I also have many things that I really enjoy to do on the farm. I keep my orchard looking like a golf course so I mow a lot. And I also don't mind spraying with my air blast sprayer. However with 2250 trees I have had to do a lot of pruning and thinning. And after 500 or 600 trees that gets old. And to make it worse it really needs to get done within a defined time frame. Besides that I really don't have to work any long days. I am hoping that next year I will be able to hire some help for pruning.
The weather is the most frustrating part. I never paid much attention to weather before I started the orchard. Also, I can't believe how bad they are at forecasting the weather. You can watch the weather, but if you planned your day around their forecasts you would never get anything done. The worst thing about the weather is you have absolutely no control over it. In the fruit business you are one wind storm, frost, drought, hail storm, or flood away from disaster. Sometimes you get lucky and only experience limited versions of these calamities. (I forgot to mention insect infestations)
Anyway, to me it is still way better then working for a big corporation.
The weather is the most frustrating part. I never paid much attention to weather before I started the orchard. Also, I can't believe how bad they are at forecasting the weather. You can watch the weather, but if you planned your day around their forecasts you would never get anything done. The worst thing about the weather is you have absolutely no control over it. In the fruit business you are one wind storm, frost, drought, hail storm, or flood away from disaster. Sometimes you get lucky and only experience limited versions of these calamities. (I forgot to mention insect infestations)
Anyway, to me it is still way better then working for a big corporation.