Forgetting Familiarity with George Madison
Like many driven and eager college freshman, George Madison was ready to take on the world and study animal science to become a better herdsman. Running cattle was the end goal and he was confident in that direction. Until he took an ag business class on the advice of his college advisor, and that single class changed everything.
Pushing fear by the wayside and moving boldly in the direction his gut was leading him George changed his vision for himself and today he is the eyes and insight for dozens of growers in the Reagan, Indiana area. Never having taken an agronomy class in college, George happily admits that the agronomic knowledge he extends to his growers has been taught by the remarkable agronomists he’s had the pleasure of working with over the years.
So, college students, his advice to you is forget the familiarity you’ve come to enjoy and push yourself to try something new. Ditch the easy internship, move away from the roads you can drive with your eyes closed (don’t do that, by the way) and stretch yourself in order to find yourself.
George has been a bit of a pioneer in our business in how he communicates with his farmer-members in the Reagan area. In his truck he carries a tripod that can be set up in seconds, and if he sees something worth sharing in the field, he hits record. In a matter of moments George can have a timely, relevant message to his growers and advice on how to address certain agronomic situations.
But while corn and soybeans drive him professionally, it is his young and active family at home that grounds George. A supportive wife and two children bring him profound joy in the ordinary days.
It is the sudden and tragic loss of his father that George carries with him that drives him to practice work life balance to the greatest extent. Because time with his own father was limited, George’s mission as a husband and father is to ensure every moment matters. Attending livestock shows and working in the barn with his family of four is where you’ll find him once he takes off his Co-Alliance hat.
Work life balance is not easy for those in production agriculture, but his team at Reagan can be accredited for stepping up while teammates step back for family and rest.
We invite you to join us for this podcast, where we sit down with YieldPro Specialist George Madison who talks about transitioning outside of his comfort zone for a greater reward, work life balance with a growing family at home and how he’s transformed communication to his growers to cultivate trust and transparency in the field.