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TL;DR

I prepared a general store delivery then helped to wash eggs. In the afternoon we planted garlic. The days are getting shorter and colder, next week is a holiday, and its time dig in on my own winter work.

Shorter, Colder Days

The days get shorter in winter in New England because of the tilt, approximately 23.5°, of the Earth’s axis and how the Earth moves around the Sun. In winter, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, which takes a shorter, lower arc across the sky and thus rises and sets earlier. My specific latitude of 43°70’N makes the differences very noticeable, a difference of 6 hours per day between the summer solstice and the winter solstice.

In short, it’s getting damned cold and dark in the afternoons and there’s ice in the mornings.

Additional Thoughts on When to Add a Produce Manager

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I wanted finish out some thoughts about when to add a produce manager to a farm.

Prioritizing Produce in Real-time

The role of a produce manager involves knowing what each distribution channel expects in terms of the volume and condition of produce. Between what is being taken out of fridge and dry stock and what is needed for selling at markets and other channels, a produce manager must know what’s in stock and what needs to be harvested or otherwise prepared to sell.

Effective produce management also needs to stage harvests based on freshness now and later. For instance, root vegetables stay fresher in the ground than in a refrigerator, but can be harvested and stored unwashed until they are needed. This is not the same for leafy greens which benefit from being washed immediately but often go bad less than a week after being harvested.

At the end (or more aptly the beginning) of the day, its about how to balance the needs of different channels, beginning with commitments and optimizing around those based on opportunistic variability of freshness, timing, labor, and volume. While there are things like order fulfillments that are mostly set in stone each week, there is also a lot of flexibility in how we can meet those commitments.

The Cost of a Role, Not Another Employee

Time and timing are irreplaceable resources (costs) on a farm. The cost of a produce manager is not necessarily or simply the payroll hours. There is training and opportunity cost, but a total cost of ownership over adding this role includes ensuring that there’s a backup in case of emergency. Usually this is the primary operator (who did this before the role was added) or another trusted farm crew member that can perform those responsibilities in the short term.

Think about the role not as a specific person, but as a hat. Only one person really needs to wear that hat at the same time. Having this role assigned to a specific person on a regular basis is optimal, but it’s not always possible. The role can be rotated among trusted farm crew members as needed, particularly useful to train others for fallback reasons. In the end it’s about the overhead of context and real-time decision-making. If five people are trying to make the same decisions, the outcomes will not be consistent. A single point of accountability and responsibility is the more effective way to manage what produce is going to market.

When to Add a Produce Manager (and When Not To)

On most small farms, the ‘primary operator’ (i.e. the head farmer) is often the one who wears the produce manager hat. This responsibility can also often be shared by another trusted farm crew member, often a partner. This role does a lot of things, so at some scale, having them be responsible for day-to-day produce management can be overwhelming. There are very real risks associated with not having a primary produce manager role:

The right produce isn’t brought to market, disappointing customers and losing business
The wrong produce is brought to market at the wrong time, wasting sales opportunity
Time trade-offs for the primary operator and other farm employees
Channel-specific demand for quality of produce (and service) are not satisfied

If the farm finds itself occasionally missing items at market, it’s not a big deal. If this happens on a regular basis, or if there’s sizeable returns of produce that has gone out and come back (returned or not used), it’s a sign that a produce manager role is might be needed.

Conversely, when the farm is small and just can’t afford it, the primary operator must perform the responsibility of the produce manager role. Temporary changes or spikes in demand may look like a need, but they can often be managed in the short term by the primary operator with the help of other farm crew members rather than a formal produce manager role. This role requires a reliable and well-trained employee, so it’s best to develop that before offloading the responsibility.

Can a small farm get along without a produce manager role? Sure, but at the potential risk of either burning out the primary operator or losing revenue or disappointing customers or plainly wasting what’s in the fields. When a farms scales to the point where some of these things begin to happen, it’s time to step back and discuss options, often one of which is adding a produce manager.

