||||
| Sun |
Legend: H = SITE_HOMESTEAD, F = SITE_FARM, away = neither (vacation, travel).
Key questions¶
- Is there any day where no qualified person can reach
SITE_FARMwithinMAX_RESPONSE_TIME? If yes, what changes—neighbor agreement, fewer animals, remote water shutoff with verified install? - Sick days: Same matrix with
ROLE_OWNER= unavailable—what breaks? - Telemetry: Which Tier A checks can shorten a visit vs which are welfare-mandated in person?
Decision criteria¶
| If you discover… | Then… |
|---|---|
Two consecutive days with no F visit and Tier A requires daily |
Stop expanding herd/crop until coverage fixed |
| Same person seven days every week | Schedule burnout risk; add row paid or shared |
| Automation “covers” Tier A | Must cite Automation degraded modes and manual fallback SOP |
Links to related future or existing pages¶
Dual-site operations model — non-agritourism farm business— why batching and equipment home base matter.Agritourism business plan — guest hub on 120 acres, family home 35 min away— contrast: guest/caretaker model vs this matrix.- Incident response — livestock emergency (owner remote) — not yet filed; see P1 #8 in the implementation backlog.
Spatial data and farm asset registry standard— where checks apply (paddock, tank).Field telemetry reference architecture — homestead + 120-acre farm— what remote visibility can do.
Open items¶
- Agree Tier A list with everyone named in the matrix.
- Post printed copy in both kitchens or shared calendar with reminders—wiki is not the runtime unless you use it daily.
First draft: treat as a living schedule, not a one-time essay.