What is a Farmer?

If you walk into any leadership class in the country, the instructor will tell you to realize your strengths, and minimize your weaknesses.  Investment in ourselves is best spent where we can make easy improvements; when it comes to human resources employ them in areas where you are weak.  It makes sense, and it often seems like something that would be easy to do.  But I wonder as an industry if we have just become adept at pushing our weaknesses under the rug, instead of addressing them.  I don't know that we make much effort to fill out our weaknesses, instead surrounding ourselves with people that see the world through the same lens. 

Any meeting of pork producers I attend, I can see the similarities between us.  We are fully committed to agriculture- we can't see doing anything else, nor do we want to.  We are thorough and we like to follow a plan.  These are all great qualities in people whose business's ride on a very volatile market.  We have the patience to weather the hard times. 

At the same time, these traits are holding us back.  We don't put ourselves out there to be judged.  We try to hide from curiosity and scrutiny, not without reason.  We don't engage an audience very well because we tend to get stuck in the data.  We like numbers and hard answers.  Sometimes looking at the big picture, the one outside our own driveways, is a big challenge.  Sometimes when we hire workers, we try to hire people who will "fit" on the farm.  There is merit to that, but its also good to have people in your company who have a different perspective.  They can see obvious consumer problems we as farmers may not realize.  We need both workers and dreamers, traditionalists and visionaries. 

With fewer children growing up on the farm, we are being forced to look outside of our normal circles for talented employees.  The problem can be however, that the talented students aren't all looking for jobs in agriculture.  We need to work to capture their imagination, and present agriculture industries as a viable option for a career, for personal success.  As a young, starting farmer, I can say that people my age want a career where they feel they can make a difference.  They want to feel like they are part of a bigger picture.  We see our own fields as an obvious place to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors, but most young people see them as a thing of the past.  It's manual labor that doesn't involve any strategy for innovation.  We need to work past the picture of what a farmer "used to be" and define what it means to be a farmer now. 

Sustainability and Productivity

Some days it is just hard to be a farmer, or maybe more specifically, to work on a farm.  People respect my profession, but not day-to-day job.  Consumers want me to farm, but they don't think I know how.  I believe that I do care about animals, and the Earth's resources, but with Earth Day celebrations, this week has allowed me to see just how little regard farms are held, and how much we don't understand the consumers.

An Earth Day buzzword is of course "sustainability."  It is often used in opposition to current farming practices, and in animal care discussion.  I understand that we can always improve on both of these fronts, but I see farming as so much more sustainable that it used to be, largely because we are able to produce so much more with fewer resources.  Yet, we are badgered for making these advances.  Isn't it somewhat counterintuitive?

To answer my question, I have done a simple search on the definition of sustainability, hoping to gain some further insight on the issue.  For my purpose the EPA's definition seemed most relevant; "Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.  Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations"(For the direct link, click here).  This definition seems relatively straightforward.  We need to produce for now, and produce even more in the future.  Preserving resources is important in production, and using less to get more really does help us become sustainable.  It requires us to be productive and efficient.  Two things that most people don't like to think of when they see the word "farm."  Definitely not what they want to think of in animal agriculture. 

How can we be productive, sustainable, animal friendly, and respectful to the needs of our customers, all while creating a financially sustainable business model?  Are we buckling under the pressure, or just ignoring it, hoping that it will pass?  Answering these questions is the ticket to being the producer of the future.  We have to strive to come up with the answers that will build trust, instead of waiting for someone else to force them upon us.  We have the tools through universities, extension agents, government agencies, and our own human capital that are full of ideas on how to make production better.  At the same time we have to put our "customer hats" on and see how new production methods will sound on the front page of the local newspaper.  We have to be our own PR people.  It is a full time position, not just something we work on between planting and harvest, when every animal is healthy and nothing is sitting broken in the shop.  We have to create our own industry sustainability everyday, one conversation at a time. 

Farm Image and Ag-Gag

Recently, a lot of press has been circulating around the so-called "ag-gag laws."  For those who aren't in the loop, some states have proposed legislation to prohibit or limit the ability for people to do undercover investigating on farms in order to expose animal abuse.  Some of the legislation also limits the amount of time the amateur videographers have to turn their evidence in, or makes it criminal to enter a farm without saying they are looking for animal abuse.  For obvious reasons, most farmers are in support of this legislation, most animal rights advocates against it.  I struggle a lot with this issue, because no matter the outcome, farms will suffer from misrepresentation in the media.

To start, I am in no way opposed to those abusing animals being exposed.  However, I do worry that the people doing the exposing don't really know what animal abuse is.  There are obvious cases of beating, kicking, dragging, and otherwise harming the animals, but what about keeping animals in pens or crates that up to this point have been accepted for animal housing?  Having those doesn't make farmers abusive, they are doing what is standard across the industry and supported by veterinarians in the field.  Consumer preferences are changing, but that doesn't make these practices illegal, or the farmer bad.  Once a video is out there, it doesn't matter if it shows actual abuse, because it already has a bad name.

As farmers, we see the animals we care for as something that we own and protect.  However, consumers don't see it that way.  They feel like we own the buildings, and implements of husbandry, but we do not own the food they eat, just care for it during its life.  Consumers are really hiring us to be stewards of their health.  For this reason, people have the right to know and to influence animal care.   

It is very difficult for people who have never worked with livestock to understand it.  They do have a right to know where food comes from.  As farmers, we have to realize that it is much easier to Google search "animal abuse," "farms," or "where food comes from," than it is for someone in the city to go out and find a farmer.  Especially a farmer who is willing to take a total stranger who has no agriculture background onto their farm and let that person judge what is happening.  Maybe they won't like it, maybe they won't understand.  Maybe they won't be able to get past the smell of cow manure long enough to understand the message the farmer is conveying. 

