For New Farmers (or Old Ones)
The people behind Successful Farming have developed a network for new farmers called Farmers for the Future. They have had at least one conference and Loren Kruse, Editor-in-Chief of Successful Farming recapped the key ideas from the last conference.
This recap had many good ideas for new farmers, but I think almost all of the ten themes listed apply to all farmers.
The themes were as follows:
- Follow up your dreams with a written plan
- Look for other opportunities
- Build an attitude for success
- Hone your people skills
- Make your farm as special as a s business
- Know your strengths
- Build your reputation for things that matter
- Try new things
- Balance family and farming
- Help others grow
The three themes that really stood out to me were:
Follow up your dreams with a written plan– I am a firm believer in writing what you want to accomplish. It does not need to be fancy, but write down on paper (or type it, etc.) what your goals are for the farm. Make sure to list both business, i.e. how many acres I want to farm, what types of crops, etc. and personal, i.e. do you want your spouse and children involved, etc. Although I have not seen a study, it is my firm opinion that a study would show that a written plan is achieved much more than a verbal plan. If it is in writing, your spouse, banker, marketing advisor, attorneys, will all be happier. WRITE IT DOWN.
Know your strengths– I think too many people spend too much timing on correctly their weaknesses and not enough time on expanding and promoting their strengths. By the time you are out of high school (I would say kindergarten for most people), your traits are pretty well set for life. Why get frustrated on trying to fix weaknesses that are very hard if not impossible to change, while you could be enjoying enhancing what you do well. You can always find other people or advisors to do what you do not do well. PROMOTE YOUR STRENGTHS.
Build an attitude for success – Attitude can be more important than perceived reality. If you think you will be a success, it will be much easier than if you think you will be a failure. Surround yourself with others that believe in you and your farm, continue to read and learn. These steps will build a stable platform for farm success (and life success). BUILD A SUCCESSFUL ATTITUDE.
Paul Neiffer is a certified public accountant and business advisor specializing in income taxation, accounting services, and succession planning for farmers and agribusiness processors. Paul is a principal with CliftonLarsonAllen in Walla Walla, Washington, as well as a regular speaker at national conferences and contributor at agweb.com. Raised on a farm in central Washington, he has been immersed in the ag industry his entire life, including the last 30 years professionally. Paul and his wife purchase an 180 acre ranch in 2016 and enjoy keeping it full of animals.
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