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Ag workforce landscape changing

The executive vice president of Ohio-based FLM Harvest says workforce needs in the agriculture industry continue to change as technology advances.

“Especially in our world, technology has just kind of taken over,” he says. “We need to just be involved and stay ahead of it.”

Phillip Farmer is the head of the marketing and communications company that specializes in the food and agriculture sectors.

He tells Brownfield the aging workforce poses a challenge for the industry as work ethic has changed.

“It used to be you worked 14-15 hours day and who could get in the soonest,” he says. “Today the younger people want more flexibility and want to work more efficiently and differently.”

But, Farmer says ag companies are adapting…

“We just need to be understanding- both younger people need to be understanding of the older generation and the older generation needs to understand the wants and needs of the younger folks,” he says. “I think we need to constantly evolve and be open and willing to change.”

Farmer spoke to Brownfield at the Ohio AgriBusiness Association Conference in Dublin, Ohio.

FLM Harvest also has locations in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington D.C.

Audio: Phillip Farmer, FLM Harvest