Leadership

Beyond the Blame Game: Navigate the Mental Toll of Modern Ag

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:55:12 GMT

When market pressures mount, it is easy to succumb to the “blame game.” Yet, the most resilient operations are those that anchor themselves in a mission larger than the current balance sheet. For leaders like James Burgum and Lamar Steiger, coping with stress isn’t just about managing the books, it’s about managing the mindset.

The Many Hats of the Modern Producer

James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes the first step in managing stress is acknowledging the sheer weight of the roles farmers play.

“One of the things I did when I stepped into my role is an exercise where I said to our team, ‘Help me understand all the hats on the farm – farmworker, agronomist, grain merchandiser, mechanic, truck driver, snow removal lead, banker, economist,’” Burgum said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “You start to go down the list, and its dozens and dozens of roles that an individual farmer plays.”

By recognizing the complexity of these roles, Burgum argues that producers can move toward servant leadership—prioritizing the team’s needs.

“There are things that are much more important and much bigger than the challenges we’re wrestling with on the job every day,” Burgum says. “It’s hard to juggle all the balls, but at the end of the day, we want everyone on our team to make sure they get home at night and be there for their families.”

Choosing Abundance Over Scarcity

Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, learned about stress through the lens of his father, a man who seemed to face every possible setback: health crises, financial downturns and missed market peaks.

The farm struggled during times of high interest rates in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and his father was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barre, that left him paralyzed for six months.

Still, his dad always had an attitude of abundance, not scarcity, Steiger says.

“With my brothers holding other obligations, I was left to milk the cows,” Steiger says. “We were so far behind, and all my dad would say is, ‘It could be worse.’”

Breaking the Silence

Eventually, his family lost the dairy. After hitting rock bottom and battling depression , Steiger realized that the “tough it out” mentality was a liability, not an asset.

“When the stresses pile up, you’ve got to find help,” Steiger says. “I wasn’t ‘man enough’ to step up and say, ‘Hey, something’s wrong here.’ I should have said, ‘Time out—this is not working.’”

Steiger’s advice for those feeling the weight of the current market is simple: Find your “who.” Whether it is a spouse, a neighbor or a professional, talking through the stress is the only way to separate your self-worth from the volatility of the markets.

“In agriculture, we’re so reliant on outside forces,” Steiger says. “You’ve got to have an attitude that it’s going to work out. As my Dad would say, ‘Well, we never missed a meal.’ That was his bottom line for ‘It’s okay.’”

From Constraints to Catalysts: How Ag Leaders Turn Hardships into Strategy

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:19:03 GMT

In an industry defined by “one-year-at-a-time” cycles, the greatest threat to a growing operation isn’t just a market downturn—it’s the inertia that comes with size. Farm Journal CEO Prescott Shibles argues that long-term survival requires a rare blend of faith and agility. To maintain an entrepreneurial mindset, leaders must lean into “conviction” as the core of a strategy that survives the lows.

Here is how four industry leaders are turning today’s constraints into tomorrow’s differentiators.

1. Build when times are hard.

When Brent Smith, president and CEO of NewLeaf Symbiotics, joined the company in 2023, the grain market was entering a significant down cycle. While some saw a risky time to lead a startup, he saw an opportunity.

“I learned in my first startup that the best time to build a business is in hard times,” Smith said said during a discussion at Top Producer Summit. “Because if you can’t withstand tough times, you’re not going to survive long term.”

For Smith, survival meant doubling down on the company’s core: science. Despite the pressure to cut costs, NewLeaf continues to spend half of its operating expenses on science.

“It would be very easy to peel that back,” he admits. “But we focused on projects that make the most impact the quickest, while keeping an eye on the long-term innovation in our pipeline.”

2. Control what you can control.

Farmers face the ultimate constraint every year: the weather. Scott Beck, president of Beck’s Hybrids, recalls the planting crisis of 2019 when constant rains kept tractors out of the fields well into May.

“I was concerned for our customers not being able to plant, but also for us not being able to plant our seed for the next year,” Beck says. “There was nothing that we could do to control the weather, but we could control how we interacted with our customers.”

Rather than retreating, the Beck’s team focused on transparency and empathy, using video series to connect with farmers and even forming small groups for prayer and support. Ultimately, they wanted farmers to know they cared and were there to support them however they could.

Despite the financial reality of what could happen if farmers didn’t plant and returned seed, Beck’s decided their course of action would not include employee layoffs. Instead, they prepared to sell land to protect their people.

“Fortunately, the weather broke and everybody was able to get planted,” he says. “Then the second miracle happened. We had the second warmest September on record, and that’s what brought the crop through to enable 2019 to not turn out as bad as it started.”

3. Turn disadvantages into advantages.

In 2014, Lamar Steiger, owner of The 808 Ranch, was tasked with a monumental challenge: helping Walmart reinvent its beef supply chain. At the time, the retail giant was at a disadvantage, forced to accept whatever the major meatpackers provided.

Steiger’s strategy was to turn that lack of control into a new kind of independence.

“I convinced the Walmart team to go around the traditional supply chain,” Steiger says. Today, Walmart sources 28% of its beef from its own “farm-to-table” supply chain.

There’s no question that decision was really good for Walmart. But Steiger says it was also really good for him personally.

“It reminded me that no matter how big you are, there are always challenges,” he says.

4. Create “white space” for the future.

When the day-to-day tasks of an operation become overwhelming, long-term strategy is often the first thing to go. James Burgum, CEO of The Arthur Companies, believes leaders must intentionally carve out “white space” for their teams.

“It’s important to find ways where people can actually spend their time working on the business, not just in the business,” he says.

By protecting time for team members to execute ideas that are three to five years out, Burgum manages the tension between short-term urgency and long-term viability.

“It’s hard to step away from the daily fires you’ll face in your operation, but it’s important,” he adds. “How we manage that tension of short term and long term is creating that white space and making sure that we consciously work on the business.

The Long Game

Ultimately, resilience in agriculture is about knowing when to push and when to pivot.

“You have to know when to put the gas down, and you need to know when to tap the brake,” Smith says. “And regardless of what you are doing, you need to stay focused on what you’re doing.”

Whether it is investing in science during a downturn or choosing customer empathy over the bottom line, these leaders say constraints don’t have to be roadblocks; they can be the very catalysts that drive an operation forward.

Check In on Your Health Before It Checks Out

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:05:32 GMT

Long hours, unpredictable schedules and physically demanding work mean farmers and ranchers often put their own health last. Erin Martinez, a Kansas State University expert in adult development and aging, says it doesn’t have to be that way. A simple annual medical exam can help catch problems before they get out of hand.

“Farmers and ranchers are very good at taking care of their livestock and land, but they sometimes forget to take care of themselves,” Martinez says. “A yearly checkup is an important step in catching potential health concerns early.”

Why Preventive Care Matters
Farming is physically demanding and unpredictable. Long hours and seasonal peaks make it easy to push doctor visits aside. But routine exams allow healthcare providers to monitor important measures like blood pressure, cholesterol and other warning signs to catch potential health issues before they become serious.

“Preventive care lets providers look at the full picture of someone’s health,” Martinez says. “When we see patients regularly, we can identify changes sooner and address them before they become bigger issues.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, farmers and ranchers face higher rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and musculoskeletal injuries compared with the general population.

Take Action Before Things Get Busier

Martinez encourages producers to schedule checkups before the busy season begins. Planting, harvest and livestock seasonality can quickly push personal healthcare to the bottom of the to-do list.

“Taking the time for a yearly checkup is just like investing in your farm,” she says. “Catching potential health concerns early keeps you able to manage your operation and reduces the risk of bigger problems later.”

Routine exams also give farmers a chance to address mental health. Farming can be isolating, and stress, anxiety and depression are common in rural communities. A healthcare visit allows producers to check in on both physical and mental well-being.

Practical Tips

Taking care of yourself should be just as important as taking care of the farm. Planning ahead and making routine health care a habit helps prevent small issues from turning into bigger problems. Martinez offers a few practical ways for producers to stay on top of their health:

Schedule appointments during slower times of the year.
Ask about screenings, vaccinations, and preventive care.
Keep a record of blood pressure, cholesterol, and other key health metrics.
Involve family members to make regular checkups part of farm life.

“Farmers are usually the last ones to put themselves on the calendar,” Martinez says. “But staying on top of your health before things get busy can prevent problems that are harder to manage later.”

Leadership Is Costing You More Than You Think

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:19:08 GMT

When deciding how to make ranches more profitable, there is often one overlooked area of improvement — leadership. Strong leadership on ranches impacts profitability through improved employee retention, continued learning and more confident decision-making. Tom and Terryn Drieling are true examples of how investing in leadership builds a more profitable ranch and an enjoyable lifestyle.

“I think it’s our role as ranch managers to provide an opportunity for the next generation. It’s our responsibility for everybody to have an opportunity regardless of what their background is,” explains Tom.

He has managed a unit of a ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills for more than 10 years, and Terryn works as seasonal help in addition to operating her own business, which helps people in rural communities improve their own lifestyles and leadership skills.

“I think that having good leadership is so important because it kind of sets the tone for the rest of the crew,” says Terryn. “If you have somebody in the leadership role that can create a good work environment and bring everybody together, you’re going to have a more enjoyable workplace and improved production and efficiency.”

Tom has been very intentional about improving his own leadership skills, and the results are clear to both his crew and general manager.

He shares, “The work I was doing for myself was extravagant enough that my boss saw it. We saw that in profitability, the motivation of our guys, the production of our herds and the way we interacted with the other units.”

He is a big believer in utilizing continuing education opportunities to improve leadership, but making the decision to do introspective leadership work is what has made the biggest difference.

“When we first started here and Tom took over the unit manager position, there was definitely some communication hangups,” shares Terryn. “But over the years, Tom has really done a great job of being introspective and doing some inner work, and learning different ways to communicate with people.”

He spent time learning not only which communication styles work best for him but also those he works with on the ranch.

She says, “Watching that transformation has been really cool…the culture has shifted and now everyone else is starting to do the work too. It’s fun when we crew up.”

While impactful, this wasn’t an overnight shift. It took time and lots of effort.

Tom says, “Now I’m kind of working on my tone and my delivery when I communicate, and I’m not going to lie to you, it’s taken time, it’s taken a ton of work.”

Improving leadership on operations starts with you and doing a self-audit of sorts.

“In stockmanship, the first thing that we need to have to handle our cattle in a low-stress manner is self-awareness. We need to be aware of our energy and what that is conveying to our animals,” explains Terryn. “The second thing is social awareness. We need to be aware of what our animals are telling us. And animals are really good at reflecting things back to us…start there.”

