By Grant McMillan, NAICC President
Farming is a stress-inherent job because growers are constantly managing risks and stressors over which they have little or no control while they do a job that they love and feel is their passion.
We’ll remember 2021 as a year of extremes that greatly impacted the agricultural community. The Pacific Northwest, where I’m located, experienced extreme heat from a “heat dome” in late June and early July that brought 115°F temperatures. The summer was plagued by drought, and at one point, multiple forest fires each covered at least 25,000 acres. In the fall, heavy rainfall events peaked in November with “atmospheric rivers,” which dumped nearly a month’s worth of rain—7.87"—during a five-day period and led to devastating flooding.
In addition to extreme weather, 2021 also saw further COVID-19 pandemic fallouts in labor shortages and supply chain snafus. These challenges resulted in farmers being shorthanded and stretched thin.
As we move into 2022, it seems that the supply chain issues have now moved into cropping inputs. This is something that is sure to add strain to growers in an already stressful pandemic.
This is where the true value of the independent consultant comes into play. Growers will need assistance navigating the endless changes coming their way. Helping our growers to get the right product applied at the right rate, right place and right time will become even more important in 2022.
However, the one thing that we overlook is the comradery that develops as the result of our services and how we can be a sounding board for growers. Sometimes, farmers just need to have someone listen to their frustrations, get worries off their chests and be heard. During difficult times, service is just as—or more—important as the agronomic advice.
As we begin the 2022 season, let’s take some time for ourselves and reflect on what “curveballs” may be coming toward you and what is the initial contingency plan, such as developing a list of alternative pesticide recommendations, which can quickly be a reference. It may save you a lot of stress and worry down the road. That’s important because your farmers will need you to be calm and well-prepared in order for them to feel secure and confident with your recommendations.
