How Involved is Your Partner/Spouse in Marketing Decisions

[charliep]

How do you utilize the human resources on your farm managment team to make marketing decisions? If you are a multi family team is one person the trigger puller on marketing decisions or is it a shared responsibility? If the management team is you and your significant other, do you have shared responsibilities for market decisions?

[cottonpicken]

She yells at me to put money in the account lol

[hobbyfrmr]

Cotton x 2. No yelling but every 6 months or so there is a request for a "bail in".
I think its a very odd way to manage a farm/household when married. To each their own!

[hobbyfrmr]

No pun intended!

[Partners]

She is involved with every decision that is made on our farm..50/50..

[sumdumguy]

The "man" calls the shots here. She doesn't want to assume blame for any decisions. I just don't tell her about the miscues. She has her own money so it works well.

[farmaholic]

All too often the man wears the pants, but the wife tells him which he'll be wearing.

[blackpowder]

Unless of course it's her lawyer dictating the style of pants.

[furrowtickler]

My wife is a full time teacher , and does extra that most don't so , I do not step in her zone and she does not step in mine . I would love to have her run the book work side of the farm but , I can't afford her and she can't afford not to teach - same goes for my brother and his wife who is In the health care profession - we all do our own thing and meet in the middle when we can - don't step on toes or get punched in the nose - or don't throw rocks in a glass house .

[farmaholic]

BlackPowder, if that's the case there may not be any to wear by the time the lawyer works until the equity is gone.

One of the most efficient wealth management/transfer schemes going, divorce lawyers. I know way too many that were left with next to nothing by the time the dust settled. They like to fight until the equity is used and then there is nothing to fight over.

[crusher]

My wife is not involved in any farm decisions. I don't dictate what's for supper or the laundry detergent we use. Just keep the beer fridge full please.

[kato]

Partners, I salute you. You have it right.

I read an article once where they interviewed a group of very successful long time farmers, and asked them what was the key to their success. Virtually all of them replied that it was their wife. Not markets. Not equipment. It was the support of a spouse who was just as involved in the decisions as they were. With farming being what it is, if both parties aren't committed to it's success, it is not easy to keep it going for the long run.

I learned right away that you don't just marry the farmer. You also marry the farm. If that doesn't happen, then things can be difficult. We make all of our decisions together, and since Sunday will be our fortieth anniversary, and we're still married, and still farming, which includes surviving the BSE years on a straight cattle operation, there must be something to it.

[charliep]

I posted because some of where I have seen the most successful farmer marketing is where one partner took on the role of marketing the crop/livestock. The partner who grew the crop often had a difficult time in marketing it - ownership and ego. The other partner quite often could do a better job of separating marketing as activity of converting crop inventory into cash in a timely, efficient and profitable manner that meant both the business and family objectives.

Not saying right or wrong. Just highlighting the potential in a family team. My mother was the Chief Financial Officer in the farm family business I grew up in.

[sumdumguy]

Kato, from all of your posts, I got they impression that you are a hands-on devoted capital "F" farmer who has not lost the zest for the adventure. I am sure there is much give and take and lively banter at your table. Keep chugging and keep posting. All perspectives are appreciated.

[fjlip]

charliep, I agree, I have a much harder time to market than the wife. Think it's the ownership thing. Full bins feel better than empty ones. It's a mind game/fault. We are both Libras and indecisive, doesn't help.