In this episode of Digging Deeper, host Al welcomes special guest Sally Murphy from Tasmania and Jen Smith, General Manager of the Gippsland Ag Group.

Sally introduces the concept of 'human agronomy' and emphasises the importance of understanding human behavior in driving business performance on farms.

The discussion covers topics such as the Great Resignation in agriculture, managing employee motivation, and the costs associated with disengagement and rehiring. Sally shares insights on creating open communication cultures in farming businesses, the importance of off-farm identities for succession planning, and practical tips for managing grumpy moods and energy levels as leaders.

She also highlights the surprising statistic that employees are 10.4 times more likely to leave a bad culture than for monetary reasons.

The episode emphasises valuing the whole person in agricultural settings and features a plug for Sally's business, Inspire Ag.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:17 Human Agronomy: Farming People

02:40 Challenges in Farm Leadership

05:05 The Great Resignation and Its Impact

07:23 Employee Engagement and Retention

11:12 Family vs. Workplace Culture

14:49 Managing Energy Levels for Productivity

24:13 Succession Planning in Family Farms

27:00 Final Thoughts and Advice