Make training and development your farm business cornerstones

Whether part of transition planning or day-to-day business, developing new skills helps keep farms profitable and team members engaged.

 

Given the sheer amount of information required to run a farm, determining what to learn next can be daunting. According to some business management experts, that makes prioritization and a creative approach to learning critical.  

 

 

“It’s not uncommon for people to perceive an overwhelming amount of info that needs to change hands. A senior partner might not realize how many things they know, and if they weren’t there, it would effectively hold their partners back,” says Patti Durand, agriculture transition specialist with FCC. “The opportunity is to chip away at it over time, then you don’t have to learn everything at once. Lifelong learning is a good approach generally.”

 

Due to the seasonal nature of many farm businesses, Durand says a good place for senior operators to begin is with a list or calendar of general tasks and their time ranges. This gives partners the chance to identify overarching knowledge gaps. Simple tools such as FCC Knowledge Gaps and Training Needs Assessment worksheets can also be used.

 

Tasks can then be categorized by scale – that is, what could be learned quickly (such as how to fix a specific piece of equipment) and what requires a long-term approach (such as financial management). Considering scale with overall importance or urgency helps establish priorities, and what training could have the largest impact.

 

“Otherwise, it’s just daunting. You might dabble in everything and not make progress,” Durand says, adding revisiting the list when even small tasks are accomplished helps maintain motivation.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.