On the farm or ranch, interest, curiosity and a sense of wonder can be the catalysts for new projects and ideas, and can drive us to explore new ways of doing things. A culture of curiosity and open-minded leadership can foster this in the youngest and oldest members of the farm team or family.
I have talked to many farmers who are keen to learn from others and apply their learning to their land and stock management and farm businesses practices. Successors and founders alike are taking courses, reading, sharing with their peers, going to events and conferences — the types of things that can contribute to farm and farmer success and wellbeing.
Here are some ideas for how to stay curious and maintain a learner’s mindset on the farm.
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Engage with next-gen new energy and new ideas
People on your team, often the next generation, will come to the founders and farm partners to express that they want to try something new, or to ask questions about why things are done a certain way. The motivation might be to gain better understanding and contribute to some shifts or improvements to human resources management or staffing, increase profitability or add a new revenue stream, make changes to grazing or crop planning to manage the resource base, work to access new markets, or apply new learning. Expressing an interest in new ideas or trying new things demonstrates a degree of leadership, enthusiasm and interest in the work. Coming forward with new ideas can take courage, vulnerability and trust, especially if new ideas or free thinking haven’t been given space or been received well in the past.
I often talk to next-generations of farmers who feel frustrated there is not enough room or space to try something new. Note, though, it can also be the case that folks assume there is no room for new ideas, and the real issue is one of open communication rather than having an open mind. When people want some influence and agency to try something new, and are faced with “This is the way the grandparents always did it,” enthusiasm and creativity can be dampened. I am first-generation on my farm and while the cash flow challenges of running a startup presented a major hurdle, the independence of getting to try things (and sometimes having them not work out) served to build my entrepreneurial skills, resilience and creativity from a young adult age. Of course, some things have been tried before, and it can be wise to seek advice and wisdom from others via mentorship rather than have to make the same mistakes over again. It’s a balance: open communication and a culture of learning and curiosity and leaning into wisdom, mentorship and traditional knowledge are all very important.
Join (or organize) a peer group
Over the years I have been a part of a number of farmer-to-farmer peer support and learning groups. These have been great spaces to hear about what others are doing on the operations side of their business and also to create space for community. Some of those peer groups have been very family-friendly while others have been more focused on finances and production. Years ago, we hosted a series of peer group meetings in our local hall, and people would drive from hundreds of kilometres away to join. It was a great space to come together, and often share a meal. We would present topics to one another and discuss some of the finer details of managing our cattle, grain and vegetable operations and share and discuss other aspects of working and living where we do in Manitoba. We could ask questions, explore ideas and redefine measures of success for our farms. Our peer groups have changed and morphed over the years, and have contributed to building a web of connections across Canada and the U.S.
Embrace change
Farmers can feel significant amounts of stress when faced with change, especially when a change was not planned or foreseen. Faced with financial difficulty and uncertainty, high debt load, overwork, labour shortages and climate variability, making small changes to a system that seems to be working relatively well can be daunting or unappetizing. Years of experience in a particular way of doing something moves us toward a “right way” and a “wrong way.” Negative emotions that come with unforeseen changes, or hardship related to change, can cause us to miss opportunities for positive change. On the other hand, embracing positive emotions around change, such as hope, curiosity, creativity or optimism, can create a lot of possible options that we might not otherwise see. Exploring change can foster co-operative working relationships with employees, spouses and team members and within farm transitions, and allows us to move from zero-sum to mutually beneficial outcomes as we shift and move.
Calculate your risk and keep an open mind
When new ideas are brought to the table, or members of the farm team go out seeking new learnings and other ways of doing and seeing things, this either may be embraced or may lead to tension at home. Sometimes a desire for change by one party can be interpreted as an identity issue for the other party — say, maybe the next generation thinks the founder was ‘incorrect’ or ‘wrong.’ The culture of your farm will create the space for learners and changemakers to feel comfortable, and knowing that past contributions and future learning are complementary, not adversarial, can lead you toward better outcomes in communication and team building.
Often I hear from founders that successors have not been working on the farm for 30-plus years; they don’t have the experience to understand the potential outcomes and risks of specific decisions, or sometimes it is a spouse saying they do not want to start a new project or engage in major systems changes at this age or stage of life. It is important to know the “why” or the interests behind our desires for change and to keep learning from one another as we adapt, shift and transition.
