Talent in the GreenSeam

GreenSeam’s third annual State of Agriculture Report is a result of a comprehensive survey of Minnesota’s agribusiness and related industries, along with a series of nine focus groups conducted in the first 50 days of the year. The report reveals the perceptions and opinions on the economy and other major issues impacting businesses in the ag industry and places an TALENT IN THE GREENSEAM emphasis on education, as well as talent attraction and retention. The By Shane Bowyer State of Ag Report enables GreenSeam to better understand, serve, and support the workplace, businesses, organizations and communities in our region.

The survey and focus groups dug deeper into what was having the biggest negative impact on businesses growth in agriculture. The top issue was the lack of available talent, which was exasperated by retirees, fewer of the younger generation entering the industry and relocating to rural Minnesota, and ‘The Great Resignation’. The survey breaks down this result by business size. Regardless of the size, securing talent is one of the top threats for a business’s growth.

Part of the folklore of agriculture is dirty, physical work: farm and tractors, pitchforks and hammers, cows and pigs, all of which fail to create a story that appeals to the next generation. This overwhelming theme emerged in all the focus group discussions and the State of Ag Survey.

Telling the real and exciting story of agriculture to include automation, computers, drones, good salaries and lifestyles, and ample opportunities needs to be shared. This will help attract, develop, and retain the next generation of workers and leaders throughout the food and ag value chain.

Looking at the graph below. Talent is a top threat as well as policy and regulations continually having a negative impact on businesses. Challenges and concerns affecting the industry include: Proposition 12, CDL/trucking, immigration, and water and envi-

Which three of the following issues threaten your business’ ability to grow the most?

ronmental regulations. Logistics, transportation and shipping saw the sharpest increase in negative impacts to businesses — moving from the sixth threat to the third. This is not surprising considering the disrupted supply chain experienced across all industries. During the pandemic, people resigned, left the workforce, or changed the way they delivered work. As a result, 29 percent of respondents said their business is offering work from home and other flexible options to retain employees. Out of all surveyed businesses that have a wide range of employee sizes, 22 percent now have 15 percent or more of their employees working remotely.

When employees could turn to work from home or flexible options, remote office support was brought in to help create a good work environment at home. This could include office supplies or stipends that would help create more productivity.

Retention bonuses are the third most common additional incentive. With employees leaving during ‘The Great Resignation’, a retention bonus as an incentive is becoming common to not only think about bringing on new employees but encouraging great, existing employees to stay.

New ways of retaining and attracting employees are being utilized as previously discussed and include flextime, remote office support and retention bonuses. These are the top three from the survey results, but that doesn’t dismiss the additional incentives. If you compare what organizations are offering and what issues are threatening a business’

GreenSeam announces

Program Manager Cyphers

I am Michalia Cyphers, and I am excited to say that my career at GreenSeam started April 2022. I thought I would end up in a higher education career. But, when I saw the job post for

GreenSeam and thought back to the time I saw a GreenSeam booth and the great times I had with my dad revolved around agriculture, it sparked an interest. When looking at the post, there was involvement with the GreenSeam Talent Committee and Branding and Promotion Committee. This excited me as I could be involved with marketing. Now, I learned the Talent Committee is involved with higher education and I am giddy.

Who knew that there could be a career with a mix of agriculture, marketing, and higher education? Not me, until now.

See CYPHERS, pg. 17

In addition to common benefits (health, 401k etc.) does your organization offer any additional incentives?

ability to grow, you will see that they go hand in hand. This shows that businesses are aware and are making necessary changes to grow.

In this third year of the State of Ag Report, there were many speed bumps and just as many opportunities. At the end of the day, our agriculture and food supply chain, as well as those who touched it, achieved our mission of ensuring wholesome food was stocked on the shelves, abundant fuels were available to propel our supply chain, and quality feed was available to nourish our animals. Overall, the ag ecosystem never stopped.

In this report you will find both a summary and a list of items discussed at each focus group. The group insights and individual survey responses provide some answers; but have also piqued our interest to investigate further for solutions and utilize success stories to build case studies.

This year, we added a few questions about what businesses are doing to retain talent. We also dove into the subject of the global workforce and asked what resources are needed to continue to support and expand businesses.

In summary, the 2022 State of Ag Report captures the importance of our state’s talent shortage, our continued challenge with the regulation process, and highlights how businesses remain focused on growth despite unavoidable and unforeseen setbacks. GreenSeam will use this comprehensive report to guide programs and services this year — whether it be filling the gaps identified, or accelerating opportunities. The hope is the research and insights provided by this report will make a difference in business decisions and actions.

The 2022 State of Ag report — as well as previous years’ reports — is available to view at Greenseam. org/survey.

Talent in the GreenSeam focuses on developing talent and promoting careers in agriculture and food. Dr. Shane Bowyer is the Director of AgriBusiness and Food Innovation in the College of Business at Minnesota State University, Mankato and is on the GreenSeam Talent Committee. He can be reached at shane.bowyer@mnsu.edu. v