Tips to repair longterm relationships after mistakes on the farm

Mistakes on the farm can cost money, time and relationships. When a service provider sprays the wrong field or leaves a gate open and the cows get out, tempers can flare.

Don’t let mistakes interfere with longtime relationships in your community, University of Missouri Extension Agricultural Business Specialist Katie Neuner said in a news release.

Business relationships in small towns are unique, Neuner said. Suppliers and vendors often are neighbors or friends, their child may even be on the same ball team with your child.

A business dispute can lead to uncomfortable encounters.

“You’re all intertwined, and you want to maintain good relationships,” she said.

Neuner recently had such an experience. A custom applicator damaged 5 acres of brome hay ground on her farm near Lexington. The damage was visible within 24 hours of application. She documented the site with photos and promptly contacted the applicator.

The applicator sent an agronomist, who used a drone to inspect the field aerially to confirm damage. Crop records from previous years were used to determine yield loss and a fair market value for the damaged forage.

MU Extension Agronomist Wayne Flanary said Neuner’s experience is a good example of how to negotiate a solution when you live in a rural area.

Flanary cites three things that lead to a fair resolution for all involved: professionalism, fairness and good records. He recommends taking these actions when mistakes happen on the farm: