Oftentimes, life’s most impactful –and sometimes toughest– lessons are learned through experience. This is especially true in the agriculture industry. For new or beginning farmers, these lessons are priceless. Rather than learning these lessons the hard way, a group of nine beginning farmers jumped at the chance to gain experience-based knowledge quickly through GreenStone’s CultivateGrowth Mentorship.
Through this 18-month program, beginning farmer mentees who are eager to learn are paired with an experienced farmer mentors to gain valuable knowledge, industry insight and hear about life lessons. Each mentor farms a similar commodity and has decades of life lessons already under their belt. This unique partnership will open the door to many insightful conversations about farming and managing a business, ultimately leading to endless connections and opportunities for both individuals.
Officially launched this past November, participants of the 2022-2024 CultivateGrowth Mentorship, the fifth and most diverse group since the program’s inception in 2015, met during an in-person kick-off training event. Led by program facilitators, participants discussed establishing an effective relationship and creating a genuine friendship with their partner, and the fundamentals necessary for getting more out of your mentorship. Focusing on generational differences, attendees were able to better understand their counterpart, allowing them to feel more comfortable and better communicate with their partner, a valuable component to any mentorship journey.
Alex Ball of Old City Acres in Romulus, MI and former mentorship participant, was thrilled at the chance to join the program again as a mentee. “This is my second time through the mentorship program and each time I'm able to build more local relationships and learn with those in my industry,” Alex explained. “I'd highly recommend any farmer considering joining for the connections alone."
While the program is geared toward preparing the next generation of agriculture for the future, many times mentors are able to benefit from participating and take away just as much from the program as their mentee. Working with someone from another generation or with a different farming experience can open their eyes and help them see things from a new perspective. This leads to learning about new techniques, implementing new strategies, finding additional streams of revenue, or even inspiring them to add new technology to their operation increasing efficiency.
Following the training, mentors and mentees start their partnership with a farm tour of each other’s operation, and continue to connect frequently to answer questions, discuss challenges, share ideas, and provide guidance. Integrated into the year and a half program are opportunities to engage at other GreenStone CultivateGrowth events, as well as meetings and connections with their local GreenStone teams for further support and networking. These conversations lead to both the mentor and mentee learning from one another, ultimately resulting in friendships lasting long after the program concludes.
Stay tuned for more updates on the current mentorship program and the unique friendships that often come from it.
