The tie that binds

Dr. Ron Hansen, an agricultural economist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is world-renowned for his presentations and consulting in the area of farm family relationships. Students in his courses hear horror story after horror story of families divided, sibling against sibling, in-laws against spouses of their children, parents against kids, and on and on. In his counseling to farm families, Hansen has seen and heard the worst you can imagine. And he always includes a warning in each presentation, "and if you don't think this could happen at your farm...." Hansen is a strong advocate of communication, which is often lacking in family settings, and getting a plan in writing.

But for every family feud, there are incredible stories of families that work together to build a legacy for future generations. During the welcome message to their 34th annual production sale, Greg Jorgensen referenced both the wonderful accomplishments his father had made in genetic selection for feed efficiency and the fact that he and his son Cody occasionally argued about different management decisions. Cody referred to these discussions as "constructive" because by not always being in agreement, they were able to find the best possible option for the long-term of their operation. Three generations, with the fourth old enough to help with feeding the bottle calf, are working side-by-side to build a successful cattle operation. Martin, while proud of his accomplishment in improving the genetics of Angus cattle, is even more proud that his son and grandson are willing to accept the reins and take the operation to the next level and beyond.

If our kids are the greatest thing that we can raise, isn't it wonderful when we can incorporate the morals and beliefs of our ancestors in their upbringing? While "dirt farming" isn't really my calling in the world of agriculture, I truly enjoyed riding with my dad in the tractor over Easter weekend as he was planting corn and seeing the excitement in the faces of each of my girls as they got a turn in the cab. I fondly recall working with Grandpa to pen the pigs that were running loose on the hillside farm when I was just a little kid. That is a bond my grandfather and I still share. Nothing makes me more proud than to see him holding my girls on his lap and I see that pride in his face as well.

Grandparents are a great source of knowledge and "wisdom" about things we don't hear of any more. Like how to tell when the moon is holding water or what it means when you hear the first frogs croak or how the number of foggy days correlates to snow storms. These are things you can only learn from your grandparents. Our urban counterparts are once again realizing the importance of grandparents in our kid's lives. The book store shelves are lined with books about the role of grandparents in a child's upbringing. Funny how those good-old ways are making a comeback and becoming the new hot and trendy!

Undoubtedly, farming and ranching offer one of the greatest opportunities of any industry in this country--to work proudly, side-by-side with multiple generations of your family to create life's most essential necessities. Look around and you can witness many sterling examples of these intergenerational farms and ranches. What an incredible way to pass on a legacy to your kids and grandkids, by building a business side-by-side. What a story your offspring will have to share with theirs about working with your grandpa to get a crop out of the field or move cows to summer pasture. Those memories will last more than a lifetime because they will become family treasures for generations to come. While we in agriculture might be the few and the mighty, we certainly are the blessed and without a doubt the luckiest in the world to have the opportunity we have.

Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com.

Date: 4/20/06

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