Agbusiness: Are your Employees Managing You?

With July fast approaching, I have begun to look at the evaluation papers that need to be distributed, I have been looking at some ways to improve our evaluation system.  In it's current form, the system is pretty basic, with six questions with answer options and then an explanation box where managers can rate their employees on a monthly basis.  The system isn't bad, but it could be improved a bit, to be more behaviorally based, and give a more balanced picture.

In order to improve upon what we already have, I have turned to some business standbys, because farms are small businesses, too.  In particular, I referred to Patrick Lencioni's Three Signs of a Miserable Job, a "Leadership Fable"  that tells how a manager works out a theory to motivate the people around him to care about their work.  Farmers care dearly for their businesses, but often run into a struggle because they can't lure the most desirable people with high salaries, flexible schedules, or sparkling benefits packages.  Those types of resources aren't very prevalent for our employees.  Upon reading Lencioni's book, I realized that while money is important, culture is a main factor in why successful people work in successful organizations.

When I think of farming business culture in general, I think of an older gentleman who tends to be hard working, stoic, and a bit tight lipped.  As businesspeople, we are not the best communicators.  We don't show appreciation for some of the intangibles that impact the way our businesses operate.  We tend to prepare for the worst, and show little faith in the people we surround ourselves with, except maybe a few family and friends.

What we don't realize is that we have the power to make people enjoy their work, feel challenged by it, and raise the standards of our businesses.  An article from National Hog Farmer, Engaging Your Employees, agrees that the way you handle employees determines how effective they will be in your business.  Many of the things we can do are so simple, and only cost a little extra time on the employer's end.

Get to know your employees.  Those that have a connection to the people they work with are more likely to show commitment to the business.  Know about their hobbies, kids, and family situation.  Let them know their work is relevant.  It may sound silly, but telling someone their work has made an impact on you, coworkers, customers, etc., shows that you notice and care.  It adds an extra connection to the business.  Human capital is a defining factor of business success.  Finally, give your employees tools to get feedback.  It's not just feedback on the balance sheet, or feedback from their boss, but things they can use as measures for success on a daily or weekly basis.  This gives employees control over their own performance, and increases the likelihood of retention.  On the farm we need to remember that creating these types of conversations will pay off, even though they are not on the balance sheet.

The New Farmer

I've been reading a lot lately about the new generation coming into the world of agriculture.  We tend to be more tech savvy, educated,  highly motivated, and low in resources.  Some new farmers have little or no farm background, but want to make a difference in the way we produce food.  We are more open to change, and are optimistic about the adversity we will face.  We realize that we have to work with the older generation and with our opponents, bridging the gap to create a system that we all can live with. 

Many of the older generation see the recent public interest in food production as a nuisance, a sort of snooping.  People want to have an input on things they don't really understand or know about.  They are influencing policy, but are not spending the time to do the research.  There are some farmers who just want to turn their heads the other way and keep working the land, raising the animals the same way they have done for a number of years.

We don't have that option any more, and we don't need it.  As an industry, we are lucky to have direct consumer feedback.  We provide a product, and people are looking for service.  They want to have input towards the process.  Any business manager wants to know that their product is satisfying the consumer needs, finding the areas where they could make improvement. We need to take the feedback and run with it.  Even though many are resistant, we can produce food however people want us to, but they have to realize that their is a cost.  That's why most farmers are afraid to make the jump to meet consumer demands.  For any young farmers willing to make changes, it will take small steps and steady work the ultimate goals of supporting family, while meeting consumer expectations.

It's What's on TV

A few days ago one of my high school classmates commented on her Facebook that she had watch a health documentary, and as a result will no longer be eating beef or pork.  All of my chicken and fish friends are probably happy to have gained some sales, but all joking aside this type of thinking is very alarming for us farmers.  It's the reason why we have been trying to convince people with a grassroots movement of open barn doors and open dialogue to trust American Agriculture. 

These sorts of comments really resonate with me, as for the past year I have only had pork and beef in my freezer.  I raise the pork myself, and one of the guys that works on the farm sells me a quarter steer each fall.  Not that I don't like the other meats, but my the time I empty my freezer, it is being filled again with more beef and pork.  I don't eat meat everyday, and I do balance in lots of veggies.  I try to eat whole grain and generally avoid carbonated beverages, alcohol, and other processed foods.  It's not that I believe I am eating better than others, or that my way is right, but it works for me.  I feel good, have great energy and enjoy my food along the way. 

