Dr. Val FarmerDr.Val
Search:  
Rural Mental Health & Family Relationships

Book On Family Farming Needed

August 2, 2008

People ask me about my next book. I know what I want to write about. I get many sad letters about conflicts and hurtful relationships in family farm and family ranch operations.

I don’t think there is a definitive "how to" book written on how farm and ranch families integrate their personal and work lives. I don’t think it is a standard part of the State University Ag school’s curricula though a significant portion of their graduates eventually return to work in family operations.

I am planning to writing a book on family management in agriculture, particularly inter-generational and multi-family farms. I see common mistakes families make. I am called in to mediate disputes, resolve partner hurts and misunderstandings and educate families on how to surface and resolve business conflict productively without disturbing family harmony.

I have already compiled on my website, www.valfarmer.com my writings on this topic. Some are repetitive and duplication needs to be eliminated. What I need are more illustrations of actual families who live these principles and can make the book come alive and be readable and practical. I am open to learning new things about what successful families do well.

A book like this is needed. In every rural community there are farm and ranch families who experience the struggles of not getting along, who hide their pain and family troubles from their neighbors and are unclear about how to straiten things out.

Much of this trauma could be prevented if there were a standard, best practices manual that families could use to structure their business relationships and communications.

I need your help. I would like to hear from families that have a track record of operating successfully and learn about what they are doing. I will interview you by phone, e-mail or come to your location personally and witness how you function. If you fall into one of these categories I would like to hear from you about:

- A family history of successful inter-generational transfers of agricultural enterprises from one generation to the next where the number of children retained in agriculture grows and land holdings controlled by the family increase. Examples of past family members and their wisdom who were instrumental in creating a tradition of inter-generational cooperation and teamwork.

- A part of a large operation where several families operate together.

- Families who hold systematic business communication either in a regular family business meeting or other format.

- Parents who actively and intentionally groom of leadership of successor generations through delegation and specialized training.

- Families who have proactive attitudes about finances, profitability, learning, expansion and timing of when to include family members into the operation.

- Families who are good at screening away family members whose personal struggles in life would harm the morale of the existing farm partners.

- Examples of siblings successfully farming together and how their families organize, make decisions, communicate and insure fairness.

- Examples of a caring leadership style that is inclusive, open and successfully draws out and incorporates ideas through listening to adult children and farming partners.

- Examples of successfully incorporating a son(s)-in-law into an active farming partnership.

- Examples of active father/daughter farm or ranch partnerships.

- Examples of successfully incorporating step-children into an active farming partnership.

- Examples of positive mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships and other in-law relationships and how respect, family goals, and socializing are handled.

- A family history of including the in-laws in the operation and cultivating respectful and enjoyable family events, gatherings and celebrations.

- Families who are good at hiring and retaining quality employees and manage them well to help supplement the workload of family members.

If you feel you have a well run/managed family farm/ranch and want to share your insights about what works well for you, I would like to hear from you.

Indicate your interest by sending an email to val@valfarmer.com or a letter to Dr. Val Farmer, c/o The Preston Connection, PO Box 1135, Orem UT 84059. All names and situations will be kept confidential. If any personal information will be described in the book, it will be done with your consent.