For most small-scale farmers, especially part-time or weekend farmers, the attitude, character, overall output and dedication of your farm labourer/s towards the operations and well-being of the farm is often directly linked to who you are as a farm owner or employer.
As a farmer, your posture, seriousness, commitment, vision and leadership skills directly shape the type of workers you attract and retain.
An organised, disciplined, and purpose-driven owner naturally cultivates a workforce that mirrors these qualities.
Conversely, if a farm owner exhibits carelessness, inconsistency or a lack of strategic vision, these traits often manifest in workers’ behaviour, leading to operational disarray.
From my own personal experience as a weekend farmer, I have observed that farm workers are keen observers of their employer’s conduct and behaviour.
Small, yet significant behaviours, such as waking early to inspect animals, maintaining order at the kraal, addressing problems calmly and promptly, and demonstrating accountability serve as silent signals of the farm owner’s standards and expectations.
These subtle cues inspire workers to emulate the same level of discipline and dedication.
That is why it is important for farmers, particularly part-time and weekend farmers, to always ensure they pay close attention to the behaviour and attitudes of their workers to achieve their set vision and objectives.
To foster a high-performance environment, farmers must impose strict standards and uphold discipline at all levels of operations.
Clear communication of expectations, adherence to deadlines and continuous development of a growth-oriented culture on the farm are essential.
When these principles are ingrained and non-negotiable, your farm workers are more likely to internalise these standards, either consciously or instinctively, thereby elevating overall productivity.
If you are an organised, dedicated, driven, calm and disciplined farm owner, your worker/s will always tend to operate in the same way, and their output will reflect all your qualities as an owner.
On the other hand, tolerating disorder and chaos inadvertently fosters an ill-disciplined team, which in the long run undermines farm productivity and growth.
Therefore, it is important that we, as farmers, set strict standards for ourselves and our farming operations.
We should also maintain high discipline, establish clear communication pathways, set strict deadlines for farm tasks and ensure we develop a high-performance culture for all involved.
Again, a farmer who believes in structure, learning and growth will eventually attract workers who want to improve and contribute.
A farmer who tolerates chaos will unknowingly build a team that thrives on it and ill-discipline.
So, before we blame our farm workers for our lack of productivity and progress, it is worth asking ourselves difficult questions like, what kind of farmer am I, and what kind of environment am I creating? Always remember, astute leadership on the farm grows farms before animals do.