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 Farming 101...things everyone needs to know about the culture of ag.educate your advisors October is the month that we count our blessings, and reflect on the projects we need take on for the winter. As a coach I would encourage you to beef up your team of advisors, and do some serious succession planning. I have seen too many folks put it off with very sad consequences. Some of your advisors didn't grow up on a farm and don't have a hot clue how special we are, a culture of only 2% of the Canadian population. Wouldn't it be great if you could let your advisors understand what farmers really value, and not judge people by their appearance ? Malcolm Gladwell's book BLINK describes an award winning car salesman Bob Golomb. Golomb says, "I have a farmer who I've sold all kinds of cars over the years. We seal our deal with a handshake, and he hands me a $100 dollar bill and says, "Bring it out to my farm". Now if you saw this man with his dirty coveralls you'd figure he was not a worthy customer. But in fact, as we say in the trade, he's all cashed up." I have been approached by professionals wanting clues to understand the culture of ag producers better. Some advisors are city folks who haven't been exposed to FARMING 101 so clip this out and share it with professionals who need to understand you better. Appearance... don't be fooled by the appearance of the equipment or the wardrobe of your farm client. There are holes in the pockets yet high income to be managed. The pick-up truck with a dented bumper outside the office may not signify an overdrawn highly debt-ridden bank account. Cultural worldview...European farmers are respected because people remember what starvation felt like. I have a TREO phone, high speed internet, HDTV, and an airline card. Farmers are not country hicks. They go places, and read Fast Company. They listen to their son's hockey games across the world on the Internet. Some even go to auction sales, online. International exchange programs allow farmers to have the world come to their farm. Work ethic. We work hard, long hours most of the year. We schedule our days as they need priority planning. We have a financial plan and a business plan...some of which is in the computer, and in our brain. We are self-directed, highly motivated to have success and manage risk well. Don't joke with us about double overtime. Innovation : adapting new technology that will save our bodies and improve efficiency. We don't buy things without checking it out first, with lots of word of mouth endorsement. We like auto-steer GPS. We depend on the younger generation to help with I.T. (information technology) concerns. Frugality, simplicity. The $100 insulated overalls have patches, a field notebook and pencil are not quickly replaced with a blackberry, yet PDA tools are bought carefully . The pay cheque mentality doesn't work here. Sometimes the cash flow is tight, and debt load too high. "Doing without, or appreciating and being content with what we have works fine." Pride. It is hard to ask for help when you are used to fixing things on your own. You don't want to admit that you don't quite understand the new corporate tax implications, or that new agreement you need to sign. The machines come with manuals and service back-up, but where do you go to fix your family issues ? Independence. Farmers hope they never need to pay for extra medical costs, as they don't have lots of self-employment benefits. They might take the day off to go to a farm show, or golfing, but wait to see what the weather does, and decide things at the last minute. Being weather dependent, they can't control hail or drought or flood, so they manage risk with insurance and listening to the forecasts. As self-employed entrepreneurs we will weigh the investment of medical plans and critical illness insurance very carefully. Cycle of life and death. There is a rhythm of seasons that you attend to . Your animals birth, grow and die. The crops are planned, sown, grown, and harvested. Cycles of life and death are repeated over and over. You face mortality at many levels as you work the land and husband the livestock. Yet some farmers don't have wills, they think they will live forever. Practicality ...Will it work? Can I trust what you are advising me to do ? I want to see how it worked out on the neighbour's place, or in a similar zone as ours. Common sense...is not uncommon practice amongst farmers. Those who are timely in their work, manage their financial details well, and are life-long learners are able to adapt to the new adventures of every new season. Common sense dictates that conflict resolution is acted upon as a business risk management strategy. Sky watchers. Beyond irrigation they wait for the heavens to water their crops. Farmers are grounded in the cycles of life by the nature of their work and dependence on the weather to bless their hard work. They understand the plagues of pestilence, and the disaster of fierce storms. You can't paint all farmers and ranchers with the same brush, but there are some common core beliefs that will help you understand your client. Ask sincere questions, come from curiosity, and appreciate what ag producers bring to your discussion. If you have other cultural points to share with me, please contact me. I am developing keynotes on "Farming 101" to help associations educate their clientele. It's always fun to hear the stories of assumptions that people make about farmers. Elaine Froese is a catalyst for courageous conversations. She has been a farmer all her life, and is gifted at communicating with wisdom and common sense. Visit her at www.elainefroese.com or go to askelainefroese.com to join her tele-seminars. Graphic Idea "Farmers are inveterate risk takers. They put seeds in the ground each planting season knowing full well there are no guarantees." Darryll E. Ray. |
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