IT’S ALL MANAGEMENT
This wouldn’t be the first time I bring this topic to light, and it certainly will not be the last. As I grow older, and maybe on a good day even wiser, I see more clearly the importance of effective management. Whether we think of it or not, we all spend each day just managing our lives. This is a tall task indeed with all our natural hustle and bustle. However, taking the time to just look for different perspectives can open up potential to better manage the whole situation around us.
I think it is a hugely important point that farmers are not just farmers. Farmers are loads of things if we really break it down. For example, they are distributors, accountants, marketers, and safety inspectors, just to rattle off a few. Farmers are definitely all those things. But let’s generalize as one thing, farmers are business managers who must manage the whole business!
Your farm is unquestionably a working business. Therefore, the whole business needs to be managed full tilt all around. The effort needs to be strong on all facets. How many farmers out there are weak accountants or marketers? Odds are, the number is quite high. You may be an excellent grower, but if your marketing is poor, there’s a pile of money just being left on the table. It is extremely important to focus on and effectively manage the weaker aspects of your livelihoods. We should all be managing what’s in front of us equally with strong effort before we jump into ten other things. When we work to manage all the necessary things we have to do as part of our business, we can find success. This often can be a challenging path to pursue.
Taking the time to really fully prioritize is super important. It has become too easy to lose sight of the goals we set for ourselves. I often have to step back and remind myself I am attempting to manage too much. And when I see that, it is time for me to recognize my priorities again. And when I am working on all of those priorities as hard as the next, the weaker side of things gets stronger. The balance can grow in favor of one’s self.
Start somewhere small to work towards this more effective system. I find that farmers who take notes and always use a calendar, are generally ahead of the game. Having your workers take notes as they are scouting fields can help save crop loss from bugs and disease. Or, having a hired worker take notes on mastitis flare ups to prevent them from getting severe, would be one more example. Several folks, over the years, have said how they cannot believe they didn’t keep records like they do when they become certified organic. This is a prime example of how simple record keeping can help one more effectively manage the whole operation.
I have been to lots of winter meetings. I have seen many different farmers speak of their successes. And if I think of all those years of added stories and farms, from all over the states, it still all comes down to one thing, and that is effective management. We all will get lucky and unlucky with the weather, and who knows what else. We know there are so many things out of our control that can affect us one way or another. But it will always be the strongest managed operations that persevere. Let’s all take the time to better manage our surroundings.