ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 25 continued on page 26 Farm with the attitude that if farmers won’t speak for themselves, someone else will. “We knew we were going to build this operation so we could showcase it to consumers—try to keep an open book on what we’re doing as an industry,” he adds. “I’ve made it a policy that I never say ‘No’ to a tour, no matter what. That carries some risk, and MacLean acknowledges that fact: members of the public walking onto a farm is risky simply because some may have ulterior motives. He has even had his motives questioned by other farmers, who see communicating with the public as taking unnecessary risks. But where some see risk, he sees opportunity. “I’ve taken the media training with Farm and Food Care, so I’ll hopefully answer the questions properly,” says MacLean. Part of the reasoning for the farm tours is to showcase what he does, but another key aspect is to show everything that’s part of his operation—the good and the notso-good. He believes there’s much more to be gained with that risk than there is to be lost. To help further mitigate his risks, MacLean advocates for mentoring, be it a family elder, a neighbour, or even his veterinarian. Now that he’s taken leadership of the operation from his late father, he’s open to being a mentor to others, stating that risk becomes less intimidating with more experience, with the examples set by his father and grandfather, and with more insight into the challenges of life on the farm. GREATER UNDERSTANDING Ask most producers, agronomists and industry stakeholders what defines success in today’s agri-food sector, and the answer is often “management”. Those who can manage a productive growing season, staff, and factors that influence their operations are likely to fare better year-over-year. In doing so, they’re likely better at managing risk, as well. That management skill also includes a greater personal understanding of the dozens of tools of the profession. It’s one thing to employ a herbicide-tolerant cropping system, but that also requires understanding its limitations, including the need for rotating technologies and chemistries. That extends to equipment, fertility, and soil analysis. Wayne Black has spent much of the past 15 years advising producers on the use of many different applications for on-farm management. He sees risk in the pursuit of higher production through newer advances without necessarily considering the impacts on performance and profitability. The technologies create opportunity: it’s not that there’s less risk or more or no risk, it’s just changed slightly. “I’m going to reduce my risk by planting herbicide-tolerant crop technology, but if I use that same crop technology all the time, they’re an easy lightning rod to pick on,” says Black, national sales manager with A&L Canada Laboratories. “Even if you’re using new technology, there is still some risk involved—it just shifts a little bit.” What concerns Black most, however, are the conflicting interests that exist between producers, retailers, and advisors. The needs of farmers and their farms are often out of sync with the goals and sales targets of companies selling inputs, seeds, and chemical products. Yet it isn’t the “what” of the tool producers may be using—whether it’s traited technology or a new soil analysis system. The risk comes when a producer agrees to use any tool without a sufficient understanding of how it performs. “We need to have a better critical thinking process on how to reduce the risk on our farms,” he says. THE RESEARCH Critical thinking is one of four key aspects of dealing with risk, according to Owen Roberts, a Canadian farm journalist who has recently retired as an agriculture communications professor at the University of Illinois. Before his return to Canada, he was involved with developing a global certificate in agriculture and food communications, in collaboration with the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). Although some might say risk assessment isn’t exactly the domain of journalists, he makes a compelling argument as to who might take the lead, provided they have the requisite training. “There were four areas that came to the fore: critical thinking, leadership, multimedia reporting, and data journalism,” says Roberts. These came as part of a needs assessment from nearly 200 active journalists and communications professionals globally. “If you look at those four collectively or separately, they signify a new era in communications.” Addressing critical thinking reflects the Kevin MacLean enjoys hosting events on his farm, including the FFCO Breakfast on the Farm. Photos courtesy FFCO.
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