6 Visiting a Farm










 Working within the T&V system, farm visits are made according to
 a regular schedule. Visiting-talking with a single farmer or with
 a contact farmer and his immediate neighbours-is the key ele-
 ment in the system. The scheduling makes for the most effective
 and efficient use of your time. Effective, in that all parties con-
 cerned know when the visits will take place and they can therefore
 be planned for. Efficient, in that your time allocation can be spread
 across the farmers on your list according to total numbers and
 geographical spread. Since the farmer also knows your fortnightly
 schedule, he will be expecting you-and the programming avoids
 the time wasting that occurs when visits are made and nobody is
 there to meet you.

 PLANNING A VISIT
 The most important element in planning for any activity is knowing
 your objective. Every farm visit should have a purpose. This
 means that you should know what you hope to achieve in visiting
 a particular farmer. Just as important: the farmer should also know
 the purpose of each of your visits. Working according to your
 fortnightly schedule, you can always end one visit by establishing
 what will be the "agenda" or "target" for the next.
 And, if you keep adequate notes and records, you will be able to
 assemble any necessary information or equipment you need, well in
 advance of each visit.
 If, for instance, you are going to help a farmer shell and treat his
 maize that has been drying in his crib to a safe 13%, you will have
 checked that the necessary equipment will be at hand: the dusting