Maybe it s while we re on the phone for tech support. Or it could be when we re in the bank, or maybe it s when we re talking to our agronomist or we re at a meeting to get briefed on the latest new technology.
That s when it hits us. Agriculture isn t nearly so white anymore.
Personally, I know very few if any farmers who see this as a threat. The old red-neck stereotype of farmers is turning out to be just as wrong as every other stereotype. In my experience, there are few places where you re accepted for what you bring to the table faster than on the farm.
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But that doesn t mean there isn t discomfort. Worse, there can be awkwardness too, which can be all too apparent to everyone involved.
I dunno, we might say, this guy might be Muslim. Can I invite him in for lunch?
Or, I dunno. If she d just slow down, I could probably understand her a whole lot better. Should I say something?
To help get the answers, I talked to a couple of Canada s leading diversity experts. Those answers, they say, are surprisingly simple.
But if it s important to the future of your farm to cultivate strong relations with bankers, agronomists, researchers, marketers and buyers, it s time to start putting your best foot forward. After all, if the makeup of the students bodies at Canada s farm universities is any indication (especially at masters and doctoral levels), agriculture will soon be as diverse and cosmopolitan as any city street.
So, read these interviews with two Canadians who devote a lot of thought to the subject of diversity, and listen as they share their ideas on how to communicate without feeling perplexed or awkward.
The key, they say, is simply to learn how to be respectful in the face of difference.
