But Who’s Going To Take Over the Farm in the Future?
February 1, 2021 Fruit growers, for the most part, remain indifferent to the topic of succession planning.
For the sixth time in as many State of the Industry surveys published by American Fruit Grower® and Western Fruit Grower® magazines, a majority of grower-respondents indicate they do not have anyone in place to succeed them when they eventually retire.
In response to the question: “Do you have anyone from the GenNext Grower generation (born after 1970) who is preparing to assume, or has assumed, leadership in your operation?” 54% answered “no.” This falls in line with the results of the magazine’s first five State of the Industry surveys, including totals of 57% last year and 53% in 2019.
More telling, succession planning isn’t even on the radar screen of most growers. When asked to list their three most pressing business issues entering 2021, only 7 of 225 growers (3%) single out succession planning among 16 other concerns.
Ironically, four of those seven growers who do have concerns about succession planning nonetheless have a GenNext Grower ready to take the reins of their operations. But they are still in the minority overall.
Future Prospects
Not surprisingly, the older the farm, the more chance it does have a GenNext Grower waiting in the on-deck circle.
Whether a farm or a farmer is old or young, all growers, according to one university-respondent, should commit to attracting young growers and fostering them for careers in agriculture.
“The most common issue I help with in the industry is getting young talent into the pipeline. There is possibly the most serious disconnect I have seen between generations right now,” the educator says. “Baby Boomers cannot comprehend the values and working styles of Gen Z, and instead of trying to get to know them, they call them lazy and worse. Without some sort of greater empathy for this young generation, we risk pushing them away from our industry.”
How should growers address the issue?
“Assume every young person is only trying to do their best, but (that) they come to agriculture with a set of skills vastly different than any other generation in history,” the educator adds. “Give them the grace to make mistakes while mentoring them to learn and do better. Leave the name calling and criticism out of the space of bringing new people into our industry.”