And our team, all I did was plant the seed to work out the deal with the processor. And that’s the easy part. The hard part was the execution. That’s always the tough part. And our team of family members and non-family members, the leaders in the team just stepped up and they got it done. We either built or retrofitted a material amount of sow production that was Prop. 12 compliant in a timeframe that I think was almost unrealistic to get done. So I think that’s an example. You stick to your core values, but you innovate. And I think if you have the right culture, you can get it done. Sustainability is a word that’s often used in the pork industry but sometimes it lacks a bit of depth, I think, at times when we talk about sustainability. So how does Schwartz Farms redefine what it means to be sustainable? And how do you see these efforts reshaping agriculture and swine production? On a more local level, and I’m sure you’re aware of this, being an industry that we continue to produce more pork with less water, less feed, less acres. And that’s very well-documented and proven. And that is the definition of sustainability, producing more with less resources. I think what’s important is whatever we say we are going to do, we follow through on, be it nutrient management or that type of thing. On the bigger picture on carbon sequestration, and these issues, we’re still learning. I was just in the other room and my brother was on a call about you know, the carbon credits and becoming carbon- neutral and this type of thing. There’s so many moving parts right now. I believe in science. I think science will tell us what we need to do and we’ll have to adapt to it. However, the challenge I think we have today is, we aren’t quite sure what we’re being compared to, where zero is, where do we start from? And so it’s a work in progress and I think whatever it takes, whatever science, whatever is proven, I hope we can take the politics out of this and just work together to try and solve this problem. But whatever we have to do, we’ll step up and do it. Entrepreneurial spirit — as a family business, how have you navigated the pressure of legacy while carving out your own leadership style and personal philosophies that drive the decision-making process? Well, family businesses have challenges and opportunities upon
themselves. They’re unique, and I think family businesses don’t have a tremendous reputation or as far as track record when it comes to becoming multi-generational or their succession. And I think the reason for that is they’re sometimes held to a low standard. You’ve probably heard the adage that the first generation builds it and the second generation maintains it, and the third generation loses it. And I think if that’s the standard you hold your family or your succession plan to, that’s probably what you’re going to get. And I think if that is what you’re satisfied with, then maybe the decision should be to sell the business. And that by the way is not a wrong decision. Not every generation two or three wants to be involved in a certain business, be it for production or whatever it is. In many cases, the right decision then is to exit the business and do something different. You know, personally, what I strive for in leadership of the company is continuous improvement. And I think it’s really important to realize that you don’t improve by focusing on how good you are. You improve by focusing on where you need to improve. Where are your vulnerabilities? Where’s a low-hanging fruit? Little incremental changes constantly. It’s a very, very tough competitive business. A lot of companies have failed in this business. And you have to constantly be looking over your shoulder, seeing what is your competition doing better than you’re doing? Where are your opportunities? And I believe in celebrating your successes momentarily. But if you sit on your laurels and celebrate too long, you’ll be run over and left behind. So it’s continuous improvement and you know, that’s what it’s all about. And as far as leadership style, I think it’s really just being yourself. There’s a lot of books written and seminars put out about servant leadership. And that’s great because I believe in servant leadership, but I truly believe that we have been practicing servant leadership at Schwartz Farms. I have really tried to pass on to the next generation that you can’t be better than your team and your people. And when I say be better, I mean, be better — you can’t just say don’t act better, because you have to be authentic for people or else they’ll see right through it. And that’s so important. And really, leaders have to be accountable. And that’s every leader going down from software managers to department heads to whatever it is. And the thing about leadership is you can’t delegate blame if there’s a problem.
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