Collaboration Is Key To Grow Vegetable Industry Success (Opinion)
September 15, 2021 I made it back out on the road for the first time since the pandemic started. I was hungry to visit farms outside of my state and to visit with growers in person.
What I found were a lot of growers feeling the same way. Each farm I visited wanted to know what I was hearing from other growers across the country. If they were dealing with a supply shortage or coming up against a pest they struggled to control, the inevitable question was, “What are you hearing from other growers?”
That showed me two things. Ok, three things.
First, although you work outdoors most of the day, the pandemic made you feel as isolated as the rest of the U.S.
Two, my team and I are in a privileged position. Even during the height of lock downs, we talked to growers. We hopped on Zoom calls and heard about how things are going.
It drove home how important it is for us to keep listening and keep sharing what we learn.
And the third lesson? It’s important for growers to stay in touch with one another.
Stronger United
This year’s national winner of the American Vegetable GrowerSM Grower Achievement Award recognizes the strength sharing lends them. Trent Rothert, Co-Owner of Rothert Farm, Inc., waved me off when I asked if I could share something he told me.
“We don’t worry about that kind of thing. We’re all in this together,” he replied.
During the vetting process for the award, our team spoke with several people about Rothert Farm, Inc. One person I spoke to is a supplier to farms throughout the region, including the Midwest and Southern Ontario. He told me that most farms he stops at ask about the latest innovations at Rothert.
The Rotherts trial innovative techniques and equipment, and Trent shares what he learns with others.
I’ve seen their attitude in practice and witnessed its truth over the years. Sharing sparks reciprocal openness. It makes everyone a little wiser and stronger.
Take a look at growers you trust and admire. It might be worth approaching them with an offer to set up regular calls to compare notes. You never know what you’ll learn.
Oh, One More Thing
The concept of collaborating with potential competitors isn’t new. Brighter minds than my own have studied the concept and analyzed where it works — or doesn’t work.
Here are a couple of those vaunted sources:
Harvard Business Review
Way back in 1989, Harvard Business Review published the findings of a five-year study of competitive collaborations. While there is some risk, it found that each company gained competitive strength from the partnership.
Forbes
In a more recent article (2019), Forbes talked about “competition.” It called out the advantages of competitors pooling resources for R&D or positioning your company against other competitors.
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