Relationships Key to
Young Producer Success
Farm mom shares tips for developing successful ranch relationships.
by Bridget Beran, intern, Angus Media
MANHATTAN, KAN. (June 14, 2016) — Debbie Lyons-Blythe addressed young producers about the challenges of balancing farm life with family life. With her oldest son recently returning to the ranch, the mom and blogger has a lifetime of experience coordinating kids, cattle and marriage into one cohesive life.
Debbie Lyons-Blythe focused on three relationships central to the family farming operation: ranchers with young families, young children cooperating with parents, or adult children who have returned to the ranch and are trying to connect with their grandparents and parents.
She shared her observations with those gathered for the Young Producer Symposium June 14 at the 2016 Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting and Symposium hosted in Manhattan, Kan.
Lyons-Blythe focused on three relationships central to the family farming operation: ranchers with young families, young children cooperating with parents, or adult children who have returned to the ranch and are trying to connect with their grandparents and parents. With five children of her own, Lyons-Blythe referenced experiences of raising her children on the family farm to their current adult lives.
For young families, being together was a priority.
“In my world, I took them with me all of the time,” Lyons-Blythe said. “You have to pay attention that you’re doing that safely, though. Farming and ranching is a dangerous job, and we need to make sure we’re being safe.
She urged producers with young families to teach their children the balance between school, sports, family and farm life. Finding the balance between the many time-consuming activities in a child’s life can be challenging, and their nonagricultural friends might not understand the time commitments of the farm. It’s important for children to learn responsibility on the farm.
“It’s important that we show those young kids that we trust them,” Lyons-Blythe says. “If we give them a job and we micromanage them, then that tells them they’re not good enough to handle it.”
She reminded younger adults working with their parents that respect is a two-way street. She encouraged them to remember they are who they are because of the family members who came before them, and she urged them to be patient in encouraging change.
“People are about change, even this older generation, but you have to show them the value of change,” Lyons-Blythe said.
The most important relationship, she emphasized, is the one you build with your significant other. She urged the single members of her audience to be careful in their selection of a partner, as not everyone can find happiness in farm living and will be willing to vaccinate cows or mow hay during their downtime.
“Take care of your spouse,” Lyons-Blythe says. “Make sure that your spouse is your partner, and take care of them in the right way.”
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