The Silent Killer

How Poor Communication Sabotages Farming

Hey gang, riddle me this.

Why don’t people communicate with one another?

Every day, I watch folks dance around the truth like it’s a rattlesnake coiled up and ready to strike. They skirt the edges of what they really mean, scared to death of stepping on anyone’s toes. And it drives me mad.

Why don’t people say what they mean and mean what they say—or, better yet, say what they want?

Communication Breakdown

It’s infuriating.

Everywhere I go, I run into people who think they’re mind readers—or worse, expect everyone else to be.

These fortune tellers toss out vague comments, hoping the rest of us will fill in the blanks—no clues, no context, just cryptic nonsense that leaves everyone else scratching their heads like chimps in a zoo.

And don’t think this is just a farm problem.

The manure-caked reality out here seems tailor-made for breeding confusion. It’s as if the very soil we work on is laced with a toxin that muddles communication, making simple, clear speech feel like some unattainable luxury.

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Field of Miscommunication

Take the new guy on the farm. He doesn’t know jack shit, yet the old-timers love to throw smart-ass comments about how worthless he is—like he should already know that shifting from 12th to 13th gear in an 8300 John Deere without the proper RPM will send you flying through the windshield.

“Jesus, doesn’t that guy have any damn common sense?” I’ve heard that line more times than a rusty hinge creaking in the wind, and it grates on my nerves every time. It’s like trying to teach a brick to talk—futile and frustrating.

What the hell is common sense, anyway? It’s just learned behavior—either through trial and error or getting chewed out by someone who thinks they know better.

I remember my first time hooking up a chisel plow. Watching my dad do it a thousand times didn’t make it any less Greek to me when it was my turn. Learning most of the stuff I know now took ages, and I’m still miles from knowing it all.

Nothing’s ordinary about hooking up a chisel plow. We’re not born with a map of all the grease zerks on a 9600 combine. We have to learn this stuff.

Give the new guy a break. If you’re wondering why reliable help doesn’t hang around, maybe it's because your communication skills rival a concrete slab.

Take the time I was halfway to Grand Forks for a long-overdue date night. My phone rings. It’s the boss. “Yeah, where ya at?” he asks like I should be right next to him.

“We’re on our way to Forks,” I say, already knowing what’s coming. “I was thinking we should take a sample,” he says.

Great.

Date night dead and buried.

I raced home, throwing on work pants like I was suiting up for a warzone, only to find out the wheat was wetter than a duck’s ass—day shot.

Zero accomplished.

And now I’ve got a pissed-off girlfriend to deal with—another casualty of this godforsaken communication breakdown.

Why couldn’t he have called that morning?

Talk about a morale killer.

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The Impact of Poor Communication

This lack of communication isn’t just frustrating—it’s destructive.

It kills enthusiasm, sows discord, and wastes time.

It’s about respect—making sure people know what’s expected instead of leaving them to guess and tearing them down when they get it wrong.

The Simple Solution

And the thing is, it’s not that difficult to fix.

It’s simple, really—say what you mean and mean what you say. Make the damn phone call. Don’t expect people to read your mind. It’s not that hard to communicate clearly and effectively, yet so many people don’t do it.

I’ve said it a thousand times, and I’ll repeat it:

Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments.

What does that mean, you ask?

If you don’t tell somebody what you need or want, it's easy for the other party to think you may wish to do one thing when you want another.

Soon, you start to hate that bastard for always doing the wrong things.

By keeping this garbage in, you're creating a breeding ground for resentment, a petri dish spawning the spores of future drama.

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Speak Your Mind

Communication isn’t just about getting things done—it’s about respecting and valuing each other’s time and effort.

Clear communication can distinguish between success and failure in farming, where every moment and decision counts.

But I’ll be the first to admit I’m far from perfect at this. I’ve had my fair share of moments where I dodged uncomfortable conversations and let things fester instead of speaking up about what I needed.

It’s not easy—it never is—but I’ve learned that the alternative is far worse. It’s always a work in progress, but it’s work worth doing.

So let’s cut the bullshit, speak our minds, and start building a culture where we work together, not against each other. Because out here, we can’t afford to let our words get lost in the noise.

Say what you mean.

Mean what you say.

And remember, I’m right there with you, trying to do better daily.

Let’s start with something simple: speaking our minds in a world where we can’t afford to waste time or morale.

It’s not that hard, but it could change everything.

Please and thank you.

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I hope you all had a fine Labor Day weekend.

While some folks are wrapping up wheat harvest and moving on to canola or dry edible beans, we’re tackling drainage and tillage before the big push hits—soybeans, beets, and corn, the triple threat of harvest.

As always, I genuinely appreciate you letting me invade your inbox once or twice a week. I’m grateful to each of you who takes the time to open and read what I have to say.

Take care, and I’ll catch you on the flip side. ✌️