By David Fisher
As farmers, we all have ideas about how our farms should be run, but that doesn’t mean we always have the best ideas. I realize that a good idea can come from anyone on our farm, whether they work in the milking parlor, drive a planter or manage payroll. More minds thinking about how to do things better will help my family’s farm, our animal care and productivity.
The same can be said for our county and state Farm Bureaus. We need to always be looking for opportunity and encourage suggestions that break from the old standby of “Well, that’s how it has always been done.” But too often we constrain our way of thinking by only looking for opinions from those who have the same experiences as ours. That can limit our ability to be better and do better.
Increasing attention being placed on diversity all across American society also includes agriculture. The most recent USDA Census of Agriculture improved the counting of minority producers. Across the country, more than 1.2 million farms have a woman as a principal operator. The census also looked at ownership among people of color. There are more than 112,000 Hispanic and Latino farmers, 45,000 farms have Black owners and just over 58,000 American Indian/Alaska Natives are principal owners. Whites own about 95% of the 2.1 million farms in this country. Finally, about 321,000 producers are considered young – under 35 years old.
Diversity in farming can also be measured in farm size – what you grow or raise and where you farm and how. Each farmer likely has a different idea of what works better for him or her, and in some cases, those ideas may work better for my farm as well. But there must be an opportunity for me to have that exchange with farmers who are different from me in many ways. It serves us well if we have a system in place where idea sharing is welcome and everyone has an opportunity to be heard.
