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Central ND | I was reading the responses on flat, hoped your response wasn't to me, because I didn't want to disappoint, but here we go I guess. Spent the first 34 years of my life in a family operation, I was pulling levers on the well pulling truck at 5 years old. Missed 19 days of school all four years of high school for work. I have 4 siblings, none of them have ever had any measurable part in Dad's business. Left at the ripe old age of 35 with my pickup, no tools, no house, a wife, 2 kids, 3rd on the way, and $12k in trade school debt, . No idea on how business worked other than do the best job you could, as close to exactly what the customer wanted, and work 7 days a week doing it. I now own a business that I was able to start and build with the help of a close friend. My comments are strictly from my observations, personal experience, and hard lessons learned. I work for mostly farmers, have for over 40 years. Numerous operations I've worked for Grandpa, Dad, and Son, and will more than likely work for the Grandson. I've seen many successes, more than a few failures, and there are numerous ones that haven't figured it out yet.
My only observation that I feel comfortable sharing is of all the successes, the common denominator is Grandpa isn't driving the combine during harvest unless Dad or Son asks him to help. Grandpa turned the combine over to Dad at 30, and Dad did the same, usually even before that. Not really a scientific observation, more of a generalization, just what I've seen in a lot of successful operations, but not necessarily the magic bullet. My takeaway from this is a successful operation will REQUIRE "Dad" to "allow" the kid to learn, have responsibility, make decisions of a gradually increasing level of importance, make a living, and, above all (in my opinion), understand what is at stake.
I could write a book on things I probably did wrong, what I wish I'd have done different, what I used to think Dad did wrong, all the things Dad did right, and most importantly, things that I'd never change. Hope this doesn't create more questions than answers. | |
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Farm succession