We have to work to make the information readily and easily available.  We can't expect consumers to line up to be educated.  Farmers have to be proactive and continuously work towards gaining an educated consumer base.  We can't expect to be needed or understood.  As foreign as it may seem, consumers don't view us as experts, and they have the ability to be the judge through their buying decisions.  

True or False

Over the last week, I have had the chance to attend a class on pork production process management.  The premise for the class is getting pork producers to think about their business like it is manufacturing, and become more efficient and effective by monitoring throughput.  Each farmer in the room understood the connections, and how farming is a form of manufacturing.  As a farmer and business person, I realize that animal production is a manufacturing process, and that doesn't scare me. Making your lunch in the morning, can also be looked at from a manufacturing standpoint, and I understand that by looking at it that way, we aren't automatically using robots, and automation to "build" pigs.  We are just trying to become better at the processes we do everyday, managing our people and resources to the best of our ability.

Looking at the class, I realize that consumers could be appalled by the concept as agriculture as manufacturing.  Many like to believe that farms are quaint little places with 2 ducks, 2 cows, and a goat thrown in for good measure.  What they don't realize is that farming is a business.  Farmers buy things from suppliers, like feed ingredients, seeds, and animals for reproduction  in order to improve the meat quality the animals will provide.  People then are willing to buy the meat produced for a price.  What happens in between in order to make money for the farmer is business.   There is nothing sinister about the process, or unnatural.  Every other industry does the same thing, for example, your clothes are not made by an elderly woman working out of her cottage, nor do I think that people want it that way. 

At work last week, I was talking to one of my coworkers about the common misconceptions people have about animal agriculture.  One is created in part by advertisers, but driven by uninformed consumers.  If you ever have looked at chicken sold in the grocery store, it is often labeled as hormone free.  What consumers don't realize is that Chickens are never treated with hormones because it doesn't make any type of economical sense.  Hormones are very expensive, and a chicken that will mature naturally in about six weeks, it does not add up to give it hormones. However, because of this labeling, people assume that chickens are given hormones at least part of the time.

Another misconception is that animals sent to market are often laden with drugs and so sick they have to be basically carried into the packing plant.  What consumers don't realize is that animals going to market have to be rated as #1.  This means no antibiotics in the system, no limping, wheezing, or other signs of sickness or distress.  If producers were to send these types of animals to market, then they would not be paid for them, and all scheduled contracts with packing plants would be jeopardized because the farmer has delivered a substandard animal.  It doesn't pay for anyone involved in the process to have a sick animal in the food supply.

As advocates for agriculture, we must realize what types of misconceptions are out there and work hard to correct them.  It takes time and effort, but by being transparent to consumers we can make progress towards coming to a consensus on how food should be produced.     

Excited for Ingenuity

While browsing through some articles of Ag News today I found this amazing story of a resourceful farm in Maine.  These types of things really make me proud of what I do, who my peers are, and what we can accomplish.

The article, Exeter farm uses poop to produce energy (very exciting name, I know)  goes into how a dairy farm in Maine has these "mixture vessels"  where they pump ALL the waste from the farm and then it produces gas, working a generator.  The farm only uses about 5% of the energy it produces, selling the rest to the electrical company.  Now that is some golden opportunity!

Not everyone can use this kind of system, and there may be something better out there.  The initial cost of the tanks is expensive, and I can't imagine its as easy as plugging filling the tanks with waste and letting it go, but it is possible to make improvements. 

We should be proud of the efficiency we are able to achieve.  By having people out there who are willing to take risks, we figure out how far we can go.  As producers, this is the type of thing we are capable of, and it is what we should expect from ourselves.

One theme I have stressed in many posts is representing farming to the consumers.  Recently, I have found a contest put on by the United States Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) called Faces of Farming and Ranching, which provides a great opportunity for us to gain access to the consumers, and take a prominent position in the dialogue.  The contest requires an entry form and a short video for entry, and allows us to really focus on why we do what we do.  Check out the other areas of the Food Dialogues website, as it is very insightful, particularly if you haven't had a chance to check it out before.

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.

Is Eating Meat Ethical?

Many of you have probably seen the New York Times essay contest about whether or not eating meat is ethical.  I clicked on the link, expecting most the essays to be written by people who were very far from agriculture, with strict anti-ag agendas and completely sworn off meat.  Instead, I found six well crafted essays from people who really care about their food.

As I read through the essays, I found the common theme to be eating meat is ethical, but the way we produce it is not.  Many people fear what we are doing to the land, more than what will happen to their bodies.  Most think that some of our technology is good and that advancement is important.  They fear the "factory farm."  Even the those essays written by farmers showed resistance against them.  I know that my farm would be considered sinister to these people, but it is and always will be family owned and operated.  Each decision we make is not only towards the bottom line, but also towards the welfare of the land, animals, and consumer. 

When I think about sustainable agriculture, I think it should be a way to produce that saves our resources.  We should work to preserve the soil, water, and integrity of our crops.  At the same time, we have to make sure we are utilizing the resources in the best ways possible.  Is it better to use a type of roundup ready corn that needs no irrigation and little spraying, than to use a corn variety that is much less hardy, taking more seeds to get a smaller yield, with the use of irrigation, plus additional energy with gasoline powered equipment?  Is that really more sustainable with a population expected to reach 9 billion in the next two decades?  Some people contest the use of animal waste as fertilizer.  I see it as a way to use all of our resources to maximize efficiency and productivity, while lessening dependence on other forms of fertilizer. 

I want to see the quality of our food increase.  Our food is currently clean and safe, but people have come to expect that from their food supply, and now want the accountability of growers, processors, and producers.  We should be happy that our consumers do take such an interest in what we do, although it is daunting at times.  I believe that American farmers can rise to meet the challenge.