A Path to Affording Role Adjustments

On a small farm budget, labor is often one of the most expensive costs of doing business. So adding the role of a produce manager can’t simply be thought of as a net-addition on top of everything else. If assigned to a farm crew member, it should be discussed with them before hand, including any changes to pay associated with additional responsibilities.

It’s also important to consider their availability and willingness to take on the role. For temporary emergencies, it doesn’t cost anything to rely on the primary operator instead of other farm crew members and the risk of running into issues. However, if the role is to become permanent, it will require additional funding or a change to other areas of the farm crew’s operations.

But consider than a fixed cost increase in labor rate for one trusted employee comes with a variable but predictable increase in revenue. The better the produce satisfies the farm’s distribution channels, the more revenue is generated. This can help offset the additional cost of the produce manager role. Start with something modest like a 10% increase from normal labor rates and calculate what that translates to in actual dollars. If you feel like adding the role will improve gross revenue by double that, then it’s worth considering.

After a provisional period of time, it’s important to review the results and make any necessary adjustments. This could include increasing the labor rate, changing the role responsibilities, or even discontinuing the role altogether. These eventualities should all be discussed with candidates transparently and with a clear understanding of the potential impact on the farm’s operations and revenue. After all, a farm crew is the backbone of the farm’s success.

AI Summary from Field Notes

Today’s notes have nothing to do with the above produce manager role topic, but rather a summary of the day’s activities and observations. I think there’s at least a dozen t-shirt ideas in the LLM output this season that I could sell my own line of goofy farm-themed apparel. ‘Turnip resilience’ is a good one, as is ‘no crop dusting, thx’. Maybe over the winter I’ll take a day to work on some hat and tee designs.

Summary

Okay, the user provided two different summaries, each from a different document. My task is to combine these into a single, consolidated summary. Let me start by understanding each document's content. The first document talks about a farm intern's day, covering themes like teamwork, task efficiency, work structure, work-life balance, and adaptability. The activities include washing bins, helping with egg washing, taking breaks, and focusing on tasks. There are no new things mentioned, and the questions are about task management, long-term impacts, handling disruptions, and the role of breaks. Suggested actions include maintaining collaboration, optimizing breaks, documenting routines, and clarifying roles. The second document is about another farm intern's activities, focusing on farm operations, inventory, value-added products, wreath materials, planting, and workshop coordination. Activities include packing produce, washing eggs, harvesting turnips, collecting materials, planting garlic, and discussing profitability. New things include juniper berries, value-added strategies, wreath workshops, and turnip resilience. Questions are about profitability, sustainability of garlic, effectiveness of juniper berries, turnip resilience, and partnerships. Suggested actions involve harvesting turnips, developing a wreath system, tracking trends, monitoring garlic, and exploring partnerships. Now, I need to merge these two into a single summary. The main themes from the first document are teamwork, task efficiency, work structure, work-life balance, adaptability. From the second, farm operations, inventory, value-added products, wreath materials, planting, collaboration. So combining these, the main themes would be farm operations, teamwork, task efficiency, value-added products, wreath-making, planting, and collaboration. Activities from the first document: washing bins, egg washing, breaks, focusing on tasks. From the second: packing produce, washing eggs, harvesting turnips, collecting materials, planting garlic, discussing profitability. So combined activities include all these tasks, plus organizing fridge bins, coordinating crew tasks, etc. New things from the first document: none mentioned. From the second: juniper berries, value-added strategies, wreath workshops, turnip resilience. So the new things are those four points. Questions from the first: task management, long-term impacts, disruptions, breaks. From the second: profitability, garlic sustainability, juniper effectiveness, turnip resilience, partnerships. Combining these, the questions would be about task management, profitability, sustainability, effectiveness of materials, resilience, and partnerships. Suggested actions from the first: maintain collaboration, optimize breaks, document routines, clarify roles. From the second: harvest more turnips, develop wreath system, track trends, monitor garlic, explore partnerships. So combining these, the suggested actions would include all these points. I need to present this in a structured way, making sure that each section is clear and not overlapping. Also, check if there are any duplicates or if some points can be merged. For example, the first document's "work-life balance" and "adaptability" might be part of the main themes, but the second document's collaboration and partnerships are also important. The new things from the second document are more specific, so they should be included. The questions from both documents should be combined into a coherent list. The suggested actions should be a combination of both, ensuring that all recommendations are covered. I should also make sure the summary is concise, not too lengthy, but covers all the key points from both documents. Avoid using markdown as per the user's request, but since the previous answer used markdown, maybe it's acceptable here. However, the user's final instruction says to put the answer in a box, which is typically for math problems, but maybe they just want the summary in a box. Alternatively, they might want a plain text summary. The key is to ensure clarity and that all elements from both documents are included without redundancy.

