A family farm takes a lot of people to run it. The more generations the farm has been in the family, the larger and more complex operations eventually become. But what about when it’s time to make important decisions about the farm? Who should make those decisions and who should be allowed to offer their input?
The Group: Input and Suggestion
There are many people who should be allowed to offer their suggestion, although the exact group will depend on how your farm is set up and how extensive the family is. In general, however, anyone who dedicates (or dedicated) their time and effort to the farm may have a good suggestion about how to run it. This doesn’t mean that they should be allowed to make the final decision. Rather, they should be included in the conversation, allowed to say their input, and the final decision maker should take everyone’s opinion into account at the end.
This decision making group might include some or all of the following people:
- Retired head of farms (aging parents or grandparents of the current head generation)
- Grown or nearly grown children (approximately age 16+)
- Senior or live-on hired hands (not casual or temporary workers)
- Extended family who lives and/or works the farm (aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, grown nieces/nephews)
The Head: Final Decision Maker
In the end, it is the farm leader or leading couple who should make the final decision. Each family farm should have a clear ruler, as this is essential in ensuring everything runs smoothly. For some family farms this may be a single patriarch or matriarch. For others it may be a couple consisting of the person who inherited the farm legally and their partner.
The most important thing is to never rush an important decision on the family farm, since even the smallest decisions can have a lasting impact. For more information about running a family farm contact us today.
