It is common to hear members of a farming family saying this is daddy’s or mummy’s or even brother’s farm.
In such circumstances, when daddy is away, the farm does not run effectively because the other family members do not see it as theirs.
By involving your family in the running of your farm, you are killing several birds with one stone. It means that even if you are away, the farm will still run effectively.
Research shows that family farms generally perform better than farms that hinge on hired labour.
You can hire labour too, but it should run alongside the in-put of family members.
When it is holiday time, many people are resting at home. This is the time to introduce them into the family farm business, not as a punishment but as a business development venture.
In some of the schools where these children go, farming is considered as a punishment. And because of this, children tend to have a negative attitude towards farming.
You can give them incentives to start falling in love with agriculture. For example, you can give them small plots, give them seeds and other farm implements to practice farming.
Let them sell whatever they have produced after harvest and let them keep the money. Gradually, they will realise that farming is a business.
Once your children and other family members respect your farm and are willing to contribute to its development, very little will go wrong.
Significantly, labour expenses at the farm will reduce too.
The other benefit of practising agriculture as a family is that you will be able to pool resources and acquire better farm inputs. For example, relatives living in the same area can pool their produce, sell it in bulk and earn more.
They can also start a family cooperative group through which, with the combined resources convince institutions to give them financial support.
