Page 42 - Farm and Food Policy Strategies for 2040 Series

Self-reliant Traditionalists: This group has been through the ups and downs of the farm
economy before and are just trying to hold on to what they have. Representing 22% of the survey
sample, they’ve saved a lot of money and tend to be cash-funded. They are short-term thinkers,
not planners. They’ve kind of given up on the idea of expanding their operation. They’ve been
through tough times before and think they’ll survive it again. These tend to be smaller operations
and the owner/operators are less educated. They do not value technology or innovation.
Leveraged Lifestylers: They think they’ve done everything right and the world is stacked
against them. Representing about 14% of the grower universe, they are just trying to survive and
think their profitability is completely tied to markets recovering and government reducing
regulations and providing more supports for them. They tend to love the lifestyle of farming but
not really have the business sense to navigate it. They have all the latest and greatest stuff, which
adds to the financial pressure. They tend to be short-term thinkers, impulsive decisionmakers,
and are skeptical of the industry. They recognize that they are likely to fail if they don’t change,
but they don’t really know how to do it. This group is the most vulnerable, Sciotto adds.

Determining who is most likely to succeed in the future goes beyond simply understanding the
profiles of today’s farmers, according to Sciotto.
“Aimpoint Research, along with a collaborative group of clients and ag industry leaders, looked
to the future through wargaming exercises. Through the wargaming, we were able to predict the
conditions most likely to define agriculture in the future, and in turn, match the farmer segments
with the traits needed to successfully navigate those industry shifts,” explains Sciotto.

40 www.Agri-Pulse.com