Mentorship is one of the big pillars of career success regardless of the field. Having somebody to answer questions and provide guidance can make a huge difference.
Having a mentor supports your growth, provides a source of knowledge, encourages you, helps you make connections, guides you, and forces you to keep accountable.
But unless you come from a family of farmers, it may not have that built-in mentor that you so desire.
Once you figure out your long- and short-term goals, you can start your search. If you have somebody in mind, that is perfect. Approach them with an “elevator pitch” that clarifies your desires and needs while demonstrating what benefits this relationship can do for you.
But how do you find a mentor to help you navigate the ag business?
Word of Mouth
Whether you grew up in a small town or moved to one in your adult years, you may have become aware of how much gossip abounds and how hard it is to keep a secret. That grocery store clerk might know about your most recent breakup, but you probably also know about some of their less savoury habits.
So use that gossip for good. Tell people you are looking for a mentor. Tell your friends, family, neighbours and even some random people. You never know when you might stumble upon the right person.
Too shy to share your business with strangers? Make a poster with your desired contact information and put it on a poster board in a community hub.
Look Online
There are countless agricultural mentorship programs in Canada. Some are strictly open to young people, while others are tailored to the type of agriculture you do.
Farm Management Canada has an extensive list of mentorship programs.
Can’t find what you want? Create a mentorship program.
There are a few steps to consider before you launch a mentorship program of your own.
First, you need to establish the objectives for your program. Dig deep. Set a strict timeline and key performance indicators (KPIs) to meet. Write it all down. It will help you articulate why people should join the program.
Then choose the type of mentorship that this program will provide. Will it be group mentorship with one mentor to many mentees? Will it be peer mentorship where several people can provide their knowledge and share what they can? Is it going to be more of a formal one-on-one type of mentorship?
Invite people you know to your program. They don’t necessarily have to be in the same industry. A farmer can always use the skillset provided by a mechanic, graphic designer, project officer and the like, particularly if they want to build their business or take it in a new direction.
Once you have enough people, you must start playing matchmaker and introducing them to each other.
With time, you then start evaluating the success of the program. Are you on the right track? If so, continue. If not, go back and adjust it. Some people don’t click, and there is nothing wrong with rematching them to others.
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