Preserving the Past for Future Farming Success

Do you know what year your farming operation started? Do you know the name of the individual who started your operation? Do you know the biggest struggle or success past generations faced while running the operation? All of these questions are a part of your farms story and the history of your operation. Understanding the history of your farming operation can aid in transition planning, help build strong record keeping skills and help guide your decision making process.

By understanding your farm history you can analyze how those before you have conducted the transition planning process. You can identify strategies that worked and others that may have fell short. By reflecting on the past you are able to prepare for the future and make informed decisions.

Collecting farm history is also a good record keeping skill. By recognizing and understanding farm history you are developing skills of research and comprehension. Record keeping is vital in any farming operation.

The history of your operation may help guide you in the decisions you make within your farming operation. Your farming operation may have strong core values that have been passed down throughout generations. These core values may play a major role in the decisions you make. It is also valuable recognize any mistakes that may have been made and try to avoid repeating them. We all have heard the saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” use the information you gather to your advantage to help guide your decision making.

• Compiling farm history can be intimidating, but there are a lot of options to find new information.
  Consider asking employees individuals directly associated with the operation. Asking questions can bring up a lot of emotions, but also answer a lot of questions. Not everyone has the chance to ask questions, but if you do take the opportunity to learn more!
• County records and the record from the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management could be another great resource. These locations can help you identify different documents you will want to have on file.
• Just like asking those immediately involved in the operation, another great option is to reach out to community members. These may be owners of the local stockyards or feed store. They may have interesting insight or stories about your operation.
• Another option is speaking with your local historic society. They may be able to find different artifacts, documents or stories about your operation. You never know until you ask!

If you are a first generation farmer be sure to keep a log of key milestones and events that you can pass down. Farm history makes a difference and is a meaningful piece to any operation. Asking questions and doing research may seem scary, but you can uncover memories and important artifacts to your story!