Animals can tell you if you came into a situation with big energy, angry, anxious or calm.

Terryn says, “And then you can take it back to your human-to-human interactions and you can see how people respond to you and reflect back and see what’s going on inside of you and use that as information to improve your own leadership.”

During this process, it’s important to remember that nobody gets it right all the time. We are humans.

“You’re not going to have perfect communication all the time. What’s important is repair,” says Terryn. “If you come into a situation and it doesn’t go well, you can always go back and say, ‘Hey, I am really sorry. I came in really hot and I’m sure that did not feel good.’”

In situations where leadership from employers feels lacking, remember to lead up!

She shares, “You can kind of foster some of that leadership within yourself by asking the right questions, opening lines of communication and providing positivity in a slew of negativity. Because I really do believe in the stockmanship phrase, ‘good movement draws good movement,’ and good movement starts with us.”

As Tom reflects on the benefits he’s seen from improving his own leadership skills, he encourages others to invest in their employees and genuinely care about their well-being.

He says, “Always be continuing education. Invest in yourself, invest in your employees. I don’t think enough credit is given to the guys that are operational. I think they get taken for granted. Invest in those people.”

Employees have lives outside of work, and that can’t be forgotten.

He says, “I want my guys to come home at the end of the day, 100% healthy. They have their own lives… I want to do everything I can to leave those guys to do their job, but supply them with the ability and the tools to know I have their back. If you need something, call me. If you need a direction, call me. If you need a tool, call me.”

Transparency in communication also can’t be overlooked.

“Try to be transparent in as many things as you can, but attitude is everything and the tone that you come to work with and the tone that you interact with your employees sets the entire tone for your company as a culture,” Tom shares.

Remember, good ranch leadership doesn’t just impact today’s generation, it impacts the ones to come too.

Tom says, “I think it’s our duty as leaders and ranch managers or production agricultural people to help the next generation be more qualified for our roles than what we are. They’re going to have to provide more with less.”

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

The Succession Gap: Why Two-Thirds of Farms Face an Uncertain Future

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 20:18:08 GMT

Farm Journal recently reported that 44 million acres of U.S. farmland are expected to change hands in the coming years - nearly 15% of American cropland by 2030.

That’s a staggering number. But what concerns me most isn’t just the acreage. It’s what that number represents: leadership transition, ownership transition and decision-making transition happening all at once across the country.

When I look at the accompanying data, I see both opportunity and vulnerability.

According to the Farm Journal Seed & Planting Survey and Consolidation Index Predictive Model Analysis, only 34% of growing operations have a formal succession plan. Among benchmark producers, that number drops to 29%. For operations identified as at-risk, just 21% have a documented succession plan in place.

Let that sink in.

Even among farms positioned for growth, two-thirds do not have a formal plan for how leadership and ownership will transition. And nearly four out of five at-risk farms are operating without one.

At the same time, consolidation risk is not limited to smaller operations. Farms under $250,000 in gross income show a 58% consolidation risk. Farms between $250,000 and $500,000 show 48%. But even operations in the $1 million to $2.5 million range carry a 32% risk. And those between $2.5 million and $10 million still sit in a baseline consolidation risk zone of roughly 27–30%.

In other words, income alone does not protect you.

Succession gaps, management transitions and strategic exits are driving consolidation regardless of size.

I’ve spent my career working with agricultural families navigating generational transition, and I can tell you this: consolidation rarely happens overnight. It happens when pressure meets unpreparedness. A health event. A lender conversation. A market downturn. A disagreement that was never resolved. A next generation that was never fully developed or clearly empowered to lead.

Agriculture has always been unpredictable. We all understand that. Weather changes. Markets move. Policies shift. But what feels different right now is how layered the uncertainty has become. Interest rates have restructured balance sheets. Input costs remain volatile. Capital demands continue to rise. Technology expectations are accelerating. And the average age of the American farmer keeps climbing.

Generational turnover is not something we can push off for “someday.” It is happening now.

So, here’s the question I would ask any farm leader reading this: If something unexpected happened tomorrow, would your operation be okay?

Would there be clarity about who makes decisions? Would ownership be clearly defined? Would compensation and reinvestment policies be understood? Would lenders feel confident in your continuity? Would your successors be prepared - not just present - to lead?

If you hesitate in answering that, you are not alone. But hesitation is a signal.

The data in the Farm Journal analysis tells an important story. Growing operations are more likely to try new technology. They are more likely to plan land investment. And they are more likely to have formal succession plans in place. That is not coincidence. It reflects intentional leadership.

The leaders that plan tend to think about the long term - not just the next growing season. They understand their profitability by enterprise. They are disciplined about capital allocation. They define leadership roles. They have hard conversations before circumstances force communication. They build clarity into the business so that transition strengthens it rather than destabilizes it.

Succession planning is often misunderstood.

It is not simply an estate planning document. It is not a will tucked in a drawer. It is not something you address only when someone retires. It is a business discipline.

It requires clarity about management transfer and ownership transfer - and those are not always the same thing. It requires fairness, which is not necessarily equality. It requires governance structure so family conversations don’t become a business crises. It requires intentional development of the next generation so leadership transition feels earned and prepared, not assumed.

And perhaps most importantly, it requires timing.

Consolidation favors clarity. It favors farms that reduce ambiguity before outside forces expose it. It favors operations that are structured - not just successful.

One of the most revealing pieces of the consolidation data is that even higher-income farms carry measurable risk. A $3 million or $5 million operation is not immune. Scale does not eliminate vulnerability if leadership transition is unclear or strategic direction is undefined.

The 44 million acres projected to change hands represent a defining moment for American agriculture. Some families will use this season to strengthen continuity and expand. Others will find themselves reacting - not because they lacked work ethic or competence, but because they delayed putting structure in place.

Planning does not eliminate uncertainty - but it does provide framework and stability.

It allows you to make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones. It gives lenders confidence. It gives the next generation clarity. It protects family relationships. And it preserves optionality.

If your farm is truly okay - strategically aligned, financially transparent, leadership-ready - then planning becomes a growth tool.

If it’s not, planning becomes urgent.

Either way, it matters.

Knowing the data should never create paralysis. Understanding your consolidation risk, your succession gaps and your financial position gives you something incredibly valuable: choice. When your business structure is clear and your succession plan is thoughtful but flexible, you can pivot as markets shift, opportunities emerge or circumstances change. You may not be able to eliminate uncertainty - but you can position yourself to move through it with confidence.

National Blue and Corn Gold: Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 18:47:11 GMT

It’s National FFA Week. A special week for all of those who have worn the blue corduroy jacket. To me, the FFA jacket is a symbol of leadership, commitment to agriculture and a heart to serve.

My FFA membership opened doors, helped me create lifelong networks and prepared me for my career. National FFA Week means more to me than just wearing the blue and gold — it’s about the people who make this organization unforgettable. My FFA friends growing up were not just teammates; they’re the ones who pushed me to work harder, laugh louder and grow into a better leader every day.

There was only one Mr. Dan Palmateer — no one like him — the Valley Heights FFA ag educator. He was just what the three Stump girls — Angie, Jami and Kim — needed to find their paths in FFA and in life. He knew how to make each one of them stronger, build on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. He challenged each sister to be the best she could be.

(Stump Family)

I am who I am today because of my ag teacher, Dan Palmateer. He didn’t just teach agriculture — he taught me confidence and how to believe in myself even when things got tough. My two sisters — Jami Stump Gillig and Kim Stump Schmidt — and I were so blessed to call him our FFA advisor. He knew how to make each one of us stronger, build on our strengths and overcome our weaknesses. He challenged us to be the best we could be. I’m so thankful for my time in his classroom and the many lessons he taught me.

Like Mr. Palmateer, ag educators and FFA advisors are so critical to FFA’s success. Teaching is not an easy career. I’m so thankful for those who are majoring in agricultural education and have a passion to teach agriculture to the next generation. This profession is so essential as more and more generations are removed from the farm.

From an FFA Member to FFA Mom

I’m so thankful for my time in the jacket and the skills I developed because of this great organization. Now, as an FFA mom, I feel even more blessed to have watched both of my boys grow and develop because of their time as FFA members. From the classroom to the community, the organization empowers students with the skills and confidence to lead in agriculture and beyond.

Dustin Denton

(Kansas FFA)

My son, Dustin, is currently serving as a state FFA officer. While I, too, had the chance to serve our state many years ago, I’m amazed at how much the program has grown and the amazing opportunities he has had during his year of service. From traveling the state to meet with fellow members, to networking with key agriculture-industry stakeholders to numerous speaking and workshop-leading experiences this opportunity is life-changing.

A Global Perspective on Agriculture

Dustin also had the chance to travel to Spain in January for 12 days as part of the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers (ILSSO). ILSSO is a National FFA Organization program that takes 75 current or past state FFA officers abroad to study global agriculture and enhance cultural competency. Participants travel internationally, meet with agribusiness leaders and explore foreign farming practices to gain a global perspective on the industry.

Dustin had the opportunity to visit Ganados Ruigan — a beef cattle feeding operation. There he learned about the differences between American and Spanish beef production. He also toured Mas Bes Dairy and had the chance to learn a lot about vertical and horizontal integration in Spain’s dairy industry.

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His experience was amazing, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you’d like to see a day-by-day recap of his trip you can visit his Instagram page .

Through hands-on learning, leadership development and real-world experiences, FFA members are building the skills that will shape the future of agriculture. I believe it is so important FFA members have a chance to learn what it means to work hard, serve others and be stewards of the land.

National FFA Week is a reminder that FFA isn’t just an organization — it’s family, mentorship and friendships that will last long after high school. We should all strive to live by the 12 words that make up the FFA motto: “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.”

Give FFA Day

Because I believe so deeply in how this organization shapes the future generation of agriculturists, I want to share a specific way you can help: Thursday is Give FFA Day. This 24-hour campaign is a chance to invest directly in the students who will one day lead our industry.

If you are able, please consider giving to your local chapter, state association or the National FFA Foundation . If a financial gift isn’t possible right now, your time is an equally valuable investment. Local chapters are always looking for mentors to:

Critique speeches and facilitate mock interviews
Assist with career and leadership development event preparation
Mentor to a student as they build their supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program

You’ll find that when you invest in FFA students, the return on investment is seen in the strength of our entire agricultural community.

The Best Leaders Share These Three Behaviors

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:25:27 GMT

Leadership might sound like a big, formal word, but on the farm it’s really just about how you work with people every day. It’s how you talk to your team, how you handle mistakes and how you treat people when things get stressful.

