If you ask just about any farmer whether they want to improve their farm operation, they’ll probably tell you yes. Farmers have an innate desire to succeed – to not only farm but to farm well.

The real question then becomes how to actually achieve the goal of a better farm operation. There are any number of ways to go about making improvements to your operation. But from what I’ve seen among the farming operations I’ve worked with during the past 25 years, top operations tend to have one thing in common.

What do they do?

They never stop learning. They continually seek to learn more – not just about agronomic or technology-related topics, but about the other areas that impact their business. I’m thinking about learning around economics, finance, management and marketing, to name a few.

These farmers don’t ever think they’ve “arrived.” They don’t settle and say, “I’ve learned enough, so I’m done now.” They know that what they’ve learned in the past won’t necessarily get them to where they want to go in the future. They’re constantly seeking to become more knowledgeable on a variety of topics that affect their farm business. They view everything that happens as a learning opportunity.

This “learning mindset” can take the farm leader – and the operation – to unexpected places. It can help reveal areas where there are gaps in current knowledge. Then there’s an opportunity to do something about it, rather than settle for “less than hoped for” results.

Create it

How can you prioritize a learning mindset both for yourself as the farm leader and for others in your operation? Here are a few ideas on how to build a culture of learning on your farm.

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.