The making of Mark and Measure

Words by: Chris Neill

The dairy sector has plenty of competition, from friendly rivalry with a neighbour to full on war with weeds, pests and disease. Less conspicuous is the intimate competition with self which for some is coping with the challenges of each day and for others it is pushing the boundaries of personal development and improvement.

Numerous support, information and education programmes are available for self improvement and one of the gems is DairyNZ’s Mark and Measure. The genesis of Mark and Measure was a wealth creation programme for farmers developed some 23 years ago in Ireland with participation spread over several months.

Lynaire Ryan, Phillipa Hedley and Paul Bird brought the concept to DairyNZ , and created a three-day residential programme. Paul is now a senior project manager with DairyNZ and responsible for delivering Mark and Measure to dairy farmers looking to understand and advance their business.

The core elements of Mark and Measure are Vision, Values and Goals. Most participants are farming couples and the process of defining their individual and collective business vision can be challenging.

When one partner draws an aeroplane as a part of her vision to signify travel and husband interprets this as flying fertiliser on the farm, courageous conversation is happening. The relevance of values to achieving a vision is not commonly recognised. Another farmer desperately wanting to increase pasture grown couldn’t get it to happen. He discovered his key constraint in the values passed down from his grandfather and father that the only nitrogen on the farm would be fixed by clover. Goals are often talked about but aligning them to the business vision gives greater reward to the business when they are achieved. Programme participants must define their own Vision, Values and Goals with the support and encouragement of the facilitators and other farmers in the room. For some it will be financial and others it may be lifestyle or succession and almost certainly the Vision and Goals will change with more thinking and time.

The current format for Mark and Measure offers those with a farming business three days off farm in the company of other dairy farming business owners providing an opportunity to talk about their future. Before the course starts, participants have a full financial analysis of their business undertaken using DairyBase. An experienced business analyst discussed with the farmers their business strengths and opportunities and this starts the journey of understanding how the business owners can achieve their Vision.

The course warms up with introduction to personality types and how understanding these is integral to successful business and staff relationships. A look at the importance and maintenance of wellness will swing the mood from hilarity to sobering reality. It’s the beginning of understanding that as a group the participants are challenged by similar issues and the foundation for supportive relationships that will develop and continue. The progression into financial analysis, budgeting and investment principles can be challenging for some

Left: Luke and Sunny Oud with daughter Lilah have a vision for their future in dairy farming.

but they are crucial elements to business understanding and the creation of each business Planning Wheel. Planning Wheels are relatively simple means of pulling all the elements together with Vision and Values at the centre surrounded by the key goals for achieving this vision. Then comes the crunchy part of defining actions required to achieve each goal.

The first iteration is frequently modified as participants review and revise their thinking when they return home. After many years with the programme Paul Bird sees the key benefits to participants are development of relationships and networks with like minded farmers, strengthened alignment of farming couples, and learning new skills and processes for their business journey. In the latest format Mark and Measure is offering coaching sessions after the course to encourage follow through with the plan.

Past participants commonly recall their farmer guest speaker talking of the challenges and successes they have dealt with. For some it is a reflection on wealth creation and others share their story of overcoming considerable adversity.

The common feature is a dairy farmer achieving their Vision with planning and perseverance which inspires farmers participating in Mark and Measure to think about what they could achieve with their business.

Luke and Sunny Oud with daughter Lilah and the next generation of their dairy investment.

“Past participants commonly recall their farmer guest speaker talking of the challenges and successes they have dealt with. For some it is a reflection on wealth creation and others share their story of overcoming considerable adversity.”

Bringing in the Extension 350 project

The farmer-centric Extension 350 project started in Northland four years ago. Focused on profitability, environmental sustainability and farmer wellbeing it encourages farmers to achieve what they want in their lives and business.

Mark and Measure is a critical component of farmers’ journey to their success in the project.

To date, E350 has had DairyNZ deliver three Mark and Measure programmes which accounts for 60 farms and has another three programmes booked. Project Lead Luke Beehre views Mark and Measure as a structure where farmers benefit from the course material, socialising with and supporting other farmers, and the inspirational guest speakers.

This aligns with the projects philosophy of farmers learning from other farmers.

Each E350 Target farmer is supported by a Mentor farmer and farm consultant. The Target farmers identify their Vision, Values and Goals which the Mentors and Consultants must understand to then support them with the actions required to make and sustain change.

The ongoing mentor and consultant support after the Mark and Measure course is proving highly beneficial in locking in the learning and the conversations this team engage in are more strategic and aligned with what the Target farmer wants.

While target farmers Sue and Peter Skelton wished they had done Mark and Measure at the beginning of their farming career it helped clarify where they had come from, what they have now and identified that a vision for their business is essential.

A key learning has been “making little changes add up to big results” with regular pasture monitoring and monthly budget revisions their key examples.

Other target farmers Luke and Sunny Oud who are relatively new to farming, are now recognising the course benefits and are astounded at how their vision has been able to grow.

Learning to create goals and actions is allowing them to progress toward achieving their vision.

Both Skeltons and Ouds recognise the contribution of sharing the journey with other farmers to support and inspire themselves and others.

Because E350 involves dairy plus sheep and beef farmers, providing Mark and Measure beyond dairy was required. Luke is very appreciative of DairyNZ willingness to collaborate, adopt and adapt.

With additional support for sheep and beef specific content the modified programme has for at least one beef farming couple been “life changing”.

When it came to farmers supporting and learning from other farmers there was plenty of common ground with Vision and Values but some variation in the goals and actions.

The E350 team appreciates the complementarity of Mark and Measure to supporting farmers on a journey of change over three years.

The key contributions are building strategies aligned with Vision Values and Goals, developing strong farmer to farmer support relationships, providing the framework for courageous conversations, and inspiring farmers to rise to their challenges.

Tafi Manjala who is an AgFirst consultant working in E350 describes it as “taking people up for a helicopter view of their business, establishing a road map with the planning wheel, and creating clarity of actions which are essential particularly when confronted with adverse events”.