The importance of taking time off-farm to upskill

As an agricultural advisor, Dr Kate Burke’s role is to help producers make strong on-farm decisions to improve their operation. She’s one of hundreds of advisors across Australia aiding producers to expand the productivity and profitability of their businesses.

According to Kate, finding a workshop that gets you off the farm, into a learning environment and among other producers and stakeholders is one of the best ways to build skills and confidence in decision-making, all in one.

“I think anxiety about unfinished work stops us from going to these events, but having a day away from the farm is never as diabolical as you think it’s going to be…and ideally you return better for it,” Kate said.

Bring the team

Despite the offer of value for the business, justifying leaving the farm for a day can be a barrier for many producers to attend development workshops.

Regardless of the workshop focus you’re delving into, Kate believes there’s plenty of opportunity beyond the course content to make the most of your business objectives and make the time away pay off tenfold.

“If you want to get bang for your buck when it comes to training and network building, it’s a really good idea to send more than one person, if you’ve got employees or younger members of the family getting their head around the business,” Kate said.

While everyone is being upskilled, other opportunities arise from the day.

“If you’ve got to travel an hour in the car together, that trip is an opportunity to have a quasi-business meeting while you’re all in the same spot, and not working, which might not happen very often.

“Once you’re there, there’s a lot to learn from the advisors presenting the workshop, and the interaction and conversation you have with other participants is just as valuable…we all learn best from peers and people we can identify with.

“If you’re sending your employees but can’t attend yourself, it’s a great idea to tee up a fellow producer or an advisor you know to look out for them and introduce them to a few people to make the most out of that development opportunity.”

Part of a plan

Kate previously presented at a MeatUp forum – one of many opportunities MLA offers producers to meet and learn from livestock advisors.

A MeatUp forum brings together leading producers to offer insights into relevant on-farm research and development. Additionally, insights about how to increase productivity and profitability are shared.  The segment Kate led was on making better choices for better results.

“My main message to producers is to keep things simple – you don’t have to do anything fancy to make good decisions,” Kate said.

“Planning is the best tool you have, whether it’s on the back of a beer box or a piece of tin. To get ideas out of your head so you can visualise and review them with others is invaluable.

“Having the opportunity to speak to and learn from an advisor can be a big part of reviewing those ideas.

“The feedback we get is that people just need a sounding board. We’re there to alleviate self-doubt and offer reassurance when making big on-farm decisions.

“On the flip side of that, it’s often good to be challenged. Too much self-confidence can be a little bit dangerous. Sometimes you need a broader view to run ideas past. It’s a grounding tool.”

Regardless of experience, identifying an area of the business to improve and taking action to upskill is key to unlocking more potential.

“Don’t underestimate the value of learning. You’re never too old and you’re never too young.”