When you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go. According to Marcel Schwantes, author of “ Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-ass Boss ,” when you’re just starting out, being a leader doesn’t mean you need all the answers or that you have to run everything perfectly. It’s okay to learn as you go.

He suggests regardless of the operation or title, strong leaders consistently rely on a small set of practical skills that can be learned, practiced and improved over time.

These skills include:

Show Real Interest in Your People

Take time to get to know the people who work for you, not just the job they were hired to do. Ask what they enjoy, where they want to improve and what they hope to learn next. That might mean running new equipment, taking on more responsibility or growing into a leadership role themselves.

“The best leaders genuinely want their people to thrive,” Schwantes says. “They’re willing to put the team’s needs first, share credit freely and take responsibility when things go sideways.”

He recommends supporting raises and added responsibility when they are earned and looking for chances to stretch people’s skills instead of keeping them in the same position. When employees feel genuinely valued, they take more pride in their work and show up differently every day.

Have Empathy

Many farm leaders were raised to believe emotions stay out of the workplace. Unfortunately in agriculture, empathy is often misunderstood as being too soft or letting things slide. But Schwantes notes empathy is actually one of the strongest leadership characteristics a person can have, because it helps leaders understand problems sooner and lead more effectively.

“Empathic leaders don’t just hear what people say; they understand the context, emotions and challenges behind it,” he says. “That perspective creates psychological safety, and safety unlocks creativity, problem-solving and collaboration.”

On a farm, this might look like noticing when a team member is struggling, checking in when someone seems overwhelmed or understanding the pressures your employees face at home. It’s about listening, recognizing stress and creating an environment where people feel safe asking for help.

Be Clear and Transparent

On a farm, clear communication makes everything run smoother. When your team knows what’s expected and why decisions are being made, they can work more confidently and avoid mistakes.

“A transparent culture builds trust and fosters collaboration,” Schwantes says. “When people feel safe voicing their thoughts, it deepens engagement and creates a more resilient, trustworthy team dynamic.”

Transparency also means being honest about challenges and inviting input. If something’s not working, your team should feel comfortable speaking up. The more open you are, the more trust you build — and the better your crew can handle the ups and downs.

Lead by Serving Your Team

A leadership role can feel overwhelming in some workplaces, but on the farm it doesn’t have to be complicated. Schwantes says it comes down to a few core skills — showing real interest in your people, practicing empathy and being clear and transparent.

Strong farms are built on strong teams, and strong teams are built by leaders who serve first. A leader who’s willing to jump in, listen and set a positive tone creates an environment where everyone can do their best work. And over time, that kind of leadership builds trust and creates a crew that’s ready to take on whatever comes their way.

It’s Time to Break Up with the Bad Employee

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:00:54 GMT

Having the right employees on your team is essential to keeping the farm running smoothly. Yet in many cases, workers are hired to fill an urgent labor gap and aren’t given the training or resources they need to succeed. When that happens, even well‑intentioned employees may struggle to fit the role or the team—ultimately leading to a labor “breakup.”

Jorge Delgado, a training and talent development specialist with Alltech, says the reluctance to address these situations is often emotional and more costly than managers realize. In a recent conversation, he compared it to staying in a romantic relationship long after it is clear it is not working.

Why Do Farms Struggle to Let Go?

For many farm owners, the biggest barrier to firing a poor-fit employee is fear.

“One fear that many farmers have is that they are not going to be able to find another employee to replace the person they are letting go,” Delgado explains.

This fear intensifies in specialized roles where skills are harder to find.

“This can especially be true for middle management positions,” Delgado adds. “These are more technical positions, and it can be really hard to find people to fill that role. Sometimes, that makes management hesitate to get rid of that person, even though it’s hurting production and numbers at the farm.”

Family and social ties on the farm add another complication. Delgado says it’s not uncommon for employees to be related, or tightly connected, to others on the crew.

“Sometimes these guys, they have family involved,” he adds. “The owners or managers are afraid that if they let go of oner person, these guys will take their family or friends with them.”

The result is a kind of emotional hostage situation. Even when the employee clearly doesn’t fit the culture or role, management feels stuck, hoping the situation will somehow improve on its own.

Have Clear Expectations

Many employee challenges on farms can be traced back to what did or did not happen on the first day of work. Delgado says problems often begin long before performance issues show up, simply because expectations were never clearly laid out.

“You have to have rules and regulations really clear and established on a far,” Delgado says. “Most of the farmers hire people on the spot, get them trained and get them going. These people don’t necessarily go through a formal onboarding process where they go through the expectations, the rules and regulations, and so they don’t know anything about it.”

When those expectations are never clearly explained, performance conversations and eventual terminations can feel unfair on both sides. Employees feel blindsided, and managers feel frustrated. In many cases, the breakdown started on the first day the employee walked onto the farm.

He also stresses the value of doing basic reference checks before hiring, an often-skipped step in agriculture.

“Sometimes we just hire the individual that is right at the door, and we don’t do any research,” Delgado says. “But that research can be an early sign that this individual is not the right fit for my culture.”

The Three-Strike Approach

Before any tough decision is made, farmers need a clear framework for addressing performance issues. Delgado recommends a structured, professional process—one that gives employees fair warning while protecting the farm.

He suggests a simple three-strike policy:

Verbal warning - Delgado stresses that this first step should be a clear, calm and deliberate conversation. The manager needs to sit down with the employee and explain exactly what behavior or performance issue needs to change, why it matters to the operation and what improvement looks like.

He encourages farmers to avoid vague statements like “you need to do better” and instead focus on specific, measurable expectations. The employee should leave the conversation knowing precisely what needs to change and the timeframe to correct it.

Written warning - If the issue continues after the verbal warning, Delgado says it is time to move to formal documentation. This step should be more structured and intentional, signaling to the employee that the concern is serious and must be addressed.

“You need to sit down with the person and explain what’s going on,” Delgado says. “It becomes more structuralized, because the person and both parties should sign a document saying, ‘Look, this is the second time you did this, and these are going to be the consequences if you do it for the third time.’”

Termination -If the behavior does not change after verbal and written warnings, Delgado says it is time to part ways. By this point, the employee has been given clear expectations, opportunities to improve, and formal notice that the issue is serious.

Delgado encourages farmers to handle this step professionally and directly. The conversation should be private, respectful and brief. The manager should clearly state that the employee is being let go, reference the previous warnings, and avoid turning the meeting into a debate or long explanation.

Watch for Red Flags

Every farm has its own internal culture. Employees work closely together, talk with one another and often recognize problems long before management does.

“In this small circle, things travel fast, especially trouble,” Delgado says. “When there is a person who is not behaving properly or doing something wrong, the team will try to get rid of this person. And the first sign is they will communicate with management.”

Delgado adds that the mistake many managers make is brushing off those early comments or complaints. When multiple employees start raising concerns about the same person, it is often an early warning sign that something is not working and needs attention before it affects the whole crew.

“Many times, the managers avoid these signs,” Delgado say. “They think, ‘Just let it go. Everything’s fine. We’ll take care of this later’ and they totally avoid the problem. By the time they realize it is a big issue, it’s too late.”

Common red flags include chronic lateness, cutting corners, skipping protocols and poor communication. These patterns aren’t only unprofessional, but they can create extra work and frustration for the dependable employees.

“At some point you have to say, ‘What’s going on here?’” Delgado notes. “Don’t ignore the red flags and sweep them under the rug.”

When You Have to Fire on the Spot

Not every situation needs to follow a step-by-step process. Sometimes, inappropriate behavior or actions require immediate dismissal.

“Sometimes you have to get rid of somebody on the spot,” Delgado says. “For example, someone mistreating animals, damaging equipment, mistreating coworkers, stealing or causing serious disruption needs to be let go of immediately. When behavior like drugs, alcohol, sexual harassment or anything else begins to change the culture and environment of the farm, there are no second chances.”

In these cases, keeping the wrong person sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. It makes it look like serious issues can be overlooked or tolerated. It creates frustration for employees who follow the rules, do their jobs well and expect the same standards from others.

Check In, Listen and Make Employees Feel Valued

Preventing tough breakups with employees starts well before any termination talk. Regular check-ins—both formal and informal—can catch small issues before they grow into major problems.

“Formal reviews need to be mandatory,” Delgado says. “But they often aren’t regular. Also, survey your culture. Anonymous surveys usually get people to speak up, and you’ll learn a lot about the reality of your team and the culture.”

One simple question he likes to ask employees is: Would you recommend a friend or family member to work here?

“If the answer is no, something is off,” he adds. “You need to fix that now rather than dealing with the fallout later and having to let too many people go.”

Beyond systems and surveys, many farm employees simply don’t feel valued.

“Ask an employee what their role is, and they often say, ‘I just do ‘fill in the blank’” Delgado says. “They don’t see the big picture, and it’s our job to make them feel relevant.”

That means communicating mission, purpose and appreciation—much like in a healthy marriage.

“If you aren’t telling your spouse you appreciate them, you can’t be surprised when the relationship fails if you only point out the negatives,” he adds

Breaking Up the Right Way

Running a farm isn’t just about managing equipment, crops and livestock. It also means managing people. And while you can’t control every employee’s choice, you can:

Set clear expectations from day one
Document verbal and written warnings
Pay attention to the “inner community” of employees
Use reviews and surveys to monitor morale and culture
Communicate how valuable and relevant your team members are

And when it becomes clear that someone isn’t a fit, you owe it to your business and your team to act.

How to Handle Tension Before it Becomes Conflict

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:37:46 GMT

Conflict on farms isn’t always obvious. It doesn’t have to show up as a dramatic argument or a big blow-up moment. Most of the time, it starts as frustration over a task, strain between coworkers or even just someone quietly checking out.

While conflict can feel messy, it’s not a sign something is broken. According to Hernando Duarte, farm labor outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, it’s a reality of farm work.

“In labor-intensive environments like farms and other agricultural operations, conflict between employees [and family] can happen,” Duarte explains. And on farms, that friction is hard to avoid.

Conflict Can Feel Personal

Duarte notes conflict feels uncomfortable for a reason. On a farm, long hours, physical work and constant pressure can make disagreements feel personal, even when they’re not. Sometimes, just a simple disagreement can feel like a personal attack.

“Our brains often perceive conflict as a threat, which makes it uncomfortable and leads many people to avoid it,” he says.

That instinct to avoid tough conversations is understandable, but avoiding conflict doesn’t make it disappear. According to Duarte, the difference between a farm that struggles and one that moves forward often comes down to how leaders respond when tension shows up.

