Farm businesses building an advisory board should first take stock of who is already around the table, says Laura Abbiss, chair of the Institute of Rural Professionals.

“You actually might be able to pull some gems out of what you’ve already got there, and then just fill the gaps with what you don’t,” she says.

She says an independent director is administratively heavy, so a looser structure often works better.

“It’s actually probably more important to have the right person than the right structure”

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