The talent world is hyped up about ag. I love connecting with brilliant people who have zero background in ag but are passionate about jumping into the industry. They’re inspired by thought-leader farmers, study-abroad programs, or ag influencers. Just yesterday, I saw that Prime released a new documentary, “Groundswell,” narrated by none other than Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson, with a banger soundtrack that will surely boost talent pools for agtechs everywhere. I can’t count the number of candidates who have anxiously asked us: “Will the fact that I have no background in ag disqualify me?” Our answer at FarmRaise is a resounding “No, it will not.” We’re solving less for industry experience and more for mindset.

We love recruiting operators who have zero background in farming but who are driven to learn it. Wanting to learn it is something we take seriously, and if you come in with this mindset, the first thing we’ll ask is: do you want to romanticize agriculture, or do you want to transform it?

Romanticization can be beautiful and fun, but it’s not the right fit for FarmRaise. Agrarian romanticization, however, is apparently everywhere. My generation is obsessed with the farming aesthetic (farmcore, anyone?), but no number of Instagram filters, potted plants, and wooden floors can account for the grit, pain, and uncertainty that farmers experience daily, and the tough decisions they face as a result.

We also see a number of candidates who believe that because they love food, they should work in agriculture. The world of boutique farm-to-fork restaurants is vast, rich, and a cornucopia of culinary adventure. I love a good meal as much as any eater, and we’re all eaters, so I understand why being a foodie can seem like a natural gateway to ag. If you’re coming to the ag table because you love food, then that’s fantastic — please take a seat! Your seat at the table will, however, require more than eating. Get ready to take off your consumption hat and put on your hardhat to build!

Perhaps most of all, we need builders with an open mind. Cultural narrative will tell you that there is “good farming” (regenerative agriculture—hooray!) and “bad farming” (conventional agriculture—booo), and encourage you to think like a binary zealot. Don’t fall for this! There is nuance and complexity in this discussion, and at the heart of the conversation are farmer entrepreneurs doing their best to build a viable business while also navigating some very powerful economic forces spanning markets, policy, and weather systems. We need to move the entire industry toward a more resilient paradigm as quickly as possible, but this requires us to go deep, not just fast.

So how do you tap in and channel your inner ag builder? We’d recommend that you talk to farmers—not just famous ones, not just the ones you buy strawberries from at your farmer’s market. Get out and meet producers across production types, conferences, and geographies. Go work on a farm for a quarter. Try raising backyard chickens! Do something that surprises or stretches you, and try to make some money doing it. If you come onto our team, we love it when new hires want to spend weeks in the inbox, talking with farmers, texting with farmers, and experiencing their problems firsthand. The sooner you can get into the producer’s shoes and understand their stressors and their dreams, the faster you’ll be ready to build them their solution.

Originally posted at https://jaycehafner.substack.com/p/romanticize-agriculture-or-transform