Consolidated Summary

Main Themes

Farm Operations & Collaboration: Managing daily tasks (produce packing, fridge organization, crew coordination) and preparing for wreath-making events.
Task Efficiency & Structure: Streamlining workflows (bin washing, egg sorting, garlic planting) and adapting to seasonal challenges (cold weather, crop resilience).
Value-Added Profitability: Exploring unique products (wreath materials, processed items) to enhance farm income.
Sustainability & Resilience: Assessing crop performance (turnips, garlic) and resource management (juniper berries, pine trimmings).
Work-Life Balance: Balancing productivity with breaks and crew coordination.
Adaptability: Adjusting strategies based on weather, crop yields, and market trends.

Key Activities

Pack and label produce for sale or storage.
Wash eggs, assess fridge bin organization, and coordinate crew tasks.
Harvest salad turnips for quality evaluation and plan for future sales.
Collect juniper berries and pine trimmings for wreath workshops.
Plant garlic in 5 rows (double previous yield) to improve long-term harvests.
Discuss profitability trends, crop resilience, and potential partnerships.

New Discoveries

Juniper Berries: A new resource for wreath-making, requiring collection and storage.
Value-Added Strategy: Exploring processed or unique products to boost profitability.
Wreath Workshops: Potential for collaboration with other farms for materials or shared labor.
Turnip Resilience: Cold weather’s impact on turnip quality, a new insight for planning.

Questions for Future Research

How can value-added products maximize profitability?
Is garlic planting sustainable for long-term yield?
Are juniper berries effective for wreath-making, and are they a recurring resource?
Can turnip resilience be leveraged for seasonal planning?
How can partnerships enhance wreath-making efforts?

Suggested Actions

Harvest more turnips for future sales and market planning.
Develop a wreath-making system using collected materials.
Track trends in profitability and crop performance.
Monitor garlic growth for sustainability and yield improvements.
Explore partnerships to expand wreath-making opportunities.
Maintain efficient workflows while balancing productivity and crew well-being.

Part 1

Okay, let's tackle this query. The user provided a transcript of field notes from a farm intern. They want me to identify the main themes, list activities, new things not yet encountered, questions for future research, and any suggested actions. First, I need to parse the text carefully. The intern is talking about their workday on Friday, November 21st. They started at 8 o'clock, washed eggs, and assisted with washing bins. They mention working with others, the importance of teamwork, and the structure of tasks. There's a focus on collective effort, not dividing tasks, and making sure everyone contributes to the same goal. They also talk about using spare moments for bathroom breaks or water, but most of the time, they're working. The intern mentions they help with everything unless there's a specific goal. Main themes: Teamwork, task efficiency, collective effort, workflow management, and maybe the structure of farm tasks. Activities: Washing bins, drying them, assisting with egg washing, helping others, using spare time for breaks, working during the day. New things not encountered: Maybe the specific tasks of egg washing, the structure of the farm's workflow, or the dynamics of teamwork in the farm setting. But the intern is already describing these, so maybe they're not new. Wait, the intern is recounting their own experiences, so maybe the new things are things they haven't encountered yet, but in the text, they don't mention any. The tasks are already known. So maybe there are no new things. Questions for research: The intern might be wondering about the efficiency of the current workflow, how the team coordinates tasks, or the impact of not dividing tasks. But the text doesn't explicitly mention questions, so maybe the intern is reflecting on their own experiences, so perhaps the questions are about how to improve teamwork or the structure of tasks. Suggested actions: The intern is already following the structure of working together, so maybe the actions are to continue collaborating, ensure tasks are completed, or maintain the current workflow. But the text doesn't mention specific actions, so maybe the suggestions are implied in the description, like maintaining teamwork and not dividing tasks. Wait, the user said to list any suggested actions. The intern mentions that when they have spare moments, they take breaks, but the main thing is to work together. So the suggested actions could be to continue the collaborative approach, ensure tasks are done collectively, and not divide tasks. I need to make sure I'm not missing any parts. The intern also mentions that they help with everything unless there's a specific goal. So maybe the suggested action is to focus on tasks that are needed, but not overcomplicating. I think that's all. Now, structure the answer accordingly.

