After the takeover is completed, the young farmer plans to build a new barn. An accident causes his mother to be fatally injured. The situation triggered helplessness and speechlessness.
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After the takeover is completed, the young farmer plans to build a new barn. An accident causes his mother to be fatally injured. The situation triggered helplessness and speechlessness.
It is the transitions that lead to mental and physical problems and health limitations. Generationally inherited personality structures.
After the unmarried farmer wants to continue running the farm and the takeover is completed, he plans to build a new barn. When the planning phase and approval have taken place, an accident during milking causes his mother to be knocked over by a cow and fatally injured.
The situation triggered helplessness and speechlessness.
Such far-reaching incidents like this in a family business creates uncertainty about how best to proceed. For the immediate future all planning was stopped. For the father, who has lost his wife and partner, and the son (young farmer), who has lost his mother, labourer, advisor and the farm family person who held the balance between the older and younger generation i.e father and son. the heart of the family was broken.
Outside help or advice is still seen as a form of paternalism at this stage. At that point of time, the so should have taken over as successor to the farm and fill the role of his deceased mother. However, it was not fulfilled and lead to further conflicts.
After more than two years, communication about the future of the farm became possible through relatives who are active in chicken farming.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a social environment in agriculture because there are fewer and fewer farmers in the villages.
Due to the fact that the young farmer became a board member of the local sports club and a new club house was planned there, a young woman was commissioned by the local architecture office with the planning. This woman became the young farmer’s girlfriend during the construction period.
However, the conflict between the generations remained. The father now also has a partner. The problem is that the two women do not get along. The two couples live in the same farmhouse, but in two separate flats. There are always disagreements and conflicts on the farm.
There comes a point when decisions have to be made.
Fears between the son and father of losing the current partner due to the conflict
The young farmer is still at his personal limit during the labour-intensive days.
Farms with livestock can hardly afford any time off.
The awareness about mental health on the farm grew, and they started to improve their communications with each other.. Of course, if there are big differences between generations and their thoughts and opinions, ethics and values it is challenging for both parties to get along. However, good communication and structure helped a lot in this case.
Without help from outside it would have been much more difficult or even impossible.
Take the opportunity to have timely discussions with the help of a mediator – who understands and can relate to the views of the farmers and people who live and work on the farm -.
Getting outside help earlier is important and “low-threshold” services would be very helpful in lots of cases comparable to this one.
If possible, all parties involved should seek a value-free discussion and “negotiate” a compromise that allows the people on the farm to work and live well together – even if they do not always have the same opinion.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.