Can You Cut It As A Farmer?
To find out, here’s the one yes/no question to answer. It has nothing to do with farming.
Do you want to be self-employed? It’s the make or break question that anyone going into farming needs to answer.
It’s widely recognized that a lot of new farmers don’t come from farm families. That is certainly one reason why so many of them are having a hard time. But when you look at their complaints, most are not particular to farming. They’re just what any independent business owner has to deal with. Financial stress, uncertainty, worry, self-doubt, emotional exhaustion, time constraints. All that goes with starting and running any small business.
Most of the up and comers don’t seem prepared to face up to the realities of self-employment. When you couple that with the missionary mindset many of them have, they’re trying to not only keep their businesses going, they also have to solve the problems of climate change, injustice, inequality, and oppression. It’s no wonder their bottom lines aren’t as solid as they could be.
A good percentage of all new small businesses struggle and fail, and there’s no reason to think farming should be any different. When farms fail, those in the farm movement worry that they are falsely developing new farmers without any place for them to go. The real problem is that new farmers are either being encouraged to believe farming needs to right the world’s wrongs, or that it is just a job.
I’ll leave it to the macro economists to explain when and why farming got tied up with the NGO aid industry. But those who are following the calling to farm expecting to find a higher purpose might have an easier time of it if they just joined the ministry. Those hoping to find a livelihood need to know they are signing up for self-employment. That means you not only have to know how to grow, you need to know other things, like:
— how to run a business
— how to manage yourself
Running a farm like a business means you have to deal with things like:
— work schedules for yourself and others
— investments and expenditures
— cashflow
— office work and recordkeeping
There is no such thing as specialization in an owner/operated small business. You’re it. You do it all with minimal outside help, and you can’t fire yourself. Managing yourself requires a different skill set from managing employees, but it’s a skill set just the same. What are the signs that you’re not being a good boss of yourself? Vague commitments: “I want this to flow into a full-time business some day.” Frequent excuses: “No one will buy a CSA share from me in my first year in business.” Cop-outs: “I can skip the market just this once.” Indulgences: “Aquaponics is so cool, and I have the space.” Complacency: “As long as I cover the bills, I’m ok.”
Being your own boss means you not only have to know how to grow, you need to know things, like:
— how to schedule day-to-day tasks, set priorities
— how to stay focused on what matters most and not get distracted
— how to figure out things for yourself
— how to give yourself a kick in the pants and keep you motivated
Whether you need to get over the first hump, or take your business to the next level, one way is to follow these 7 steps:
1) quantify your goals
2) be sure they are realistic
3) write them down
4) share them with someone else
5) break them down to specific tasks
6) create a timetable for completing them
7) meet regularly with someone who’s been over much the same ground to review your progress
Where there is a way, there is not always the will. Even though they’re the boss, beginners and pro’s alike benefit from having someone other than themselves to be accountable to. Look for someone who is experienced enough in what you want accomplish to know what is possible, so that you don’t under achieve, and who also knows what is practical, so that you work towards being effective rather than perfect. Being self-employed may feel like a declaration of independence, but that does not mean you should go it alone.
SPIN stands for s-mall p-lot in-tensive.
SPIN Farming is a commercial production system designed specifically for growing spaces under an acre in size. It was developed in the mid-90’s by Canadian farmer Wally Satzewich. Those who practice it use gardens, community plots and vacant land to start and operate moneymaking farm businesses that serve the needs of local communities.