Main Themes:

Collaborative Teamwork: Emphasis on collective effort, shared goals, and mutual support among workers.
Task Efficiency: Streamlined workflow with minimal division of labor, focusing on completing tasks as a group.
Work Structure: Daily routines (e.g., egg washing, bin preparation) and adherence to time-based schedules.
Work-Life Balance: Brief personal breaks (e.g., bathroom, water) during work hours without disrupting team goals.
Adaptability: Flexibility in task allocation, prioritizing group objectives over individual task splits.

Activities Performed by the Intern:

Washed and dried bins for egg cartons.
Assisted with egg washing during setup.
Helped others with tasks as needed, ensuring no single person was overwhelmed.
Took short breaks for hydration or restroom use during work hours.
Focused on tasks unless a specific goal was assigned.

New Things Not Yet Encountered (if any):

None explicitly mentioned. The intern describes routine tasks and workflows, suggesting familiarity with farm operations.

Questions and Future Research Areas:

How does the farm handle tasks when multiple workers are available but no specific goal is assigned?
What are the long-term impacts of not dividing tasks (e.g., on productivity or team dynamics)?
How does the farm manage tasks during unexpected delays or disruptions?
What is the role of unassigned spare time (e.g., breaks) in maintaining workflow efficiency?

Suggested Actions:

Maintain Collaborative Workflow: Continue prioritizing group goals over individual task splits to ensure cohesive task completion.
Optimize Breaks: Use short breaks strategically to maintain energy and focus without disrupting team progress.
Document Task Routines: Track recurring tasks (e.g., egg washing, bin prep) to identify patterns or areas for improvement.
Clarify Role Expectations: Ensure all workers understand the farm’s task structure to avoid confusion during peak hours.

Part 2

Okay, so I need to figure out the main themes, activities, new things, questions, and suggestions from the farm intern's field notes. Let me start by reading through the transcript again carefully. First, the intern mentions starting with eggs, then preparing items for the general store delivery. The items include various produce like onions, celeriac, leeks, turnips, and eggs. There's also a mention of a previous delivery of meats, chicken, pork chops, etc. Then there's a conversation about the profitability of value-added products. Then two crew members go to collect pine trimmings for wreath workshops. The intern helps wash eggs. Then they pull 60 bunches of salad turnips because the fridge had few and some were old, but the field had some that weathered well. Then there's a lunch break due to family events. After lunch, they plant garlic, bringing them to five rows, which is almost double the previous year's amount. Then they go to the garage, wash up, and the day ends with plans to collect juniper berries and go to another property for wreath materials. Now, main themes: The intern's day involves preparing deliveries, discussing farm profitability, assisting with wreath materials, harvesting and planting, and managing inventory. Activities include packing produce, washing eggs, collecting pine trimmings, harvesting salad turnips, planting garlic, and planning for future wreath materials. New things: The intern mentions something about juniper berries for wreaths, which might be a new item. Also, the mention of value-added products in terms of profitability. Also, the process of collecting pine trimmings and juniper berries for wreaths. Questions: The intern might be wondering about the profitability of value-added products. Maybe questions about the effectiveness of the new garlic planting, or the sustainability of the wreath materials collection. Also, the intern might be interested in the impact of the weather on the salad turnips. Suggestions: The intern suggests harvesting more salad turnips because they were in good condition. Also, the plan to collect juniper berries and go to the other property for wreath materials. Also, the conversation about profitability of products might lead to further research on which products are most profitable. Wait, the user said to list out new things not yet encountered. So maybe the intern hasn't encountered juniper berries before, or the value-added products. Also, the process of collecting pine trimmings for wreaths. Maybe the intern is new to the wreath-making workshops. Also, the mention of the profitability discussion is a new area of research. So putting this all together, the main themes would be delivery preparation, profitability discussion, wreath materials collection, harvesting, planting, and inventory management. Activities are packing produce, washing eggs, collecting trimmings, harvesting turnips, planting garlic, washing up, and planning for future tasks. New things include juniper berries, value-added products, pine trimmings, and the profitability discussion. Questions could be about the profitability of products, effectiveness of the garlic planting, and the impact of weather on turnips. Suggestions include harvesting more salad turnips, collecting juniper berries, and researching value-added products.

