One of the many lessons I am learning on my farming journey is that there is always an “X Factor” to everything I do. I mean there is always an unknown variable that will have some unexpected impact on the outcomes of whatever I am growing.
That X-Factor can be something like seed age. It can be unexpected high winds. It can even be an unknown that just causes two sprouts to flourish and one to die. I realize these unexpecteds are partially unknown to me because of my inexperience, but I also have the unique opportunity right now to be in close contact to very experienced farmers who also have to deal with the unexpected.
The main difference I see between myself and the more experienced farmers is the sense of recognition they have for the X-Factor. It’s not always a recognition that they know what the mystery was, but a recognition that they know mystery is part of the process.
This world and everything in it is complex. We can do everything we think is the right thing to do and then the outcomes can still go an unexpected way. Learning to roll with the changes and embrace the unexpected is easier when it is a few seeds in a sprouting tray than when it’s a whole crop field, but I think the strategy for meeting the challenge is the same: lead with curiosity. Like a toddler, just keep asking why.
Sometimes the why will lead to an answer that will give preparation to the next time I encounter a particular problem, and sometimes it will dead end at a mystery beyond my skills and experience. Either way, the X-Factors are the mysteries that keep my life ever challenging and infinitely interesting, but they are also some of the biggest challenges to my persistance.
So, I would say a major lesson I’m learning in farm school is: I don’t have all the answers, and sometimes plants will die because of that fact, but being able to keep moving forward despite obstacles and failures is the real goal.
“It ain’t about how hard you can hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. It’s about how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” – Rocky Balboa
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