Preparing for many crises is key to a successful operation. Adam Brock, vice president of food safety at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, considers crisis preparedness to be an essential component of any agricultural operation. While safety crises can be different based on region, every organization should have protocols in place that are specific to an area’s challenges.

Disasters like tornadoes, wildfires, flooding and other weather events are area-specific but can incur similar methods of damage. A risk assessment of events is crucial to formulating any crisis plan. However, one piece of a crisis plan producers could overlook is a communications plan. Brock says. Ensuring the right people are aware of the right details is just as important as appropriately managing the crisis.

Read more on farm crisis management planning here.