Most Conflict Starts Below the Surface

Sometimes a disagreement looks like just part of the daily grind, but Duarte emphasizes that understanding what’s underneath the issue is the first step toward solving and preventing conflict in the future.

On farms, those underlying causes often include:

Misunderstandings about expectations or tasks
Different work styles and decision-making speeds
Unclear roles or responsibilities
Cultural or language barriers within diverse teams
Stress and fatigue during peak seasons
Generational differences in values and priorities

None of these are unusual in agriculture, they’re often just a natural part of running a farm. More hands and different perspectives can sometimes cause small misunderstandings, but that’s just a normal part of working together as a team.

Turning Conflict Into Progress

It can be tempting to hope tension works itself out. But Duarte warns that avoiding conflict usually makes the situation worse.

When conflict is ignored, Duarte says farms often see:

Lower morale and growing frustration
Reduced productivity and focus
Higher employee turnover
Declines in performance, quality and safety

Unresolved conflict doesn’t just go away. Left unaddressed, small tensions can grow and start affecting how the team works together.

“Conflict doesn’t have to be a negative thing,” Duarte says. “When handled properly, it can lead to stronger communication, better teamwork and long-term improvements and innovation.”

Handled well, conflict can actually move a team forward. Duarte encourages leaders to:

Create space for private, respectful conversations
Listen to all sides without interruption
Look beyond surface issues to understand the real concern
Refocus discussions on shared goals, including a safe, productive, respectful workplace
Agree on clear next steps, responsibilities and follow-up
Bring in additional support if issues repeat or escalate

Addressing conflict early helps keep small issues from turning into long-term setbacks and gives teams a chance to work better together.

Leadership Sets the Tone

At the end of the day, Duarte says resolving on-farm conflict starts with leadership. If managers ignore tension, people notice. If they step in and handle issues calmly and fairly, the whole team feels more confident.

Leading by example, communicating clearly and checking in regularly all help reduce future conflict. Training supervisors to handle small issues early can keep them from becoming bigger disruptions later.

Conflict isn’t fun, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When it’s handled the right way, it can actually make the team stronger. It’s a chance to build trust, clear up expectations and keep everyone moving in the same direction.

3 Big Leadership Myths You Need to Bust

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:12:38 GMT

Leadership in agriculture often comes with high expectations. Whether you’re running a multigenerational farm, overseeing a team of employees or managing the day-to-day operations, the pressure to “do it all” can be intense. But sometimes the assumptions we make about what good leadership looks like can actually hold us back.

A recent article from Fast Company lists the three most common leadership myths, along with why it’s time to set them aside. From the push for speed to the pressure of having all the answers, these myths can shape how we lead, often without us even realizing it.

Myth No. 1: Faster Is Always Better

Running a farm is a fast-paced job. With long to-do lists and constant demands, it can be tempting to make quick decisions just to keep things moving. While fast thinking might help you get through a busy day, too many rushed calls in a row can create bigger challenges in the long run.

“While speed has its place, it can also be a liability,” says Tony Martignetti, chief illumination officer at Inspired Purpose Partners. “Moving too fast often means overlooking critical insights, missing long-term opportunities and making short-sighted decisions that sacrifice lasting value for immediate gains.”

This rings especially true in agriculture, where the days are long and the decisions are endless. The pressure to “keep up” with changing conditions can make urgency feel like the only option. But not every problem calls for an immediate fix.

“Before defaulting to speed, ask yourself: Are we moving in the right direction? Are we building something that will stand the test of time?” Martignetti says. “True competitive advantage doesn’t come from speed but from strategic timing and intentional execution. Create space for reflection and thoughtful decision-making.”

Myth No. 2: Innovation Means High-Tech

These days, it’s easy to assume that true innovation requires the latest and greatest technology. From automation and data systems to robotics and sensors, the industry is full of shiny new tools that promise improved efficiency and performance.

However, some of the most impactful changes on the farm don’t involve technology at all. Innovation can be as simple as rethinking how you train new employees to set them up for success, or it can involve updating standard operating procedures (SOPs) to better reflect what’s actually working in your operation, rather than sticking to routines that no longer serve it.

These types of improvements don’t require the latest hardware or software. They require a willingness to think critically, question old habits and try something new.

Myth No. 3: Good Leaders Have All the Answers

As the leader of your operation, you might often feel like you should know everything, but thinking you need to have all the answers can do more harm than good. Not only does it create immense personal pressure, but it can also unintentionally silence the people around you. When team members sense that their input isn’t welcomed or needed, they may stop offering ideas, pointing out concerns or asking important questions.

“The best leaders don’t have all the answers; they create environments where the right questions lead to breakthrough solutions,” Martignetti says. “Leadership isn’t about possessing infinite knowledge; it’s about creating an environment where curiosity thrives, where diverse perspectives are valued and where new ideas can emerge.”

On the farm, where no two days look the same, adaptive leadership is often more valuable than certainty. Martignetti notes that leadership requires you to ask the right questions, like: What are we missing? What could we do differently? What does the team think? These questions open the door to better solutions than any single individual could come up with on their own.

“The best leaders don’t have all the answers; they create environments where the right questions lead to breakthrough solutions,” he adds.

Become a Mythbuster

Running a farm means moving fast, thinking on your feet and handling a hundred things at once — but good leadership requires you to know when to slow down, when to listen and when to try something different. Letting go of old ideas about what leadership should look like can be tough, but it also opens the door to something better.

The best leaders don’t have all the answers, and they don’t rely on flash or speed to get results. They lead by example, stay open to new ways of thinking and create space for the people around them to grow. And according to Martignetti, that kind of leadership can make all the difference.

Overcome the No. 1 Challenge in Passing Down Your Family Farm

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 19:38:38 GMT

Between now and 2048, about $124 trillion is expected to exchange hands from older to younger generations in the U.S., according to Cerulli Associates, a Boston-based market research firm.

For perspective, that dollar amount is approximately five times the size of the 2023 U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which totaled $27.72 trillion.

How will farmers fit into what many people are calling the “Great Wealth Exchange” over the next two decades? Much of it is specific to land, according to the American Farmland Trust (AFT). It predicts 300 million acres of U.S. agricultural land will change hands in the next 20 years.

Based on $5,000 an acre for farm ground, Paul Neiffer, the Farm CPA, estimates that would be a transfer of between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion in land from older farmers to younger generations.

“If you throw in rangeland, that’s another trillion, so $3 to $4 trillion at most is where I think we’re at,” Neiffer says.

The Reason Succession Often Fails

A common issue is that while 69% of farmers plan to transfer their operation to a younger family member, only 23% have a plan , according to AgAmerica Lending LLC.

But the No. 1 issue that trips up people in the succession planning process is most people – farmers included – focus more on the mechanics involved in transferring assets than on keeping their family relationships intact.

That’s according to Amy Castoro, CEO and president of The Williams Group, a family coaching and consulting organization. Her firm does relationship planning to help family members make sure they’re still speaking to each other after the wealth transfers.

Many times, she says, the friction in the transfer of wealth has little to do with money and material goods and a whole lot more to do with whether the family members involved felt loved.

A Formula For Success

The Williams Group did a 20-year field study and from that developed a formula for how people need to focus their time and energy in the succession process.

The company recommends spending:
60% of your time on building family trust and developing good communication practices;

25% preparing your heirs to take over the operation, laying the business and fiscal groundwork for the farm to continue under their leadership;

10% of your time getting on the same page about your family’s values and having a family mission;

5% of your time on the estate planning mechanics, the nuts and bolts of how the assets will transfer.

In addition, The Williams Group advises that you work with your heirs to:

Strike a balance between control and collaboration.
Embrace the next generation’s perspectives.
Bolster intergenerational solidarity.
Embed high-trust behaviors.
Co-design standards for readiness.

Start The Plan Sooner, Not Later

If you want to see your farm succeed with the next generation of family members, make sure you have the right structure in place – and set it up sooner than later. Don’t put it off, Neiffer advises.

Once you have a plan in place, you have a tool you can modify to fit what your family and farm need over time.

“Having a plan in place can help alleviate stress, even if things change down the road,” Neiffer says. “Keep in mind that farming is a dynamic business and your plan needs to be, too.”

Your next read: Big Questions Remain For Next Gen Farmers

The Power of a Mentor: How You Can Inspire the Next Generation

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:12:45 GMT

I learned an important lesson early in life – find someone to look up to and help someone find a reason to look up to you. I know this is easier said than done. In theory, it is a great idea. But in reality, how do you put this into practice?

I spend a lot of time thinking about the next generation and ways to connect bright, promising young people to a life-giving future in agriculture. Over the years, a few things have become apparent to me when it comes to building connections between generations.

1. Make the first move.
Who cares if you get a cold shoulder? All too often we fail to make the first move because we let our doubts have more power than they deserve in our lives. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard farmers and other agricultural leaders express their desire to have young people reach out to them with questions. People want to be needed. The next generation will be more successful if they are armed with valuable lessons learned by today’s agricultural leaders.

It reminds me of the day I met Angie Denton at the National Western Stock Show in Denver. Admittedly, she tells the story with more drama than I recall. She says, “I was at the pen and carload show taking photos and this firecracker of a college girl came up and said she wanted to be my intern. I’ll never forget the passion and drive in her voice and her sincere desire to want to learn and grow as a livestock communicator.”

This makes me laugh because I was shaking in my boots – literally. But I also knew that if I wanted to intern with Angie, I needed to create a connection. Email wouldn’t do (and no, we didn’t have social media so don’t even joke about that). Most importantly, that quick conversation was a starting point for a lifelong friendship. But in the short term, it helped me land one of the greatest mentoring experiences of my life at the Angus Journal.

Fast forward a couple decades and it was my honor to encourage my mentor to apply for the Drovers editorial position. I’m excited Angie and I have the privilege of working together at Farm Journal as we seek innovative ways to serve America’s cattle and swine producers.

2. Listen more than you speak.
As one of the youngest executive directors of a state swine organization, Seth Mitchell’s path is one that’s turning heads. He is the first person selected for the Pork Industry Immersion Program, a two-year deep dive into organizational leadership in the swine industry. I’ll never forget my husband telling me Seth was one to watch when he was a student at the University of Illinois. I try not to admit this too much, but my husband was right.

Seth Mitchell on the stage at the National Pork Industry Forum.

(Jennifer Shike)

To say I was fascinated with Seth’s journey in the Pork Industry Immersion Program is an understatement. The forward-thinking approach of the industry leaders who helped create this program reminds me why the pork industry is so special. While other agricultural industries are finding it challenging to engage Generation Z, the pork industry has a different story to tell.

