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Consider the big pictureBy John Schlageck Kansas Farm Bureau If today's crop of young farmers and ranchers plan to play a part in the future of agriculture, they must position themselves where this industry will be--not where it is. It is especially important for those in agriculture to focus on the future rather than the past. Sometimes, farmers and ranchers tend to look wistfully to yesterday, and that's not reality. Those in the industry must look at their industry and say, "This is what agriculture will look like." There are four key considerations young farm and ranch couples must take to heart and mind if they are to reach their full potential in the agricultural industry. These include: Be willing to change; be part of something bigger than yourself; accept the future; and give up your own independence. Addressing change is something young farmers and ranchers are familiar with. They have no trouble recognizing change--it's doing something about it that is so difficult. Everyone tends to give change a chance, but when difficulty pops up all of us tend to revert back to our old ways of doing things. To change we must develop a new process of thinking and implementing change. Secondly, we as humans--especially young farmers and ranchers--must strive toward something greater than self-actualization to fulfill our own unique potential. This means providing ourselves with something bigger than we are. To accomplish anything of greatness, we must work with others. Agriculture is not just about the local community, the family or the farm and ranch operation. It is not just about growing corn, wheat or raising livestock. Producers must see themselves as part of the food industry, which remains the most critical industry in the world. As far as accepting the future, some people will continue to dig in their heels and think, "That may be what the future is like, but I want no part of it." What alternative is there? We can't recreate the world in the image we want. Instead, we must identify the world as it's going to be. In agriculture we must focus on the consumers of our products and not make this an issue about what we're doing on the family farm. It's not about us, it's about the customers we serve. If farmers and ranchers are just trying to survive, they will fail. If agricultural producers strive to serve, they will succeed. The fourth block on which to build a future in agriculture includes giving up independence. Americans revere their independence. The United States was born out of independence. However, unless farmers and ranchers move to interdependence, they will not survive. In today's world no one is an island. We all must work together. We can't be focused on a single issue. We must look at the bigger picture and understand that we're all in this together. We're in the food industry, and it's bigger than any of us. Those who remain independent continue to work on the principal of rewards and punishments. That's the same system animals toil under, and if humans continue down that path, they are destined to fail. A farmer and rancher cannot remain independent and farm in the future. Producers must be willing to give themselves to something bigger for a common purpose and impact the world with the help of others. While these four building blocks may sound simple, implementing them is extremely difficult. Many will fail and start over. Some will not make it. For others it will remain a lifelong commitment. The important thing is to begin. John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.
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