Free School for Farmworkers: Am I Conducting a Symphony or Farming? Delegation Skills on the Farm

Farming is often compared to a marathon, but what about a symphony? Hear us out – farm managers are pretty similar to symphony conductors in a lot of ways. A symphony conductor decides which set of songs is being played and in what order. They need to make sure all musicians know their roles and cues for starting and stopping, who is taking the lead, and who is supporting. When everyone is clear and the team is strong, it’s music to our ears, and when there is miscommunication or the flow is off, yikes.

The same goes for farming. The setlist is the task list, and the orchestra is the farm crew. Delegating a farm crew, like conducting a symphony, requires specific skills like foresight, communication, and observance. You facilitate the work and ensure that it happens harmoniously.

Delegating as a manager is crucial for any farm’s success, not to mention crew satisfaction. It can feel really good to get through a task list as a team where everyone feels seen and heard and like their skills are being utilized. But delegation can be tricky – knowing how long a task will take, making sure no one is stuck with the same monotonous job every time, balancing the power dynamics of being the manager of the crew while also trying to keep your boss satisfied (always the buffer, never the bride), building skills among the crew while also trying to be motivating. Delegation is the true unsung hero of a happy farm.

Accessibility information: This session will be facilitated in English and simultaneously interpreted into Spanish by Cooperativa Brujúlas. Closed captioned will also be available.

Co-hosted by Not Our Farm, UW-Extension, and FairShare CSA Coalition.

Please note that Free School for Farmworkers sessions are a farmworker-only space.

*We define a farmworker as someone working on a farm they do not own, for or without pay, including interns, apprentices, cooperative workers, and aspiring farmworkers. If you have questions about whether you are eligible to participate, please contact Anita Adalja at anita@notourfarm.org

Free School for Farmworkers strives to create pockets of opportunity to skill-share, connect, and learn about parts of agriculture that can be overlooked, forgotten, or hoarded due to the nature of working on farms under capitalism.

Flyer designed by Alicia Robinson-Welsh

About the facilitators:

Sarah Bell is a farmer and educator based in Adamsville, Alabama. Sarah has managed several farms throughout Alabama since 2017 and is especially passionate about supporting and building community amongst farmers. She has worked in agricultural policy advocacy with the National Young Farmers Coalition and as a farmer representative on the USDA Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers. Sarah currently farms at Lovelight Farms in Wilsonville, AL, and is a board member for the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network.

Abby Benson is the production coordinator at Featherstone Farm, an organic farm in Rushford, MN, growing about 140 acres of vegetables. At the height of the season, Featherstone employs nearly 50 year-round local employees and 30 seasonal workers from Mexico through the H-2A visa program.