“I’m a firm believer that the pork industry’s greatest asset is its people,” Mitchell told me during a recent conversation we had on The PORK Podcas t. “Some of our tremendous leaders in the industry are starting to age out and we need a bench of good folks to come in and fill those potential vacancies coming down the road.”

Seth learned many valuable lessons during the immersion experience, but I couldn’t agree more with the perspective he gained on listening.

“When you understand that producers drive most of what we do as state and national pork organizations, you understand the value of sitting across the table and listening to what they have to say,” he says. “I believe there is more value in listening than speaking in those circumstances. I like to use the adage, ‘be interested, not interesting.’”

3. Feedback is a gift.
My experiences in FFA and 4-H helped me discover the blessing behind constructive guidance. We’ll never be so smart that we can’t benefit from someone else’s viewpoint.

Seth discovered this early and it’s serving him well in his new role as executive director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association.

“One thing I’ve tried to be cognizant of is welcoming feedback,” he says. “Lean into it. Be curious and ask good questions. There are a lot of things I can’t fix unless someone makes me aware of it, so being receptive to feedback is helpful.”

Oftentimes the best thing we can do is invest in someone else. How will you accept the challenge to mentor the next generation? Don’t forget that it may be equally important to give someone else the opportunity to help you along in your journey. This is an industry that wouldn’t work without people. An investment in people always pays off in the end.

Your next read: In the Foxhole with Army Veteran and Pig Farmer Scott Hays

The Kids Aren’t Coming Back to the Farm – Now What?

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:38:03 GMT

“Grandpa and Grandma passed the farm down to my parents, then my parents passed it down to me. We’re hopeful the next generation will take over in the next few years.”

Sound familiar? It’s the story shared on countless family farms across the country — an unspoken hope that the torch will pass naturally. No formal plan, just a quiet assumption: Our kids will come back.

But here’s the tough question no one wants to ask:

What if they don’t?

What if they have other dreams?
What if they’re not cut out for the job?
What if you’ve spent your life building something worth continuing, and no one is waiting to carry it forward?

Who runs the farm then?

It’s a question more farmers are grappling with as rural demographics shift, career choices broaden and fewer children return home after college. While it might not be the path you envisioned for your operation, the absence of a next-generation successor doesn’t mean the end of your farm. But it does mean it’s time to think differently.

Whether it’s transitioning to a trusted employee, partnering with a young beginning farmer, exploring lease-to-own arrangements or even selling to a like-minded producer, there are more options than you might realize. The key is being proactive, not reactive.
Long story short, waiting and hoping isn’t a succession plan.

Know Your Options
When a family successor isn’t in the cards, it doesn’t mean the legacy of your farm has to end. Whether your kids aren’t interested, aren’t able, or just aren’t the right fit, there are still ways to ensure the operation you’ve built continues to thrive.

1. Long-Time Employees
Sometimes your successor is already part of your team. A trusted employee who understands your operation, shares your values and has a strong work ethic might be the ideal candidate.

“It involves identifying the right person, mentoring them over time and gradually transferring responsibility,” says Jessica Groskopf, agricultural economist and extension educator at the University of Nebraska. “When done well, it’s incredibly rewarding for both parties. But it does take time, trust and careful legal planning.”

Don’t wait until retirement to start the conversation. Begin involving them in decision-making, management and financial discussions early. Let them see what it takes to run the business. Not just the day-to-day labor, but the big-picture strategy.

Formalizing their involvement with clear expectations, written agreements and timelines can also protect both parties. Work to create a succession roadmap that includes phased ownership, buy-in options or profit-sharing models to help them build equity over time.

2. Beginning Farmers
There are many young, aspiring farmers ready to work hard, but they lack land or capital. Connecting with young producers through farm incubator programs, state-level beginning farmer initiatives or land-linking platforms can lead to meaningful partnerships.

“These agreements between non-relatives are actually very common,” says Julia Valliant, a research scientist at Indiana University. “According to USDA data, land is most often accessed through a non-relative, either through rental or purchase.”

Programs across the country are designed to help match landowners with beginning farmers and even offer incentives for transitions to socially disadvantaged or beginning producers. Some states also provide tax benefits to landowners who sell or lease to a qualified beginning farmer, helping reduce the financial risk of transition while encouraging generational renewal.

3. Business Partners or Co-Ownership Models
If your kids aren’t coming back, co-ownership might be another way to ensure the farm’s legacy lives on while bringing new energy and ideas into the operation.

“That might mean forming a formal business entity, like an LLC or corporation, where ownership is shared,” says Kelly Wilfert, farm management outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

However, these arrangements are not one-size-fits-all.

“Multiple owners may divide ownership of individual assets such as land, equipment or livestock, or simply share ownership of the entity that holds those assets,” Wilfert says. “This flexibility allows outgoing owners to structure transitions in stages, working alongside future owners to gradually shift responsibility.”

It’s Still Your Legacy
A non-family transition doesn’t mean your farm’s story ends; it simply turns a new page. What matters most is that it continues in a way that honors your work, your values and the community it supports.

“Have open and honest conversations with your family about this,” Groskopf says. “Understand each other’s values and goals. That emotional clarity paves the way for good business decisions.”

And don’t go it alone. Extension educators, ag consultants and estate planning attorneys can help you sort through the legal, tax and emotional complexities of transitioning your farm. But you have to take the first step.

In the end, waiting isn’t a plan. And doing nothing is still a decision.

Your Next Read: Growing Pains and Big Gains: A Wisconsin Dairy’s Fast-Paced Journey From 70 Cows to 700

It's Time To Lead: Strong Succession Won't Happen By Accident

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:38:24 GMT

Succession planning isn’t just a checklist item — it’s a defining leadership moment. As a farm or ranch owner, it’s time to stop waiting for the “right moment” and start leading with purpose. You’re not just passing on assets; you’re shaping the future of your operation. That means stepping into the role of leader with clarity, courage and commitment.

First, take a hard look at what kind of leader your farm needs. Are you focused on daily operations or vision and growth? Are you modeling strong financial discipline and decision-making? Are you addressing conflicts head-on and keeping your family aligned? Leadership requires more than technical skill; it demands the courage to tackle tough conversations, whether with partners, successors or family members. Great leaders don’t shy away from discomfort; they lean into it with the goal of building stronger relationships and a more resilient operation.

Communication is foundational. If your team doesn’t know what’s happening, how can they help move forward? Hold regular family meetings, define decision-making roles and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Avoiding conflict only leads to confusion. Structured, transparent communication builds trust and keeps succession planning on track. Communication is also how you build buy-in from the people who will carry your operation forward.

Leadership Isn’t Handed Over

Next, you must actively develop your future leaders. Don’t wait until you’re ready to retire to begin mentoring. Give your successors meaningful responsibilities now. Let them learn by managing projects, participating in financial discussions and handling day-to-day operations. Leadership isn’t handed over — it’s earned through real-world experience and demonstrated commitment. Every season serves as an opportunity to develop those skills and test readiness.

Set clear standards for advancement. Define what success looks like: required experience, education and financial knowledge. Make sure successors understand what it takes to lead and hold those leaders accountable. If someone isn’t ready or is unwilling to step up, be honest. Your farm’s legacy deserves strong, prepared leadership.

Succession planning is hard. Many families stall out due to fear, conflict or lack of clarity. But real leaders don’t quit when times get tough, they face challenges head on. If your planning has gone off track, reset. Re-engage your family, bring in outside support if necessary and commit to consistent action.

The future of your farm depends on your leadership today. Will you linger in uncertainty, or will you lead with confidence? Strong succession isn’t going to happen by accident. It’s driven by leaders who are willing to plan boldly, act decisively and invest in their next generation. Your family and your operation are counting on you. Be the leader they need.

Your Next Read — Quiet Crisis, Unfolding Rapidly: Big Questions Remain For Next Gen Farmers

Burn Bright, Not Out: Avoiding Leadership Fatigue on the Farm

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:36:46 GMT

Running a farm means juggling a dozen roles — from CEO and HR manager to bookkeeper and mechanic. Many farmers take pride in caring for their team like family, but as the operation grows and challenges mount, that commitment can come at a cost. The constant demands of running a farm leave little room to recharge. Between long hours, tough decisions and the pressure to keep everything running smoothly, it’s easy for farmers to put their own needs last. But to lead well for the long haul, personal well-being has to move higher on the list.

So how do you keep leading with heart and protect your own well-being? A recent article from Fast Company offers some practical ways to reset and recharge.

Coach, don’t carry. When a team member comes to you with a problem, resist the urge to jump in with a quick fix. Instead, try asking: “What do you think we should do?” or “What have you already tried?” These simple questions encourage problem-solving and reduce the pressure on you to have all the answers while building your team’s confidence and resilience.
Set up smarter routines. You don’t need to be available 24/7 to be an effective leader. Look at your daily and weekly rhythms. Are there meetings that could be grouped together or moved to a text or email? Protecting blocks of time for focused work or recovery helps you stay present without running dry.
Challenge the sense of urgency. Some things are truly time-sensitive, but many aren’t. Try asking yourself and your team: “Does this really need to happen now?” or “What’s the downside if we wait?” Giving permission to pause can reduce stress and lead to clearer thinking.
Play to your team’s strengths. Delegating isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of smart leadership. Hand off the tasks that drain you and let someone else shine. Whether it’s reviewing data, meeting with a stakeholder or fixing that piece of equipment, someone on your team might love it. Give them the responsibility and the recognition that goes with it.
Don’t forget yourself. Whether it’s a hobby, a personal goal or a quiet hour with no demands, finding something that fuels you outside the farm is essential. You’re more than just the person who keeps it all running, and investing in your own renewal is a leadership skill, not a luxury.

Sustainable leadership isn’t about doing it all. It’s about leading with intention and protecting your capacity to keep doing what you love, for the long haul. Start small: cancel one unnecessary meeting, hand off a task or take a walk after chores. Your team doesn’t just need you to lead, they need you to last.

Your Next Read: Train to Retain: Strengthening Your Farm’s Workforce from Within

Feeling Stuck? Ask Yourself These 4 Questions

Wed, 21 May 2025 19:47:26 GMT

Everybody’s been stuck at some point in their life. Maybe you’ve felt stuck about knowing how to move forward in your career. Maybe you’ve felt stuck between two people’s different opinions. Maybe you’ve felt stuck because you are trying to do too many things at once. Maybe you’ve just felt stuck because you are tired or angry or frustrated.

“What happens when you’re on fire?” asks Kacee Bohle, founder and CEO at AGRIMINDS . “You stop, drop and roll. That’s the first thing that I advise when you feel stuck. Let’s stop and see what’s actually going on, then we can go forward from there.”

Feeling Stuck is Normal
Bohle says being stuck is a normal situation people find themselves in. To get unstuck, take a 360-degree evaluation of your reality. What’s actually going on? What’s the root of why you’re feeling the way that you are right now?

Although there isn’t one magical way to get unstuck, Bohle suggests it starts by looking inside.

“It’s going to be different for everybody, and it really depends on all the other factors you have going into this as well,” she says. “For example, what season of life are you in? Who else is involved in your decision making? What can you actually do right now? What resources are available to you? It’s just not this cookie cutter answer where I can say, if you’re stuck, do this thing and you’re a feel all better. That’s just not reality.”

But everyone can sit back and evaluate what’s going on in their life a little more. Bohle uses a Japanese concept called ikigai to get her started.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that translates to ‘a reason for being’ or ‘a reason to get up in the morning.’ Bohle says it’s essentially about finding what gives your life purpose, meaning and joy.

The four questions are simple ways to get yourself thinking, she says. They include:

Am I doing stuff that I love?
Am I doing stuff that I’m good at?
Am I able to get paid for it?
Does the world need what I have?

Finding a healthy balance leads to a more fulfilled life, Bohle says. But sometimes, it’s not possible to do any of those things.

“Sometimes we’re leaning really heavy in one of those areas and not even touching the other three,” she explains. “But if you know what your center could be – if you know what to get back to or what you’re working towards – it’s a lot easier to know what your next step is going to be.”

Action Creates Clarity
So, then what? Bohle says if you’re not sure what your next step is, just start doing something.

“If it feels aligned, keep doing more of that,” she says. “If it doesn’t, then shift gears and pivot into something else. Start dipping your toes into different areas.”

This can look like many things from making a big decision to make a career move to volunteering in your community. For others, it can look like having conversations and meeting new people to get that spark back, she says.

“Take small steps toward feeling something positive. The more that you do that, the more clarity you’re going to get,” Bohle says.

Do Something Unpredictable
It’s easy to get analysis paralysis when you feel stuck.

“I am a big thinker,” she says. “Sometimes I overthink it to death to the point I have considered every possible solution, and now I’m still stuck and don’t know what to do. You must do something, and that something is going to tell you whether this was the right move or not. But at least you’re doing the process of elimination, and realizing that’s the thing I shouldn’t be doing.”

In one of Bohle’s favorite shows, Covert Affairs, a spy shared that the best spy advice she ever received was to “be unpredictable.”

“I’ve always loved that advice,” Bohle says. “Don’t be ordinary. Change your routines. Do something people wouldn’t expect you to do. When you start doing stuff differently, it changes something inside of you.”

From taking a different road home than you typically do to ordering something new the next time you go to a restaurant, she says breaking out of routine can help you get unstuck.

Stop Spinning
Everything that we know or believe has either been caught or taught, Bohle says.

“If you think about our industry and who we’ve learned from, who we’ve been around, we’ve probably been influenced by them and conditioned by them,” she explains. “It takes a conscious effort to change what we’ve been taught.”

Bohle believes there’s been a lack of knowledge about available resources.

“When I think back to my professional career, and even my education, I don’t recall anybody sharing that with me,” she says. “It wasn’t until I sought out these resources that I came across them. I think there’s a lack of knowledge about how many resources exist to support you in whatever thing that you’re dealing with.”

She also says there’s a fear that it may not work, will hurt someone’s feelings or inconvenience others.

“It’s one of those endless cycles,” Bohle says. “We’re stuck spinning, spinning, spinning, and we don’t know how to get out of the whirlwind, which is why it’s so important to communicate with either your trusted circle or a professional. It can be as simple as raising your hand and saying, ‘I need some help.’”

Your Next Read: Don’t Ignore the Nudge: Why Listening Matters More Than You Think

Alltech ONE Conference Returns Home to Kentucky in 2026

Tue, 20 May 2025 17:56:58 GMT

After years of connecting virtually and exploring the world together through regional experiences, Alltech is excited to bring the ONE Conference back home to Lexington on May 18–20, 2026. With the theme “Together, bright becomes brilliant,” ONE 2026 will feature inspiring keynote speakers, dynamic tracks and workshops, and leading-edge insights from global leaders across agriculture, business, technology and sustainability.

“Over the last 40 years, Alltech has created a truly unique event, the only one of its kind, which many hail as the premier international agri-food event,” Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, said in a release. “ONE 2026 will again congregate thought and action leaders, scientists, food producers, entrepreneurs and storytellers in a spirit of open collaboration to explore what’s next for our industry — and our planet.”

The Alltech ONE Conference will return to Lexington, Kentucky on May 18–20, 2026.

(Alltech)

Alltech’s goal is to gather global thought leaders and innovators for an immersive exploration of the bold ideas shaping the future of agri-food.

“This event has brought tens of thousands of business leaders to the Bluegrass from almost 100 different countries over the years,” Lyons says. “The connections and conversations they have had here have led to new innovations, business ventures and the creation of a community that spans the globe. So many are making their plans to join us in 2026, and the buzz is already building.”

In 1985, Alltech held its first iteration of the conference in Lexington, welcoming guests from around the world to engage with experts on trending topics in agriculture. Since then, ONE has become a catalyst for inspiration, innovation and collaboration across the agriculture industry and beyond, the company says.

The conference was held in Lexington until 2023, when Alltech took the ideas and inspiration of ONE on the road to six countries and four continents as the Alltech ONE World Tour.

“I look forward to welcoming you to our hometown — to walk the halls of Rupp Arena with old friends and new allies, and to spark the ideas that will shape our shared future,” Lyons says. “There’s no place like home.”

Learn more here.

Your Next Read: Andy Rash: How His Obsession with Progress is Changing Lives

Don’t Ignore the Nudge: Why Listening Matters More Than You Think

Mon, 19 May 2025 18:00:00 GMT

Have you ever found yourself unsure of how to take a step forward? I clearly remember a day last summer when I was out of time. The procrastination needed to stop. I had an hour-long talk to prepare for and my mind was blank.

Of course, I realized this was not a good situation to be in. Sure, I had my topic and key points, but in my mind, it needed a dash of heart.

Then, my phone buzzed.

At first, I ignored it. I didn’t have time to get sidetracked. But I eventually checked it. It was Maddie, a young woman and friend who shared her vulnerable and powerful story with me a few years ago about her attempts at suicide.

Start the Conversation
She texted, “I know you’ve been so busy lately and I didn’t want to bother you. But I’ve been thinking about this all day and felt urged to share this story with you.”

Maddie had been speaking on her mental health journey in front of a group of farmers in Ohio. She didn’t know anyone at the event and admittedly, was a little nervous to share her story. When she arrived, a middle-aged man in work boots and overalls came right over to her and asked if he could help carry her things.

She politely said, “Sure, I’d love that.”

They got to talking as they carried in her tubs of stuff. Eventually they got to the reason she was in Ohio to speak.

This 250-lb. farmer then teared up and said, “I know why you are here. Ma’am, I just thought you should know that you’re the reason I’m here.”

Although the details of his story are not what matters here, he was contemplating suicide when he scrolled upon Maddie’s story on Facebook .

“For whatever reason, I saw your parents’ side of the story first,” he told her. “I decided that I didn’t want my wife and children to find me like that. I didn’t want to leave them like that.”

I messaged back to my friend and said, “Wow. I don’t know what else to say.”

She simply responded that she didn’t know what to say in that moment either. So, she hugged him hard and that was it.

“It was exceptionally hard to compose myself the rest of the day,” Maddie texted back. “Thank you, Jennifer. You took a chance on me and whether you know it or not, you saved a life, too. I was just a small part in it.”

‘Fine’ Doesn’t Cut It
Can I be honest that I felt completely uncomfortable when she said this? (And even more so sharing this with you.) But in that moment, I was reminded that the very best thing we can do in this world is listen to others. We think we need to say something back or have the right words, but we don’t.

People just want to be heard. They want to be known. They may not say it out loud, but as humans, one of our greatest needs is to be understood by someone.

We all have stories that need to be shared, and we need people to step in and listen to them. Listening is one of the most powerful healing tools.

Almost a year ago, I wrote about my friend Mary and how she takes the time to truly see people . She’s a busy lady and balances several jobs and volunteer opportunities. But she is never too busy to genuinely look you in the eye and ask you how you are doing. Mary doesn’t ask in a way that gives you any option except to say how you are really doing. ‘Fine’ doesn’t cut it with her.

I hope you don’t let ‘fine’ cut it in your life, either. Pay attention to the people you run into every day and the people you love who you don’t get to see very often. I’m thankful Maddie didn’t ignore the nudge to text me that day. She gave me just the dash of heart I needed.

Your Next Read: By Her Own Hand: A Farm Girl’s Miraculous Journey from Death to Hope

May is Mental Health Awareness Month . Millions of Americans live with mental health conditions. Whether by sharing your story, spreading awareness, or advocating for change, every action helps break the stigma and build a more supportive world for all.

A Must-Attend Industry Event

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:18:00 GMT

Time is a limited resource and it’s easy to fill an entire year with ranch work. Yet, creating time to work on the business and continuously learn is of equal if not more importance when creating profitable businesses. One opportunity ranchers can take to brush up on industry challenges, peek into future trends and network with some of the industry’s brightest minds is attending the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium June 10-13, 2025, in Amarillo, Texas.

BIF Executive Director Bob Weaber says, “We try to build the program to push everyone in their thinking, but they aren’t topics that are going to go way over your head.”

BIF is a membership organization consisting of many industry stakeholders and organizations. It was originally founded to standardize beef cattle performance data collection systems to collect reliable and unbiased data for genetic selection. Today, one of the great opportunities it creates for ranchers is its annual research symposium.

From the young producer seminar, to keynotes, panels, breakout sessions, tours and hallway conversations – each generation on the ranch can find value from attending.

“We noticed that parents and grandparents were coming to the convention, but the younger generation was staying home to work. We wanted to create an opportunity to connect the younger generation to mentors and these industry conversations,” Weaber says.

This opportunity is in the form of the Young Producer Seminar, which kicks off the event. The 2025 theme is about making your voice heard and will include conversations about entrepreneurship, transition planning, family business culture and advocacy.

Additionally, the seminar has speakers to help prepare young producers to find mentors, get engaged in hallway conversations and ultimately get the most out of this convention and others.

The following two days are filled with big picture conversations about different challenges and how they impact each industry sector differently.