The irony in all this to me, is that people see what's on TV and take it as absolute truth.  Even knowing the stories have a slant to them, people are influenced enormously.  Maybe I have been reading too many Dystopian novels lately, but it sounds a little bit like 1984 to me.  We spend hours a day in front of the TV, believing whatever propoganda is put out in front of us.  Do we consider the source? 

As a blogger and a farmer, I know that I have an angle.  I am trying to sell my product to support myself.  At the same time, I believe in what I produce.  I put my name on it.  I told my friend to come down to the farm any time she likes and see how we do it.  To ask questions and form her own opinion.  I won't be hurt if she decides not to eat pork or beef after that, because at least I have given her all I can to make a decision with both sides of the story presented.  Honestly, I know that there are things on the farm that could be better.  Things we are changing and will be changing in the future.  The industry will look different in ten years.  That's ok.  Farms are now looking at sustainablity as a piece of the business, along with responsibility.  We need to embrace the changes that are coming and be ready to innovate along with them, instead of wishing for the "good old days." 

Farm Women

Yesterday, I spent part of the day reading about the Centennial Development Project brief put out by the American Farm Bureau Federation.  I was lucky to participate in giving input at the Young Farmers & Ranchers conference in December, and I was eager to see what common themes came out of the conference, and what other people thought about where the Farm Bureau should be heading. 

One of the five major points drawn from the brief was getting rid of the Women's committee, or at least drastically changing its purpose.  I don't know how many of you have been to a Farm Bureau event, but I say it is about time!  Having attending 6 or 7 events in the last few years, the way older farmers, farm organizations, and even young farmers look at the place of women in agriculture truly disappoints me.  Women make up half of the Young Farmers in the Farm Bureau, but hold almost no leadership positions at the national level.  Many of the women want the positions, but can't find a way into the leadership.  Even the sessions at the Farm Bureau events are catered towards either men or women.  One of the recent conferences had a session about women and farm bookkeeping.  Talking to many of the farm women, I know we see ourselves having a much more active role in the business.

I'm not usually a big proponent of women's lib, but I began to notice how far our industry was behind the times when I was working in the mill.  Many of our raw ingredient suppliers would ask me if I had any brothers to run the farm, or if I was going to marry another local farmer in order to keep the business going.  I quickly informed them that I am capable of meeting the challenge of running the farm.  I couldn't believe that someone could see me as so incapable just because of my gender. 

The worst insult I received as a woman farmer was when I took my boyfriend to a county Farm Bureau event, exactly one week after he started to work on the farm.  We sat at a table with people I had seen at events my whole life, who knew my family, and knew about our farm.  When they started to ask questions about harvest, they ignored my responses, and quickly began quizzing my boyfriend.  He was at a complete loss and tried to defer to me, but the other farmers had absolutely no interest in what I had to say. 

I'm not saying that everything has to be equal for women, or that equality equals fairness.  I just want to be able to take part in the conversation, and have a place at the table.  If people within our industry won't take women seriously, how will the people in the greater community view us?  Human capital is one of the most valuable assets a company can have, so why are farmers throwing half of their resources out the window?

Government- What does it mean?

I'm back to writing again, after taking a short hiatus to run our feed mill for the month.  For my first day back I have actually accomplished quite a bit- between cleaning my desk, printing handbooks, visiting different farms, and the main accomplishment- setting the chore schedule for the next six months!  This may sound like a small task, but my Dad has been waiting for a month to hand it off to me since after two hours it gave him a headache. 

With my first day back I haven't spent much time browsing food issues, checking out Ag websites, doing research, or scouting the river, but I did stumble upon an article from CNN titled "Big Gulp? Meet Big Government." It chronicles how the mayor of New York City wishes to put a ban on restaurants selling soft drinks over 16 oz, in order to combat obesity.  I immediately wonder, is this what we want our government to do? 

During my junior year of high school I had an American History class where the final exam only contained one question; what is the meaning of government?  Each class we talked about how government changed over the years, and what those changes meant to the people.  When government makes a decision, it changes how people look at the things around them, and how people interact with their surroundings.  Some new rules make us more aware of things that may not have been an issue before.  I personally stay away from soft drinks, just out of preference, but I do believe it is a choice. 

Where Americans buy their food, and what they buy is also a choice.   We, as producers shouldn't feel like we can force people to eat what we want to sell them.  Consumers have the right to choose.  Just like the with the soft drinks.  We can't force people to stay away from the foods they enjoy, or to buy conventional over organic, all natural, cage free, etc.  We only have the power to inform about our products and industry, build trust within our communities, and work to provide food that is better for our consumer.  If we don't make the conscious decision to come to the table and talk about what we do, government will decide the fate of agriculture.