Managing agricultural operations from seeding to harvest isn't just about physical work. It's about understanding complex systems, managing dependencies, and making decisions with imperfect information.
Dependencies and Critical Paths
You can't harvest before you plant. You can't plant until soil conditions are right. Weather, equipment availability, labor—everything has dependencies. Miss a critical window and you've lost a season.
Working With Uncertainty
Weather forecasts are probabilistic. Market prices fluctuate. Equipment breaks at the worst times. You plan for scenarios, build in buffers, and accept that some things are beyond your control.
Scale and Optimization
Small inefficiencies become massive problems at scale. Planting patterns, harvest timing, equipment routing—optimization isn't optional when margins are thin and seasons are short.
Long Feedback Loops
Plant a crop and wait months to see results. Bad decisions compound. Good decisions pay off slowly. This teaches patience and the importance of getting fundamentals right the first time.