Day two will focus on conflicting market signals and profit drivers throughout the supply chain, specifically the pressure for increased growth and carcass performance and how that impacts profitability for cow-calf producers, feedlots and packers. This conversation will start with consumer preference and work its way through the rest of the supply chain.

Additionally, there will be a beef x dairy panel discussion focusing on how to select genetics for Holstein and Jersey cows to build high-value carcasses.

Day three is another heavy hitter focusing on new technology and sustainability.

“Politically sustainability is in the crosshairs at the moment, but the consumer still thinks it is important so we should think they are important,” Weaber says.

Various speakers will address global and domestic perspectives of sustainability, including what other countries are experiencing as well as how focusing on sustainability impacts the entire beef value chain economically.

From the technology perspective, there will also be a focus on how AI and machine learning is entering the beef industry, especially to automate phenotypic record collection.

And of course, BIF Symposium wouldn’t be complete without a tour or two. There will be two tours this year. One will be focused on range and cow-calf and the other will be feedlot and packer focused.

As you consider whether to or not to attend the symposium, remember the power of networking. Connectivity is the main reason ranchers should attend the event.

“If you want to get connected to the people, thoughts and actions that impact beef cattle genetic improvement, BIF is the must-attend meeting,” Weaber says.

You can view the full agenda and register at BIFSymposium.com .

Watch the full conversation here.

Rollins: First 50 Days Fighting for Our Country Has Been A Joy, But There's More Work To Do

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 18:56:39 GMT

USDA Chief Brooke Rollins is feeling pretty good about her first 50 days as President Donald Trump’s secretary of agriculture.

The Texas native, who just celebrated her 53rd birthday on April 10, is proud of what her team at USDA has accomplished since taking the reins from former Secretary of Agriculture and Iowa attorney Tom Vilsack.

But despite that progress, her list of issues to tackle soon is quickly filling up. Among those action items is deciding if American farmers will need another round of assistance payments later this year and if USDA headquarters should be relocated.

If Trump’s tariff plan proves successful, Rollins says we’ll be “shipping and selling more of our row crops than ever before.”

In that case, she doesn’t anticipate needing to sign off on additional USDA assistance payments for farmers later this summer. But there’s also a potential worst-case scenario where the agency may need to provide direct farmer aid, which also happened in 2019 during tariff disruption.

Rollins hopes to soon have answers to the rumor that USDA headquarters are being relocated. With more than 106,000 employees across 29 divisions, she says USDA is a “mammoth agency” and alluded that the agency may be better positioned to serve America’s farmers and ranchers in a location closer to the major crop and livestock producing areas of the country.

“Does it make sense for one of the bigger divisions to be in Washington, D.C.? Maybe not,” she says. “So, how do we get the government closer to the people we serve? That is one of the President’s key visions in realigning the entire government and returning the power to the people – by ensuring we have the right governance structure in place, and we’re not strangling the very people we’re trying to help with more regulation and more bureaucrats.”

Rollins also expects some reductions in the USDA workforce could be coming as the Trump administration and the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) set out to “realign USDA around farmers, ranchers, foresters and ag producers first.”

Of course, the issue most farmers have top of mind today, besides low commodity prices and high interest rates, is the ongoing tariff saga.

Rollins says she can’t promise anything on that front yet, but she is confident President Trump’s negotiating chops will be able to finagle the best deal possible. Her USDA onboarding agenda included a deep dive into the global ag economy and tariffs – lessons that have proven rather enlightening for the former D.C. think-tank policy director.

“I’ll tell you what I understand now, and I’ve studied the numbers, the non-tariff barriers and what these other countries have done – not just to all American imports, but specifically to our farmers and our ranchers,” she says. “I’ve heard the President say multiple times just in the last few days how it’s unbelievable what these other countries have gotten away with for decades. And that’s what he’s changing (with tariffs).”

Your Next Read - China Increases Tariffs to 125%: What Ag Exports Will Be Most Impacted

3 Steps To Honestly Evaluate Your Farm's Performance

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 20:01:20 GMT

You’re only ever in three stages of life:

As good as you think you are
Better than you think you are
Worse than you think you are

Most of the time it’s No. 3. “But, Shay, my feelings!” Settle down, this isn’t to make you feel bad about yourself. It’s to reflect on how you’re treating yourself.

Step 1
The first step is expectations and goal management. Your perception of how well you are doing is probably dictated by the ability to achieve your expectations. Do your expectations only live in your head? Then you need to write them down. People who write down their goals are 80% more likely to achieve them. Then you need to evaluate, are these realistic expectations?

Step 2
The second step is prioritizing. You can only improve what you measure, and you shouldn’t measure what you aren’t willing to manage. Whether it is time management, work-life balance, profitability projections, marketing plans or yield goals, if you don’t measure how you’re doing, how will you ever improve? On the other hand, why are you worried about the markets if you aren’t going to forward market? Does stressing about the price of fuel matter if you’re going to keep the grain cart tractor idling all day at $175 per engine hour anyway? Prioritize what matters and measure it diligently.

Step 3
The third step is being honest with yourself. It’s important to look at each aspect of your business and rate yourself. You can come up with your own metrics, but it might look something like this.

Are my financial reporting mechanisms in order: cash flow, balance sheet, accounting system, tax preparation, etc.?
How would my team rate my leadership and engagement over the past 90 days?
Am I communicating effectively to landowners, team members and stakeholders?
Are opportunities being fairly assessed for economic progress and determination of alignment with our business?
Is my equipment maintenance plan what it should be and am I doing the work in a timely manner?
Am I taking care of my personal health and family obligations, as well as prioritizing the things that really matter to me in life?

Design your own metrics for business success. Honestly, my scores are pretty darn low in a lot of these categories right now, but it is an important metric for me to track and implement changes where I can to steer the ship in the right direction.

Set your expectations appropriately and get them on paper. Prioritize what needs to be done and spend less time doing what you aren’t willing to change. Be honest with yourself and assess how your farm is performing.

As you read this, are you as good as you think you are, better than you think you are, or worse than you think you are?

5 Easy Steps to Better Invest in Your Employees

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 17:40:01 GMT

Each year, farmers make significant investments in their operations, whether it be new equipment, new technology, or infrastructure improvements. However, to maximize the return on these investments, they must also focus on hiring and retaining skilled, engaged employees. According to Dr. Bob Milligan of Dairy Strategies, LLC, one often overlooked but essential investment farmers neglect to make is in employee development.

“Unlike physical assets, employee development doesn’t require massive capital—but it does demand a commitment to fostering growth and continuous improvement. The key is making it a priority,” Milligan says.

Milligan outlines five essential employee development tools—ranging from one-time training events to continuous improvement systems—that farmers can implement to strengthen their workforce.

1. Create a Development Plan
One way to make sure employees keep learning and growing is by having a clear plan in place. A well-structured development plan ensures employees have clear goals for professional growth.

According to Milligan, a strong development plan may include:

On-farm training opportunities.
Reading materials, virtual resources and webinars.
Off-farm learning experiences such as workshops or industry conferences.

Milligan suggests that plans be reviewed and updated in late fall or early the following year, allowing owners and employees to align educational opportunities with these focus areas.

2. Develop a Performance Improvement System
Beyond individual growth plans, it’s also important to have a system in place that helps employees understand expectations and track their progress. A strong performance improvement system answers two essential employee questions:

What is expected of me?
How am I doing?

“While all businesses set expectations and provide feedback, an unstructured approach leaves employees uncertain, frustrated, and less effective,” Milligan adds. “Many farms rely on annual performance reviews, but research suggests they are often ineffective feedback should be timely, not delayed until year-end.”

Milligan notes that a structured performance system should include:

Providing ongoing, informal feedback to help employees refine their skills in realtime.
Frequent structured check-ins, ideally monthly, to review progress and reset expectations.
An annual strategic meeting focused on future growth, replacing outdated performance review models.

3. Conduct Stay Meetings
A stay meeting is a great way to check in with employees and keep them engaged for the long haul. Instead of looking back like a traditional performance review, it focuses on the future—helping set goals and make a plan for success.

During stay meetings, Milligan highlights three key areas to focus on:

Have a clear purpose: Work together to boost performance, job satisfaction, and keep good employees around.
Look ahead, not back: Unlike regular reviews, stay meetings focus on growth and future goals.
Make it a two-way conversation: Supervisors should listen, ask questions, and get input from employees.

4. Communicate
Good communication is key to keeping things running smoothly on the farm. Whether it’s working together as a team or making important decisions, strong communication makes a big difference.

“In my opinion, the keys to excellent communication are listening, asking questions, and psychological safety,” Milligan says. “Psychological safety means feeling safe to take interpersonal risks, to speak up, to disagree openly, and to surface concerns without fear of negative repercussions or pressure to sugarcoat bad news.

5. Create Career-Oriented Compensation
Keeping good employees around takes more than just keeping them happy—it takes showing them they have a future on your farm. Stay meetings help build that long-term commitment but pay and benefits play a big role too.

“Younger and often first-line employees typically focus on having cash as their compensation. As employees age, advance, and become more family-oriented, they seek benefits like excellent health insurance and a retirement program. Balancing these differing desires, especially in our difficult labor market, is a challenge,” Milligan notes.

Being flexible with pay structures and openly communicating with employees about their needs can help create a compensation plan that supports long-term retention.

Give It a Shot
At the end of the day, investing in your employees is just as important as upgrading equipment or adopting new technology. A strong, engaged team keeps the farm running smoothly, and when people feel valued and see a future with you, they’re more likely to stay. By focusing on these five steps, you won’t just build a workforce—you’ll create a team that’s in it for the long haul.

Your Next Read: Leading By Example: How this Employee Became the Best in the Business by Being Genuine

BREAKING: USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Sen. Roger Marshall to Join Farmers At Top Producer Summit

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 21:24:22 GMT

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas will speak Tuesday morning at this week’s Top Producer Summit in Kansas City. The event is among the secretary’s first public appearances since being confirmed Feb. 13 . The fireside chat will cover key topics driving the future of agriculture.

A one-day pass to the event is available to give the agriculture industry a chance to hear Secretary Rollins share her vision for U.S. agriculture. Advanced registration is required due to security protocols. Register now with discount code ONEDAY to receive the special rate.

Secretary Rollins, originally from Glen Rose, Texas, serves as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture. Most recently, she was founder, president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute. During President Donald Trump’s first administration, she was the director of the Domestic Policy Council and assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives in the White House. She also previously served as director of the Office of American Innovation.

Sen. Marshall is a physician and U.S. Senator for Kansas. As a fifth-generation farmer from Butler County, Sen. Marshall became the first in his family to attend college. In the Senate, he serves on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. He is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources and a member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research.

