Having Great Respect For Farming — Where The Resilient Thrive
December 30, 2023 I’ve been on a lot of farms this year, from young families just starting out to seriously major operations. And I’ve noticed the same passion for growing at all of them. When non-farming people ask me about growers, it’s obvious there are a lot of misconceptions floating around out there. I’ve yet to come across a “corporate farm” that lives in the imagination of urbanites.
There are no fat-cat owners collecting money with no work on their part. After all, if money was the only goal, there are a lot of easier ways to make a lot of money.
Except for special occasions, growers of even the largest operations still were jeans and drive around the fields regularly. Even though they may earn similar income to other CEOs, you won’t see them show up to work in a suit or even introduce themselves with their title. Typically, it’s a “Great to have you here! I’m Joe.”
Is it the nature of farming or the nature of the farmer? Yes, this is a chicken and egg situation. But I think the nature of farming weeds out those who don’t love growing. It’s an overwhelming job that doesn’t have much down time, save for the middle of winter (that’s if you don’t own greenhouses). There are a lot of challenges.
Growers remind me a bit of Mark Watley in “The Martian.” If you haven’t seen it, the premise is a NASA team has to make an emergency exit from the planet, cutting short their mission. One man is impaled in a storm, and they reluctantly leave his body behind when it’s clear they will all die if they don’t leave immediately.
Except Watley was just unconscious. He then faced the terrifying reality of survival when no one knew he was alive. Like growers, when faced with challenges, he solved problems one after another. Or as Watley says, he scienced the s**t out of it.
Our industry may face some daunting odds. Luckily, it’s an industry made up of practical-minded, stubborn optimists.
I think that’s why we’re seeing such amazing advances in farming, from robots to record keeping improvements. Growers just don’t give until they find the right solution.
Oh, One More Thing
We presented the American Vegetable GrowerSM Grower Achievement Award to the national winner in November. It was a wonderful day filled with demonstrations, getting to meet those who have a big impact on Yuma farms, and celebrating with winner Matt McGuire and the JV Smith team. Here are a few photos from the day.
There was a decidedly festive feel during the presentation luncheon. About 100 people attended to congratulate Matt McGuire and JV Smith Companies.
Photo courtesy of American Vegetable Grower
JV Smith Companies has adopted using drones. It takes a two-man crew. One to pilot the drones and the other to act as a pit crew, quickly swapping out batteries and refilling the tank with controls.
Photo courtesy of American Vegetable Grower
JV Smith was one of the first to support Carbon Robotics new laser weeder and is now using the technology to thin its lettuce seedlings.
Photo courtesy of American Vegetable Grower
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