I grew up in Seattle. Back when Starbucks sold beans, but not coffee. Back when the mermaid still had her navel. My dad and I used to wait in line on Saturday mornings to get the beans for the office coffee, and the nice woman at the cash register would let me have a chocolate-covered coffee bean.
I remain a coffee snob.
Actually, I’m kind of half-assed as a coffee snob. I don’t have a fancy brewing machine, and I have a run-of-the-mill Braun grinder, and a Chemex coffee carafe. But I won’t compromise on the beans. I order the beans in bulk from Café Mam out in Oregon because they consistently supply me with the best coffee beans I’ve ever had.
If you start with good beans, you can make your coffee incrementally better with a burr grinder and a fancy coffee machine. You can even make it better by putting it in a good cup (white, thick ceramic with a nice lip). But if you start with crappy beans, no fancy grinder, high-priced machine, or solid coffee cup is going to make your coffee any better.
The most important part of any enterprise is the foundation – until the foundation is sound, everything else is just a distraction.
If you grow crops, manage your soil fertility before you worry about making compost teas.
If you raise livestock, see to your fencing, water supply, and feed before you dig into aromatherapy for your cows.
If you use a tractor to cultivate, master the basics of knives, sweeps, and shovels before you invest in the latest fancy weeding equipment.
If you manage employees, don’t just read books and go to seminars about managing employees – actually do the things they say to do.
If you grow vegetables, make sure you can keep them watered and get them cold before you make promises about delivery and freshness.
If you buy an app to manage your crop planning, make sure it handles planting dates smoothly before you worry too much about how pretty the maps are.
If you run a food hub, figure out how you’re going to get your margins so that you can pay your employees before you start promising prices.
If you want to speed up your vegetable harvest, master weed control and fertility before you expect your employees or harvest machines to perform miracles.
It’s the coffee, not the cup, that really matters.
I remain a coffee snob.
Actually, I’m kind of half-assed as a coffee snob. I don’t have a fancy brewing machine, and I have a run-of-the-mill Braun grinder, and a Chemex coffee carafe. But I won’t compromise on the beans. I order the beans in bulk from Café Mam out in Oregon because they consistently supply me with the best coffee beans I’ve ever had.
If you start with good beans, you can make your coffee incrementally better with a burr grinder and a fancy coffee machine. You can even make it better by putting it in a good cup (white, thick ceramic with a nice lip). But if you start with crappy beans, no fancy grinder, high-priced machine, or solid coffee cup is going to make your coffee any better.
The most important part of any enterprise is the foundation – until the foundation is sound, everything else is just a distraction.
If you grow crops, manage your soil fertility before you worry about making compost teas.
If you raise livestock, see to your fencing, water supply, and feed before you dig into aromatherapy for your cows.
If you use a tractor to cultivate, master the basics of knives, sweeps, and shovels before you invest in the latest fancy weeding equipment.
If you manage employees, don’t just read books and go to seminars about managing employees – actually do the things they say to do.
If you grow vegetables, make sure you can keep them watered and get them cold before you make promises about delivery and freshness.
If you buy an app to manage your crop planning, make sure it handles planting dates smoothly before you worry too much about how pretty the maps are.
If you run a food hub, figure out how you’re going to get your margins so that you can pay your employees before you start promising prices.
If you want to speed up your vegetable harvest, master weed control and fertility before you expect your employees or harvest machines to perform miracles.
It’s the coffee, not the cup, that really matters.
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Tools for Managing and Motivating Employees on the Farm
Employees make it possible to get more done, but managing workers and their work takes dedicated time, energy and processes. Whether you manage one seasonal worker or a large year-round crew, good management can make the difference between making headway on your farm's work or just creating headaches. Join veteran farmer and educator Chris Blanchard to learn how to create a productive, positive work environment by communicating clear expectations and implementing systems for efficiency and accountability. In this workshop, you'll learn how to: utilize practical tools to increase employee satisfaction and productivity, remove emotion from management decisions and actions, and build a team culture.
Upcoming Events:
Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Monday, November 30
hosted by Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Columbia, Missouri | Tuesday, December 8
hosted by Missouri Young Farmers Coalition
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Upcoming Events:
Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Monday, November 30
hosted by Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Columbia, Missouri | Tuesday, December 8
hosted by Missouri Young Farmers Coalition
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
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