By David Grusenmeyer
Senior Extension Associate, PRO-DAIRY
and Cathleen M. Sheils
Senior Extension Associate, NY FarmNet
Cornell University

January, 2004

Discussion groups run the gamut from casual farmer get-togethers to regularly scheduled education programs, to support gropus, to venues for mentoring, or even coaching.

Why Form a Discussion Group?
The value and attraction of farmer-to-farmer discussion groups stem from the facts that:

• They are self-directed. Group participants themselves determine the important topics for discussion and how, when, and where they would like to receive information.
• Participants benefit from sharing insights from others who have faced similar challenges.
• Farmers trust the experience and knowledge of other farmers. Who knows best what will or will not work in a farm environment than a farmer who has tried it?
• Discussion groups give structure and substance to the education. Discussion group participants both foster and challenge many different ideas; if members are not satisfied with the groups' level of expertise on a topic they will promote seeking additional outside experience.
• Bringing many different sets of knowledge and experience together in a discussion group creates an environment where a broader spectrum of system variables can be considered. Because farms are made up of many interdependent systems, ideas or technology may or may not work in a particular situation, not because they are inherently good or bad ideas, but because other components of the total system create conditions that cause an idea or technology to succeed or fail. Groups aid in the process of sorting through the many variables.
• They provide a venue for brainstorming and exchanging new ideas. Some of the most innovative ideas come not necessarily from one individual, but from the integration of creative ideas from many different individuals.
• They help producers keep informed and up-to-date on the latest industry trends and new technologies.
• They provide an important and much-needed opportunity for social interaction and support from like-minded and similar age people. This is especially important during stressful times.
• They provide a venue for professional networking. Not just among members of the group, but also with other farmers and agribusiness professionals that the group uses as resource people.
• They provide an opportunity for participants to interact with farmers and other professionals they respect.

Before You Begin
As valuable as discussion groups can be, not all attempts at starting them are successful. Failures can occur because invited group members were not compatible, not interested, or not committed to long-term involvement. Compatibility usually revolves around personality conflicts and in most cases little can be done about that. Problems with interest or commitment may occur because:

• The value of participating in a discussion group and the expectations of the farmer participants were not adequately described or "sold" to the prospective participants.
• The purpose, or goals and objectives, of the group do not meet the individuals' perceived needs, desires, or expectations.
• The levels of commitment or involvement asked of the individual were too high compared with their perception of the groups' value.

To help avoid these potential pitfalls, discussion group organizers should answer the following questions:

• What are your motives for starting the group?
• What do you want the group to accomplish? What are your expectations for the group?
• What do you want to accomplish for yourself through participation in the group?
• What do you envision to be the purpose or goals and objectives of the group?

Think about these questions also from the perspective of other group members you would like to attract. This will help you craft a more convincing invitation for prospective participants to join the group.

Structure and Organization
The purpose and goals of the group, along with group size, will have a great impact on the amount of structure and organization it will require.

Who should be involved in the group?
Groups develop a culture and direction based on the needs and desires of the participants. For this reason it is important that group members have some needs and desires in common. Participants will remain in a group long-term only if their involvement meets an adequate portion of their needs and expectations. Consider who will be target individuals for group membership. What is likely to be their level of interest in membership? What are possible goals and objectives for the group that they will find most appealing? How will potential group members be contacted? Will you use targeted informational mailings, mass media, individual contacts, a calling tree, or some other form of getting the word out?

Will group membership be open or closed?
In an open membership format new members can attend discussion meetings at any time and participate fully in group activities. As new members join they bring fresh ideas and new perspectives that enrich the discussions. Members have the opportunity to meet and learn from a broader group of people. On the negative side, open groups may require more formal structure and the larger size and shifting membership will change group dynamics and make the group less cohesive compared to closed groups.

Groups may choose to be open for the first several meetings while goals and objectives are determined and a stable membership base shakes out and after a few meetings close their membership to new individuals.

A closed group contains a specific set of individuals and generally does not open its meetings to non-members. Once the group decides on group goals and objectives, they tend to remain stable over time. Group dynamics remain relatively consistent which helps with group cohesion and commitment. Strong relationships between group members develop over time that will lead to more open discussions and sharing of more sensitive information. On the negative side a closed membership limits the number of ideas and perspectives brought to a discussion and the group may become stale over time. In addition, others in the community may see the closed group as elitist or cliquish.