Tickets are still available to attend the entire Top Producer Summit , which is agriculture’s premier educational and networking event for forward-thinking farmers and ranchers. The event will bring producers of nearly a dozen commodities together at the Loews Kansas City Hotel to share business opportunities and ideas for taking their operations to the next level.

In addition to the fireside chat with Secretary Rollins and Sen. Marshall, the agenda includes:

The Future of Farming with Byron Reese, futurist, technologist and entrepreneur
Conquer Decision Paralysis with Rena Striegel, Transition Point Business Advisors
How Income Taxes May Change Due To The Election with CPA Paul Neiffer
Land Diversification: What to Know Before Exploring Renewable Energy and Conservation Opportunities with Quint Shambaugh, Pinion
What’s Ahead for Farm Input Pricing with Sam Taylor, Rabo AgriFinance
What to Watch With the Weather in 2025 with Eric Snodgrass, Principal Atmospheric Scientist, Conduit Ag
Global Fertilizer Market Overview: What It Means At Your Farm Gate with Josh Linville, StoneX

Some of the nation’s most outstanding farm operations will be recognized, including winners of the 2025 Top Producer of the Year award , the 2025 Women in Ag award and the 2025 Next Gen award .

Mastering Life’s Challenges: Saddle Up and Charge Forward

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 21:40:33 GMT

Two years after he started bronc riding in the rodeo, Zach Arend hadn’t made to the 8 second mark—he’d only left the arena with broken bones and covered in dust.

But with focus and fortitude, he went on to become a two-time state champion in Nebraska, and today he shares how those experiences empower business leaders.
He’ll share lessons from the rodeo arena at the Top Producer Summit in Kansas City, Feb. 17 to 19.

In his speaking, he gives three steps for entrepreneurs and business owners:

Get your eyes on the bronc
Raise high and lift.
Put people in the arena.

“For two years, I hit the ground, broke bones, and got back up and dusted myself off,” he says. “What’s important for a bigger and brighter future is that you learn how to show up differently. It’s about our relationship with struggle.”

He wants to equip everyone to get the most out of every opportunity and create the outcomes you want in life.

“These are uncertain times, but when do we not live in uncertainty. There has never been a year that isn’t a wild ride in life,” he says. “Rather than come from a place of fear, come from a place of possibility and opportunity.”

Join Arend for more actionable insights at the 2025 Top Producer Summit. Registration is still open.

“You have the opportunity to saddle your own horse and take on life’s challenges,” he says.

3 Ways To Stop The Threat Of Complacency In 2025

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 16:47:38 GMT

In a world full of threats to our livelihood in agriculture, what is the biggest danger we face in 2025?

Is it election hangover, continued low prices or issues with the new farm bill? All concerning, yes, but I’ll argue the biggest threat to businesses of all sizes is actually internal. It’s one word: complacency. It’s that tendency toward thinking deep issues will go away. Complacency happens to our operations when we decide we are simply too busy working in the business to work on the business.

Fortunately, there are a couple quick call outs you can consider.

Three Ways to Stop Complacency in 2025

Hire right.
Have you taken an honest look at how you are building your bench for the future? How far from retirement are you right now? Have you begun that new CEO search?

Besides your own successor, what does hiring look like for your team in 2025 and into the next two to three years. Most importantly, is this topic getting the attention it deserves? While many top producers don’t enjoy the process of hiring and firing, avoiding it means not being prepared for changes, emergencies and long-term growth.
Solve the problem even if you inherited it.
I’ve heard many times from second- or third-generation producers that they just “have to live with” some problems because they inherited them. Just because you didn’t initiate the problem doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to solve it. In the past two columns we even talked about culture change and how to shift culture, so you might take a re-read of those if this topic hits home.

Complacency really takes root with the attitude of: “Well, I didn’t create this mess, why should I clean it up?” Instead, look at ways to become proactive and take the necessary steps to rectify long-term problems. What aspect of your business is messy and requires the necessary clean up this year? What have you been avoiding in the operation that must be resolved to grow and thrive?
Build anew.
Radical change is sometimes the easiest fix. While that seems ridiculous in light of what we just covered in number two, often, when it’s time to change, it’s time to change big. Take a look at all aspects of your business and marketing model. Is the process of change already happening to you while you’ve not yet begun to shift with it? For example, new markets, such as programs in sustainability, are becoming mainstream. Does is make sense to wait until full adaptation of these initiatives or is there a fit for your business in the near term?

“Fix it, close it or sell it’’ was a favorite slogan credited to former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch. What this means is that there are diminishing returns by being in a business where you are not the market leader. Maybe a new diversified business line that supports your more traditional production system is the way to build anew. Either way, looking at where the future of your business could be at least once a year is essential and keeps you ahead of the complacency trap.

Dear Reader: After 10 years and nearly 40 editions, it’s time to retire The Farm CEO Coach column from Top Producer Magazine. The Farm Journal brands are trusted, reliable sources of information and commentary, and it is an honor to engage with this organization and readers. I am still writing, coaching and consulting in agriculture and look forward to continued occasions to work with the portfolio of magazines when the opportunity presents. Stay in touch by connecting on LinkedIn or Instagram.

25 Labor Goals for 2025: Enhancing Performance Through Employee Evaluations

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 22:45:10 GMT

The beginning of a new year can serve as a time to sit down with farm employees and go over their performance. Measuring their performance can help you both identify how well the employee executes on explicit and implicit standards, goals and priorities.

One of the most important duties you will have as an employer is to evaluate employee performance . Letting an employee know how he or she is performing can encourage the employee to perform at a high level, and letting the employee know he or she has fallen short can help reinforce expectations. You should attempt to do evaluations in a positive manner, and keep a written record of the evaluations to help document job performance.

“By asking specific, targeted questions in employee evaluations, managers can really dive into individual performance, employee motivations, and goals. This added level of depth shows employees their development is valued and gives managers ways to help employees grow,” says Natalie Wickham of Quantum Workplace. “Employee performance reviews are key to understanding and improving employee performance. But all too often, employee reviews fall flat and have little impact because managers are asking the wrong performance review questions.”

Instead of asking the wrong questions, Wickham suggests asking these instead:

Overall Performance

What accomplishments this year are you most proud of?
Which goals did you meet? Which goals fell short?
What motivates you to get your job done?
What can I do to make your job more enjoyable?
What are your ideal working conditions to be the most productive?

Employee Strengths

What personal strengths help you do your job effectively?
What makes you the best fit for your position?
What skills do you have that you believe we could use more effectively?
What kind of work comes easiest to you?

Areas of Improvement

What goals were you least proud of? Why? How will you do those differently in the future?
What challenges have you faced in your role, and how can we work together to address them?
What 2-3 things will you focus on in the next year to help you grow and develop?
What can I do to help you better meet your goals?

Current Role

Which job responsibilities/tasks do you enjoy most? Which do you least enjoy?
How do you think your role helps the company succeed?
What do you like least about your current role? What would you change?
What do you like most about working for this company?

Future Outlook

What are your most important goals for the next year?
What do you want your next position at this company to be? How would your responsibilities change?
What professional growth opportunities would you like to explore in order to get there?
What type of growth is most important to you?

Manager-Employee Relationship

What (if any) concerns do you have when it comes to giving me feedback? How can I alleviate those concerns?
What additional resources or support could I provide to help you succeed in your position?
How do you prefer to receive feedback and/or recognition for your work?
What are two to three things could I do differently to better manage you?
What do I do that is most/least helpful for you when it comes to completing your work?
What can we do to improve our relationship?

Your Next Read: Farm Business Resolutions for 2025

How My Insecurities Made Me More Grateful

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:33:39 GMT

Do you ever dwell on what you think you lack?

Not long ago, I was in San Angelo, Texas, getting ready to speak to a group of about 350 kids and parents at Lackey Livestock’s Training Day. I was excited to share some of my story while encouraging the attendees to be brave and share theirs. The theme was YOUR Story with an emphasis on “our” – the idea that “your story is our story” because our collective story has power to change the world and make an impact.

I couldn’t have loved this theme more. It’s why I do what I do. I spent hours trying to think through my approach. The more time I spent thinking about it, the more I found myself focusing on what I felt like I didn’t have.

I wasn’t fun enough.
I wasn’t motivational enough.
I wasn’t prepared enough.
I wasn’t smart enough.
Even my outfit wasn’t cool enough.

Shift Your Focus
I tried to shift my focus to what I knew to be true. At the core it’s simple - I love being able to connect with people – and in this case, families who share the same passions as mine. I knew this door was opened for a reason. I had to let go of my insecurities and trust any mistake I might make would be forgiven because I was going to be surrounded by good people.

I think that’s what I appreciate most about the gift of gratitude. Gratitude is not just a response to our circumstances – it’s an attitude we’re called to develop. Gratitude isn’t a gift – it’s something we are called to work on and grow.

Once I shifted my mind from focusing on what I lacked to being grateful for the opportunity before me, everything changed. I walked up to the stage with confidence, trusting God with everything I felt I lacked in that moment, and I spoke from the heart.

Be A Little More Vulnerable
Not only did I share my story, but I weaved in stories I’ve helped tell over the years. I shared how those stories helped open my eyes, change my perspective and most importantly, grow me.

At the end of my time on stage, I shared a little from my story about Maddison Caldwell . I knew it was risky because my audience was a mix of ages. I carefully talked about mental health – the reality that life isn’t easy, and we shouldn’t assume so much about other people.

I shared that Maddison had reached out to me recently to let me know she met a farmer at a conference who shared he was at a breaking point in his life. Suicide felt like his only option. But at just the right time, he ran across this story , which led him to Maddison’s story . Because of those stories, he stopped what he was about to do and chose to keep fighting in life. He told her he didn’t want his family to suffer like Maddison’s did.

When she told me that over a text, I didn’t even know how to respond. I broke down in tears. I still get emotional every time I think about Maddison’s encounter with the farmer. A life was saved because someone chose to be honest and vulnerable about their struggles.

There is Power in Your Experience
When I got done speaking that day in San Angelo, conversation after conversation confirmed that when we let go of our insecurities, incredible things can happen. I know it’s not always easy to share our stories, but there’s power in our vulnerability and honesty as humans.

As the holiday season approaches, I’m encouraged to not only share stories with my loved ones and friends, but to also truly listen and help people open up about theirs. This year hasn’t been an easy one for many people, but there’s great power in those stories of struggle – much more than our stories of “wins” if we’re being honest.

How can you stop focusing on your insecurities and let your story help someone else?

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