Mentorship program helps young rancher to follow his passion
advantage in comparison to other continuing education opportunities.
“I basically open my books and I say here’s our financials, what do you want to know?” he explained. “So whether it’s how to get financing, what our exact costs are per cow, what our revenue is, what our production numbers look like, I’m willing to share all of that. You can get some of that information, but it’s usually pooled data and it’s usually averages and it’s difficult to sort it out. So just being able to look at the books of another farm is pretty useful.”
He can share his personal experience on various issues with a mentee and he can introduce a mentee to other people with relevant knowledge. This aspect of the mentorship has become more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Difley hopes there will be more opportunities for in-person visits and networking with others in coming months.
The rewarding part of his mentorship role is to see how a mentee succeeds and grows as a result of participating in the CYL program. He also believes this program helps to develop future leaders in the cattle industry.
“I think it’s very important, and people like Scott can be tremendous assets as he learns,” Difley said. “He’s got a professional background as an engineer and as he gets a good grasp on the cattle business, that’s the kind of individual you want in leadership roles.”
The CYL program is meant to be different from traditional mentorship programs. Its goal is to be flexible and to provide participants with an experience that fits their learning needs. For Gerbrandt this has been one of the appeals of the program.
“I don’t have a lot of spare time, and so it sounded like a great program, but I didn’t want to sign up for something if it was going to be a huge time commitment,” he said. “Essentially the program is what you make it. It’s the kind of thing where you get out what you put in.”
CYL applications for the 2021-22 program year are now open. Program applications are available on the CYL website and the submission deadline is March 31.