How much structure and formality does the group need?
Groups smaller than about 10 generally need little structure and can function with only a facilitator or coordinator. Common social rules allow these groups to operate smoothly and discuss topics conversationally. The larger the group gets, the more it will benefit from increasing levels of formality and structure. Larger groups, open membership groups, and groups that collect money to support group activities may need to document how decisions are made within the group. Will votes be taken and the majority rules or will decisions be made through a consensus building process? Will some level of Roberts Rules of Order be necessary? Someone with facilitation skills will need to be elected or appointed to the role of group facilitator or coordinator. At some point the group may need individuals elected in the roles of president, secretary, and treasurer, especially if the group controls money to finance programs and activities.

What should a facilitator do?
The definition of facilitate is "to make easy or easier." So the role of a discussion group facilitator is to make the discussion easier and enhance the group's performance. Some facilitator roles might include:

• Be certain the room seating is appropriate, necessary equipment is set up, and the room lighting, temperature, noise level, and privacy are conducive to a discussion.
• Maintain an open and comfortable environment for discussion and, when necessary, enforce or encourage following the adopted group norms and ground rules.
• Review for the group members the agenda for the meeting.
• Introduce the discussion topic and the presenters and guests present.
• Keep the group on task with the topic and on schedule with the agenda, including starting and ending on time.
• Encourage participation from those reluctant to speak up in the group by asking them specific questions.
• Sometimes rein back group members who tend to dominate discussions.
• Clarify both sides of a debate or argument if necessary.
• Point out overlooked or slighted aspects of the discussion by asking questions, challenging ideas, asking people to elaborate, or providing input to the group.
• Be sure all agenda items are dealt with, especially setting dates, places, times, and topics for future meetings if necessary.
• If necessary, keep notes or be sure someone else is recording essential information.

What are the groups' purposes or goals and objectives?
Determing group goals at an early meeting will help set a direction for the group and give it a purpose. As a group, what do we want to accomplish? How do we want to accomplish it? Will sensitive financial or personal information be discussed or not? Will group members be expected to prepare for meetings by formulating responses to issues, problems, or questions, or bringing specific farm records to review and discuss, or will discussions be more casual? Goals will serve as guidelines for topics, discussions, and activities.

What are the ground rules for group participation?
Ground rules serve as guidelines for how group members will conduct themselves. It is important that everyone agrees and follows the ground rules for group participation. The entire group at one of the first meetings should establish these rules. The larger the group, the more important it is that these decisions be documented. Important areas to consider include:

• Confidentiality. Candid discussion is important to group learning. Members need to feel confident that what is discussed in the group will stay within the group and not be discussed elsewhere. This is especially important if finances or other sensitive information will be shared during discussions.
• Respect. Diversity is the lifeblood of learning and every group member must be accepted and given respect. Everyone has the right to express his/her thoughts and ideas and be listened to without the fear of sarcasm or insult.
• Sharing Ideas. Every group member has both the right and obligation to share ideas and concerns. Each individual has something worthwhile to share and owes it to the group to contribute.
• Responsibility. Regular meeting attendance and participation by all group members is important to maximum group learning. If a person cannot attend a meeting or chooses to leave the group, he or she should let the group know.

Will the group need a treasury?
Some discussion groups collect no money at all. Some groups collect a small amount to pay for meeting notifications or refreshments. Other groups collect money on an as-needed basis to pay a particular speaker or other group expense. Some collect substantial dues that are used to bring in speakers or consultants, take group tours, or even conduct research and demonstrations on member farms.

What should an agenda contain?
An agenda outlines what will be done during the course of a group meeting. It serves to keep the group on track during the meeting and helps ensure that important business will not be overlooked, like setting future meeting dates, places, times, or topics. The agenda should specify a starting and ending time as well as times for each activity during the meeting.

Who will provide support functions for the group?
Regardless of how small, informal, or self-directed the group is, it will need someone to be responsible for support activities like reserving a meeting room, contacting and coordinating the needs of guest speakers, and mailing meeting notices or making reminder calls.

