Ag Needs Fewer Experts and More Coaches
I was once told by a university lecturer in New Zealand to take emotions out when working with farmers. But as an international coach and educator with over two decades of experience working alongside farmers in New Zealand, North America, Kenya, and the UK, I can tell you that farmers and ranchers make decisions from the heart and stomach, as much as the head and balance sheet.
The decisions farmers make—to plant or not plant those trees, buy equipment, experiment with stock rotations or breeds—are all underpinned by far more than data and information. Research shows that 90% of these decisions come down to intuition and gut feel. I've seen it again and again. When producers are supported to drive their own innovation in their own way, everyone benefits—from ecosystems to communities to balance sheets. Big, lasting on-farm changes like these start inside the farmer—not from a central government, boardroom, or laboratory.
Since the 1980s, the loss of government-funded advisory services around the world has left a gap filled largely by fertilizer reps, banks, and university-linked extension programs. While some advice has been useful, much of it is now out of step with the demands of a changing world and dynamic food production landscapes. Critically, traditional advisory services treat intuition and feelings as a liability—when they are central to resilience, innovation and change on farm.
Producers around the world are facing growing challenges, from stricter environmental regulations and pests to access to markets and extreme weather events. To keep up, we need to augment traditional consultancy with a new type of support service. It's time to shift from experts to coaches.
From top-down consultancy to farmer-led innovation, from static advice to dynamic coaching—this is a different way to empower producers in making big decisions.
So what do farmer coaches do differently? They draw on systems thinking, agroecology, agronomy, observation, and people skills to meet each farmer or rancher where they are—understanding that no two systems are alike.
Rather than prescribing solutions or stock standard recipes, holistic coaches help farmers develop the confidence and tools they need to craft their own strategies, mitigate risk, understand their own systems, and analyze their whole operation. This shift builds critical thinking confidence and self-reliance—enabling producers to innovate and adapt in ways that navigate the internal barriers and concerns that are often the root reason for why a business is less successful.
Agroecological coaches are trained in active listening, conflict resolution and emotional intelligence. Skills that are often undervalued, yet central to the change process.
Like Henry Ford said, "If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right!" Having a sounding board to bounce ideas off, confront assumptions and shine a light on our own blind spots is by far the most valuable tool we have in farming to change our own performance.
To those who would brush off this call for agroecological coaching as "woo-woo" or "soft", I say look at Montana.
This US state is conservative and can be highly polarized. It also has some of the lowest levels of agricultural regulation in the US—but in my experience we are witnessing one of the highest concentrations of regenerative land management in North America.
A quiet revolution is underway here, as ranchers shift toward biodiversity, soil health, and improved grazing systems. In some areas we are seeing over 40% of land area shift towards agroecological management.
This transformation in the land and ranchers of Montana shows how coaching supports landowners to cut through cultural, personal and political barriers to change. These farmers and ranchers are connected to their values, goals, and their land, and just getting on with the rewarding work of landscape regeneration.
The Ecdysis Project, which assessed 1,284 farms across the US, shows how a soils-first approach, combined with committed communities and farmers, can deliver ecological and financial returns. Proof that we can have our cake and eat it too.
Right now, agriculture faces a serious shortage of trained coaches. While there are many passionate and talented consultants, extension agents and facilitators, most are trained in older delivery methods, and few have formal training in agroecology, systems thinking, navigating divisive issues, and other communication skills needed to support complex change on farm.
It's time to evolve and adapt. To prioritize relationships over recipes, confidence over compliance and long-term thinking over short-term fixes.
As the global shift toward regenerative land management and Scope 3 emissions reductions accelerates, land stewards must respond. We need to reach across the fence to find solutions that benefit all.
This future won't be shaped just by more tech, new practices and new rules. It requires deeper conversations, better questions, producers with more capacity and courageous thinking—hand in hand with a new generation of skilled coaches.
