This is for three key reasons: first, that our shopping list of wants and needs grew while there wasn’t enough money; second, we quickly adapt our expenses to fit the looming higher income (this phenomenon is true also of the wage and salary earner); and third, we are comfortable and so it’s easier to take it easy while the money rolls in.
The truth of it is, that comfort robs us of the necessary motivation to change — so we rarely get full advantage of the good times, which leaves us vulnerable when things go bad.
Thus, the fondness business coaches in the corporate world have for the Churchill-attributed quote: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”.
I can tell you from my consulting experience, that a crisis is indeed, a gift.
Only when there was a crisis — be it the bank knocking on the door, a disease outbreak, a failure in the repro program, or (God forbid) having other discussion group members’ production racing past yours — was my advice rapidly adopted.
Discomfort, however it presents, is the only consistent motivator for change.
You see, we humans are little different to most animals — we are inherently lazy. And since change requires effort, well, it’s easier not to.
And so, in this reframe, our beloved dairy industry has just delivered us a gift.
It has dropped the farm gate milk price from an average $9.51/kg last year to — depending on supplier — $7.95 or thereabouts. This is a very significant 16.5 per cent.
Our immediate reaction is one of anger, or disappointment, but let’s put this into perspective:
- the milk price has been at record levels for the past couple of years; and
- this is nothing compared to the Goulburn Valley’s SPC suppliers who have been told only about half of the fruit crop they grow will be taken next year.
Thus, our situation is probably more uncomfortable than desperate, but nevertheless, is prime motivation to do things differently.
Wait, there’s more.
We also have a looming cataclysmic event — climate-related regulations on both inputs (N and P) and outputs (greenhouse gases, particularly methane and nitrous oxide).
What better opportunity do we have to plan a ‘green’ future — to reinvent our production system to meet future needs in a manner that produces major cost reductions while increasing productivity, commensurately ensuring future sustainability within the new climate framework.
Until recently, I would have considered this impossible, but a home-grown Aussie technology is currently exciting governments and producers around the globe because it is doing just this.
The key is to understand how you might create an on-farm circular economy — that is, using your farm’s organic waste as the resource to replace a good chunk of your fertiliser and chemical inputs.
Climate change, global warming, the carbon crisis — call it what you will — is going to massively change the way we farm.
Like it or not, we will have to change the way we conduct our farming practices.
We can wait until the supermarkets or your milk processor or the government or the bank forces the change (which is highly undesirable), or we can transition at a slightly uncomfortable, but perfectly manageable pace.
I favour the latter.
If you would like to know more, drop us a line at: info@4sight.bio
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