Adapting to change with a focus on

One thing the news emanating from Washington over the past month makes clear is that big changes are coming at what feels like breakneck speed. It’s too early to tell what specific policy developments might emerge for agriculture. What we do know is that they’ll be enacted into an already challenging environment, with economic projections suggesting net farm income—minus federal payments—will remain stagnant, mainly as a result of lower commodity prices and high input costs. Throw in rising inflation, and it’s a tough field to get across. 

In the face of it all, I’m reminded of walking onto a youth baseball practice field where the players are on their backs, repetitively tossing a ball into the air and catching it without moving their bodies. The coach’s goal for the team exercise is efficiency through repetition. And focus. 

Famed basketball coach John Wooden said, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” You have potential, and getting the small things right will help you be successful in the larger picture. 

Whether on your farm or in MFA’s boardroom, focusing on what makes the operation more efficient and effective is to focus on what we can do rather than cannot do. 

For MFA, the focus remains on aligning infrastructure and people to efficiently deliver the products and services you need to best run your operation. We continue to evaluate how we can be more effective in providing inputs and helping market your production. That means looking over our operations, focusing capital expenditures in new ways, and working hard to have the right personnel available to serve our customers.

But, forget daily operations for a minute. Forget infrastructure, inventory and payroll. MFA was born from an attitude among farmers that the best way forward was to address how cooperation could benefit them as a group. MFA’s history has taught us that adaptability and focusing on the principles of cooperation are our greatest strengths.

Of course, agriculture itself is no stranger to change. Our industry has evolved to keep pace with technology, farm size, and market dynamics. Across those changes, from my perspective, our purpose is the need to remain profitable on the farm and as a cooperative. MFA’s board of directors, composed entirely of farmers from your ranks, keeps the interests of our member-owners in mind as it makes decisions. That’s a governance structure that ensures we remain focused on you. That’s cooperation.

As you saw on page 4, I intend to retire later this year. It’s not a perfectly round number, 38 years, but looking over that time spent working for MFA and its members and the draw of spending time with family, this year seems right. There is a plan in place to find the most qualified leader for your organization. The full MFA Board of Directors and a professional talent search organization are engaged in the process. I’m confident that the experience and strength of this member-led group will ensure a smooth transition and select an exceptional candidate to lead MFA.   

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