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As prices of feed and fertilizers become less predictable, making a business plan resilient is key. This means you can cash in when sale prices are good and still ride out the times when prices dip. This is not purely about limiting all input costs but about considering all areas of efficiency. 

Forage quality and quantity is a key way to make your farm more resilient. This results in less of a need to buy in concentrates which, with the current world markets, are looking more volatile than ever. Ensuring forage quality is a vital first step, cutting silage early ensures high protein and digestibility. Once cut, ensure a good wilt time is key whilst getting good weather to get the dry matter correct. A conditioner on the mower will help lessen the wilt time required which can be useful when the weather is less predicable. Once the grass is in the pit compressing the silage fully to remove all air is key to producing quality silage, even those hard to reach corners! Ensuring all plastic on the sides is still hole-free, and suitable for use is important. The use of "cling film" is becoming more common, and proven to lessen wastage in most systems. Fully weighting down the pit with either tyres, mats or gravel bags. If using tyres ensure they are of good quality and not likely to allow metal wire to enter into the feed and cause disease in cattle.