One Farmers Strategy for Continuously Reigniting Growth

Last week, I took a trip out to Spooks, Virginia. It’s located in
Shenandoah Valley, and man is it beautiful there! It also happens
to be where Polyface Farms is located.


 


For those of you who follow the sustainable farming movement, or
watched Food Inc—a documentary on sustainable solutions to food
production—you might remember Joel Salatin. He’s the man behind
Polyface Farms, and one heck of a passionate believer in creating
the best possible system for both the environment and his
livestock.


 


Cozying up on bails of hay thrown on top of a flat bed trailer,
which was pulled by a big tractor, we took our tour of the farm.
A few times throughout the tour, they stopped the tractors and
Joel answer questions as he explained his system for rotating
animals. As we weaved around his property, you could not help but
be taken in by the beauty of the lush green pastures and rolling
hills.


 


On our second stop, Joel explained how he keeps his soil and
grass healthy, along with ensuring his animals get proper
nourishment. Essentially, they rotate various animals in a
specific sequence on the same field. If they aren’t able to get
enough animals through the fields in time before the grass
becomes too mature, they cut it and save the clippings as feed
for the winter months.


 


“The pasture and the animals need the disruption (continuous
grazing/clipping and movement) to remain healthy,” he said, “the
disturbance is what allows for healthy growth.”


 


His words captivated me, particularly as I started thinking about
the importance of disruption in all areas of life. Whether we’re
talking about moving animals out of their comfort zone,
disrupting the fields with grazing/cutting, or having difficult
conversations, we need disruption to create the fertile ground
for growth.


 


While Joel was initially talking about his farming practices, he
was really hitting on a much bigger idea that is critical for all
growth. Whether we’re talking about the bottom line, innovation,
career growth, or professional advancement, disruption,
disturbance, or discomfort are critical elements of the process.


 


By getting attached to current systems, skills, and colleagues,
we might be missing out on tremendous opportunities for growth.
To avoid such stagnation, consider intentionally disrupting your
own status quo. You can do this by:


 


—Advancing your skillsets continuously


—Rotating the venues in which you spend time networking/building
relationships


—Address elephants as they surface and open the floor for
difficult conversations


—Test out new ideas continuously, with the expectation that they
might fail.


 


There is no success without failure—train yourself and your team
to appreciate failure and disruption as you move toward growth
and advancement. Keep rotating, learning, and disrupting your
comfort zone—in time your pastures (team, career, balance
statement) will be the same kind of luscious green of Joel
Salatin’s farm. 


 


Here’s to Your Greatness,


 


Misti Burmeister


 


NEW! Ready to reconnect to the excitement of—


 


—Your work/career


—Leading your team


—Growing your bottom line, along with your people?


 


Grab your 40 minute Gearing for Greatness session with Misti
today—http://mistiburmeister.com/GearingForGreatness


 


“Working with Misti Burmeister will be one of the best decisions
you have ever made as a leader. She helped me integrate new
behaviors and thought processes to bolster my overall leadership
presence.” –Kevin Frick, Professor and Dean, Johns Hopkins Carey
School of Business