Where should meetings be held?
Many groups like to have a meal during the meeting; this usually necessitates meeting at a restaurant. Some groups meet at group member farms; this is especially useful if the discussion involves the farm since there is easier access to records or to tour the facility. Other groups prefer a central meeting place like the Cooperative Extension office, community building, a company, church, or school meeting room, or a grange or fire hall. Most important is that there be a meeting space that is private, quiet, comfortable, and free from distractions so an uninhibited discussion is possible. Next in importance is a seating arrangement that will accommodate the entire group around the same square, round, or U-shaped seating layout. If there are more than eight participants, a long narrow table with seating on both sides is not conducive to an active and orderly discussion. Other meeting location considerations include light control if projectors will be used, temperature control, and noise level.

Activities
The primary activity of a discussion group is to have discussion meetings centered on topics of mutual interest. Beyond that there are numerous ways to enhance the value and learning from these discussions.

• Discussions may be sparked by guest speakers with specific expertise or experience, watching a video, working on a case study, observing a role play, or posing a question or problem and brainstorming possible answers or solutions.
• Farm tours. Including tours of group member farms to help them with specific questions or challenges, or tours of farms or agribusinesses outside the group's home area.
• Production record review and critique. This can focus either on the broad production records of one member farm or a specific production area across all member farms.
• Financial record review and critique. This can be done on an individual farm within the context of a farm question or challenge like remodeling, expansion, or a major purchase, or a general financial management discussion across all member farms. Case studies can be used to ease concerns over sharing specific financial data.
• Farm problem solving. The group can focus on a single group member's farm where there is a particular problem the member wants help solving.
• Whole farm analysis. The group comes onto a group member's farm to analyze the entire operation and suggest where improvements might be made.
• Farm planning advice. The group can come onto a farm, group member or not, where the owners are considering a major expansion or other major change and provide the group's collective wisdom as to how they might proceed.
• On-farm demonstrations. Demonstrations provide the opportunity to implement and evaluate new practices or technologies in specific farm situations. A group may wish to sponsor such demonstrations or simply visit demonstration projects. While demonstrations lack the rigor of research, they can still provide valuable experience and anecdotal information.
• Field research trials. Compared to demonstrations, on-farm research trials on group member farms allow farmers to put more confidence in the results. They also build closer working relationships between farmers and researchers and allow researchers to learn from the practical experience and knowledge of the farmers.

Step-by-Step Starting a Discussion Group
Following is a suggested step-by-step approach to starting a local discussion group.

1. Be clear on your motives for starting, or joining, a discussion group. Answer the questions in the "Before You Begin" section.
2. Identify who should be involved in the group and decide how they will be recruited.
3. Set and announce a first meeting date, time, and location.
4. Prepare for the meeting:
   
   1. Set an agenda.
   2. Organize your thoughts and ideas into notes.
   3. Talk individually with at least a few key opinion leaders, or if possible, talk with everyone on the invitation list, and get their commitment to attend.
5. Start and end the sessions on time.
6. Have some initial discussions about possible purposes, goals, and objectives of the discussion group.
7. Brainstorm topics, speakers, and other potential future activities for the group.
8. Keep some notes about what was decided during the initial discussion. Make a record of names and contact information for the individuals interested in participating in the discussion group.
9. Set a next meeting date and location.
10. Develop a basic agenda for the next meeting.
11. Decide who will do what and by when in preparation for the next meeting.

Summary
It is often said that "experience is the best teacher." Experience may be a good teacher, but probably not the best teacher. The problem with learning from experience is that it gives the test before it gives the lesson. It's like learning to swim by being thrown into deep water. Some people can figure it out and succeed; some can't. Wouldn't it be nice to first get a few lessons from someone who has swimming experience? From a business perspective, doing this could certainly save a few drownings (failures).

That is the most powerful aspect of farmer discussion groups. It brings together the combined knowledge, experience, and wisdom of individuals who have "been there," so that they can each learn and benefit from each other's experience rather than individually learning all the lessons themselves the hard way. It also provides this learning in a way that group members find most desirable.

Initiating and maintaining farmer discussion groups requires effort and commitment. In every case, once the group is operational, most people agree the results are worth the effort.

Reference
Farmer to Farmer Learning Groups. Kathy Barrett and D. Merrill Ewert, Cornell University, 1998.