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Unit 2: The Agricultural Professional's Role

Consider the following scenarios:

• You have soil test results to share with a farmer. You have a meeting scheduled with the farmer to discuss some soil management issues, but you are aware that the farm business is in financial crisis and unable to make loan payments to the bank. How will you approach your meeting with the farmer?

• You have a good working relationship with a dairy farmer in your county. This farmer is one of the best land managers in the state, with a highly successful rotational grazing operation and excellent pasture. You were planning on discussing some new pasture mixes with him, but you have recently found out that this farmer refuses to work with his children to develop a farm succession plan (he’s 74 years old). What do you do?

Agricultural professionals must be able to perceive these kinds of issues, realize their importance, and have enough tact (and trust) to broach them. Just giving the soil test results or the pasture mix information doesn't address the larger problem.

Clearly, there are limits to what is appropriate for you as an advisor to get involved in—and how comfortable you are in doing so. A farm family that's in financial or emotional crisis should be referred to professionals who can help them. A farmer who's ready to write a will, create a trust, or develop other parts of a farm succession plan needs to consult with a lawyer, an accountant, or other trained consultant. But as an advisor, you play a key role in helping farmers identify problems and challenges on the farm, and providing information and resources to help them address those problems.