On Being A Farmer

Farmers are dealing with the most complex biological system of all on a daily basis, mother nature.

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting a dairy goat farm in Waikato, NZ. The farmer I was visiting had some amazing insights to share about the work that he does and how he manages his land and his business. I want to start with sharing one of the ways he thinks about making decisions as a farmer.

When you are working in an office, the most variable and unpredictable component of your day is most likely the human sitting in the desk next to you. Other humans are unpredictable. But when you are a farmer, you are dealing with nature, a complex biological system that can’t be underestimated. Because of the interconnectedness of nature, many decisions have impacts that stretch beyond just that one decision.

Farmers can only focus on one or two droplets to deal with on a daily basis, even though they are all a part of the same cloud, the same larger system.

There are always so many things that have to be done, but you have to pick out the single drop out of the cloud of variables that is the most important component to deal with for the day. Farming is not as simple as just growing grass or knowing animal husbandry. Farmers are dealing with marketing, finances, pest control, yearly planning and more. Running any type of business is complex but because farming is dealing with nature, there is much more uncertainty involved on a daily basis that is outside of the control of any human being. 

Nature is complex, interconnected, a series of webs and connections that make it hum. Learning about nature’s systems and finding ways to work with, not against its systems is something that is on top of many farmer’s minds on a daily basis.