As I speak with and interview business leaders in our community, one thing is apparent: the winds of change are a blowin’. One industry in the midst of tremendous transition is health care. And that is an industry that affects every business, every person, every life.
It’s been eroding for years now. A “normal” work day is certainly not what it used to be. The decline of the “9-to-5” job that has historically defined our country’s workforce, is evident. Some working well before 9am and well beyond 5pm. Others, though, taking more control of their time, working when they want, and on projects that they deem valuable. Some experts say the freelance movement is the industrial revolution of our time.
I have always been amazed at the mettle of my friends and acquaintances who take the plunge into starting or buying a business. Cutting ties with a steady paycheck, benefits, regular hours…a boss, has always been a scary proposition for me. Yet, I understand why they do it.
As the deadline for this issue rapidly approached, I found myself with an acute case of writer’s block when it came to this column. Panic was about to ensue. (And trust me, panic only tightens the grip and prevents any useful thoughts from getting through). So, on the eve of the deadline, I decided to just let go of the chaos in my mind, by going to the chaos of the KISS concert at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato.
There are nearly 4,000 agriculture-related job postings in Minnesota alone, and not nearly enough talent out there to fill them. In fact, a recent study shows nationwide 39% of agriculture positions go unfilled.
Agriculture is the largest business segment in the area referred to as the GreenSeam, the southern Minnesota and northern Iowa agricultural region. The region has an economic link between production, processing, professional services, education, technology, research, manufacturing, transportation and more.
The week this publication hits your desk, marks the week seven years ago that I moved back to Mankato. Back after a 16-year adventure that took me to California, then to Washington D.C., then all the way back across the country again to Hawaii. But seven years ago, I came home.
Agriculture plays a vital role in our lives every day. And I’m not just talking about the food we eat. The economy in this region is very ag-centric. Agriculture is the base for which other businesses are able to start, grow and thrive here.
“Hey, Grace, I can see our house from here!” I craned my neck to look over my sister’s shoulder and out the window of the cramped Cessna Supervan 900. Sure enough, as we hovered 13,000 feet above the ground, I could faintly make out my parents’ farm tucked into the green hills of western Wisconsin.
