What Lens Are You Looking Through?

This past week, I came across a quote in my social media feed from Ranching for Profit alumnus, Steve Kenyon – “conventional ag is growing plants from soil; regenerative ag is growing soil from plants.” I really liked the simplistic yet stark differentiation and hit the share button pretty fast. I went on to read the comments and was blasted with a barrage of bickering – largely over a refinement of what Steve had said, accented with defensive onslaughts and insults aimed at the “other side.” I found myself frustrated that people had entirely missed the point of what I attained to be a profound statement in the name of protecting their own ideology, or classification of ag in which they identified themselves. 

It was then that I realized that Steve’s quote revealed a lot more than originally met my eye. He effectively illustrated two very different views of the relationship between plants and soil – but he didn’t villainize one view or the other. The statement simply identifies two different lenses through which to view the exact same thing. 

If you’ve been through the Ranching for Profit School, then this sounds familiar to you. 

With a quick internet search for paradigm you’ll find definitions like “a framework containing the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methodology that are commonly accepted by members of a community”, or  “a cognitive framework shared by members of any discipline or group”, and “a general mental model or framework for anything.” One of my favorites however is: “an example serving as a model for others to imitate.”

OOF. Something defined as a cognitive framework, meaning it literally shapes the way we think, and it’s something we commonly imitate? That sounds like bad news bears to me. My beef with imitation is that it stifles ingenuity and innovation. I think if we aren’t careful, we can all too easily allow our paradigms to strangle our creative thinking and our ability to think opportunistically.

The tricky thing is that paradigms are rarely, if ever, something that can be “wrong” – which makes them a great excuse to cling to any ideology. Let’s take Steve’s example: do plants grow from soil? I think it would be difficult to argue any answer other than “yes.” Similarly, does soil grow from plants? We can argue the semantics of the term “grow”, but ultimately, yes, absolutely it does. Both statements are true. So which is right? The people in the comments were certainly battling that one out, futilely I might add, because there is no right or wrong answer when you start arguing about paradigms. There is only your own unique cocktail of your current state, past experiences, future endeavors, and bullheadedness that can make a paradigm either favorable for you, or not. 

The conventional agriculturalists and the regenerative agriculturalists are all working out of the same toolbox, with the same market climate, and the same age-old ecological principles at play. They don’t have access to two different systems – the only difference between the two is the way they view the system. But paradigms often focus on one part of the whole and can obscure the other pieces – which are at play, all the same. A lot of things we commonly think or say about the ranching business can be or are true – but that doesn’t mean it’s the only truth.

This emphasis on paradigms, the lens through which you see the world, is part of what made the Ranching for Profit School so impactful to me the first time I went through it in 2021. I believe it plays a significant role in laying the foundation to be open to changing your thinking about things that a lot of us are very protective and instinctual about, our businesses. 

I’m proud to now be a part of the team that helps lay that foundation, as RMC’s newest employee. I’ll be serving in the role of content and delivery coordinator, helping to roll out new ideas and keep the old ones alive and relevant. I could not be more honored to have been welcomed onto a team of people who I consider to be some of the most intelligent and impactful in our industry. Surrounded by sharp minds and genuinely good people, I’m so excited to both help make change, and to be changed – I have plenty of that bullheadedness coming into play in my own paradigms.

Grass grows soil. Soil grows grass. What lens do you see it through? This week, identify some things you consider to be simple and obvious truths for your business, your enterprise, or just in general. Then confront yourself about it – or ask those around you to confront it. I hope you’re surprised by what you learn.