Main Themes

Farm Operations and Deliveries: Preparing and delivering produce (onions, celeriac, leeks, turnips, eggs) to the general store.
Inventory and Quality Management: Assessing and harvesting produce (e.g., salad turnips) based on freshness and field availability.
Value-Added Products: Discussing profitability of products (e.g., value-added items) to improve farm economics.
Wreath-Making Materials: Collecting pine trimmings and juniper berries for workshops.
Planting and Crop Management: Planting garlic rows and tracking crop growth.
Workshop and Event Coordination: Managing tasks for wreath-making workshops and family-related scheduling.

Activities Performed

Pack and prepare produce for delivery (30 lbs yellow onions, 10 lbs red onions, 20 lbs celeriac, 10 lbs leeks, 10 lbs purple top turnips, 40 dozen eggs).
Wash eggs for the general store.
Harvest 60 bunches of salad turnips (due to low quality in the fridge and field availability).
Assist in collecting pine trimmings for wreath workshops.
Plant garlic (5 rows, ~300 feet each) to reach nearly double the previous year’s yield.
Consolidate fridge bins and assess produce quality.
Coordinate with crew members for tasks (e.g., wreath materials, egg washing).
Attend a brief discussion on profitability of value-added products.

New Things Not Yet Encountered

Juniper Berries: Mentioned as a potential material for wreaths, indicating a new resource or item to collect.
Value-Added Product Profitability: A discussion on how the farm can optimize profitability through specific products.
Wreath-Making Workshops: The intern is involved in collecting materials for these events, which may involve new processes or collaboration with other farms.
Weather Impact on Turnips: The intern notes that salad turnips weathered well in cold temperatures, a new observation about crop resilience.

Questions and Future Research

Profitability of Value-Added Products: What specific products (e.g., processed items) could maximize farm profitability?
Garlic Yield Sustainability: Is planting 5 rows of garlic (nearly double the previous year) a sustainable long-term strategy?
Juniper Berry Usage: How effective are juniper berries in wreath-making, and are they a seasonal or recurring resource?
Turnip Crop Resilience: How does the cold weather affect the growth and quality of salad turnips, and can this be leveraged for future harvests?
Wreath-Making Collaboration: Are there opportunities to collaborate with other farms for materials (e.g., juniper berries) to reduce costs?

Suggestions

Harvest More Salad Turnips: Leverage the improved quality of turnips from the field for future workshops or sales.
Expand Wreath-Making Materials: Develop a system to collect and store juniper berries and other materials for consistent use.
Track Value-Added Product Trends: Research which products (e.g., pre-packaged items, seasonal goods) align with consumer demand and profitability.
Optimize Garlic Planting: Monitor crop growth and adjust planting strategies to ensure long-term yield and quality.
Coordinate with Other Farms: Explore partnerships for materials or shared labor to support wreath-making events.

November 21st - When to Add a Produce Manager (Part 2)