Keeping Agriculture Great

Agriculture is a great industry with great people. But a key question today is, how do we keep it that way?

Like any industry, agriculture must have great people. While not ignoring things like the long hours of planting and harvest or the inherent dangers of working around all kinds of machinery and equipment, we must all become better at sharing what is good, positive, and exciting about being a part of the diverse agriculture industry. After all, agriculture is the industry that is called upon to feed the world. Without agriculture, the world does not go on.

So how do we keep agriculture great and continue the legacy of our nation’s exceptional ag industry? It starts with attracting talented young people to become a part of it. To do that, we must be creative. Good compensation is a start, but so is work / life balance. So are acts of appreciation for a job well done and many other factors. We must recognize times have changed and

individuals from different generations must communicate regarding job expectations, what issues are important to them, and what life looks like once you are on the same team.

But in order to do any of that, we MUST first attract new talent. There aren’t enough “farm kids” to fill all the roles and opportunities, so as an industry we have to do a better job sharing the immense and diverse opportunities our industry offers to a wider audience. We must first attract quality talent before we will ever be able to develop and maintain those individuals in our ag industry. For some insight on how to do this, please see “Keeping Agriculture Great…Tips for Attracting Quality Talent” elsewhere in our newsletter.

To explain why my focus in recruiting is in the Grain and Feed industries, the answer is very simple. It is what I know, and I usually say it is all I know. From the time I was 12 years old there was no question what I would be doing on summer vacation and any other school breaks; I would be working at our family’s feed mill, elevators, or livestock operation.

I loved the work and being able to learn more every year that I worked there. All through high school and college my goal was to work in the agriculture industry. A chain of different events took me into different roles, but for the most part, they were all tied to my roots, agriculture, and specifically, the grain and feed industry. In 1976 I was the youngest manager in Cargill’s Producer Marketing Division in Enos, Indiana. I later left Cargill to go back to work with my father at the feed mill where I basically spent the next 25 years. After selling the last of our family’s interest in the feed mill in 2005, I spent a few years in politics and then working for Consolidated Grain and Barge managing their Feed Ingredient Division.

For the last nine years I have been recruiting with Dave Allen at AGRI-SEARCH. It has been a joy and privilege to work with companies and people I have known for decades in finding them top talent to run their feed and grain businesses. I consider agriculture people to be the salt of the earth and I feel blessed to spend every working day talking with many old friends and making new ones. I hope to be doing it for many more years.

The secret to keeping American agriculture the leader in feeding a hungry world lies in attracting new talent into our industry. Over the next decade, this will be especially important to replace a large number of retiring ag professionals.

Following are ten conversation starters we can use to help attract quality talent to agriculture:

“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man.” – George Washington
Did you eat today? Then you participate in agriculture. That is because agriculture is the basic source of the food supply for every country in the world.
Agricultural products make up the raw materials for numerous products we all use every day: food, shelter, clothing and many others.
Agriculture is a stable industry the world cannot live without; it isn’t going anywhere (not even in a pandemic). The population continues to grow and so does the need for food and drink to satisfy every hungry mouth.
People in agriculture are passionate about what they get to do to feed the world. There is also a degree of trust and integrity that many industries no longer have. Typically, in agriculture your word and a handshake still mean something.

Do you have the grit to not give up and stay true to the course, no matter how difficult it may be? Are you competitive and possess a strong sales mentality where every “no” is just one step closer to a “yes”?

If so, and you have a passion for connecting with and helping people, plus a strong agricultural industry background in agronomy, grain, or other areas, please contact Dave Allen. We would enjoy having a discussion with you about how a recruiting career may be a great fit for you.

Founded in 1995, AGRI-SEARCH is a professional recruiting firm providing clients with customized recruiting solutions in various niches within the agricultural industry. Our success results from our industry focus, our specialized approach to recruiting, and our staff's lifelong roots in, dedication to, and vast understanding and knowledge of the agricultural industry.

At AGRI-SEARCH, our mission states that we “are committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.”