A farmer is probably history's charter member of "team producer," the producer whose presence signals the end of chasing heards and trying to scratch out a living based on the fickle fortune of rains and famines, and beginning a true civilization. By definition, the farmer produces more than he consumes, enough to feed his whole family and, when he grows, his village or city as well.
The field hand is a part of this enterprise, someone who does not own the farm or the seeds or the silos, but who helps make sure the huge harvest is a success. In ancient times, men in a wide variety of professions used to be subcontracted for a few days each year to leave their blacksmithing and carving and fishing and help out on the threshing floor. These people are not a true part of team producer, but they work for the producers, and have insight into how the process works. There is, however, one blind spot in their knowledge.
If the field hand becomes weary, or gets sun stroke, or decides to change professions, he simply bows out. If he worked for 50 days, he is paid for 50, if he worked for ten, he's paid for 10. He forfits future profit potential, but the past labor that he did is paid to him immediately. Ugaritic, Egyptian, Jewish and Babylonian texts all include injunctions to the same effect-A worker is to be paid for their labor as it happens, not at a later time.
This practice continues today. For most employees, gratification for labor is instantaneous. Even if your pay period is every two weeks, you go to bed at night knowing the credit for the day is in your account. You worked 8 hours, and you got paid for 8 hours. If you quit after two weeks, you still get those two weeks of pay, unless you signed a contract that specifically prevents this from happening.
This is important, because most of us were or still are employees. We've lived with, and been raised by parents who lived with, a system where work and pay were closely and immediately associated. You do work, you get paid, right away.
But consider the farmer. If he plants in March and harvests in July, he has a lot to do in the months in between. He spends thousands acquiring the tons of seed he plants, knowing that many of the seeds will never germinate. The seeds are purchased, shipped, loaded into hoppers, and sown. He makes no profit.
He spends thousands more on pesticides or Integrated Pest Management or GMOs, knowing that without it, his seeds will never grow into healthy plants. Specialists come and advise him, and leave with big checks, having done 8 hours of work and receiving for it 8 hours of pay. He makes no profit.
He needs to deploy machines to disperse thousands of gallons of water during the hot months, to insure that his produce isn't mal-nourished or scorched by the sun. They run all day while his bank account dwindles. He makes no profit.
His workers inspect the crops, drive the machines, and oversee the growing process. They get paid every day. He makes no profit.
Sometime in June, he suffers a setback. The month has been dry, and his analysts now tell him that he will not get the yield he expected. The soil had too much clay for the crop he tried to grow, he should have chosen a different one. He's crushed. He doesn't know how to tell his wife. He doesn't know if he has the strength to continue. Nobody gives him any encouragement.
This is the Desert-of-Desertion. It's a lonely place, but it's also a place where our field-hand experience can mislead us as we try to transition and become farmers. Using field hand logic, the thing to do would be to cut and run, to immediately bow out and try to make up losses somewhere else with a better job or a new idea.
The farmer has to know better. If the farmer gives up, all those months, all those thousands of dollars and hours, really were all for nothing. There is no pay for time served. There is no prize for quitting half way as a farmer. If he packs up, everything he planted dies. Everything he did is lost. Everything he spent was for nothing. It really was all a waste.
Don't give up and switch to something else in the desert. It's not like giving up as a field hand. You don't get paid for making it most of the way and moving on to something else. If you give up even one step before the finish line as a farmer, every step of the race, every heartbeat, every ache and pain was entirely for nothing. You will never see or know any measure of success until you are willing to finish crossing the desert despite the lack of positive encouragement, and get to the point where you can make your first sale. You can't rely on your field hand instincts. Being an employee is for people who need fast gratification for their work. Producing is the long game, and it's all or nothing. To quit in the desert is to never see any harvest. To quit and change projects quickly is to die in the desert.
The field hand is a part of this enterprise, someone who does not own the farm or the seeds or the silos, but who helps make sure the huge harvest is a success. In ancient times, men in a wide variety of professions used to be subcontracted for a few days each year to leave their blacksmithing and carving and fishing and help out on the threshing floor. These people are not a true part of team producer, but they work for the producers, and have insight into how the process works. There is, however, one blind spot in their knowledge.
If the field hand becomes weary, or gets sun stroke, or decides to change professions, he simply bows out. If he worked for 50 days, he is paid for 50, if he worked for ten, he's paid for 10. He forfits future profit potential, but the past labor that he did is paid to him immediately. Ugaritic, Egyptian, Jewish and Babylonian texts all include injunctions to the same effect-A worker is to be paid for their labor as it happens, not at a later time.
This practice continues today. For most employees, gratification for labor is instantaneous. Even if your pay period is every two weeks, you go to bed at night knowing the credit for the day is in your account. You worked 8 hours, and you got paid for 8 hours. If you quit after two weeks, you still get those two weeks of pay, unless you signed a contract that specifically prevents this from happening.
This is important, because most of us were or still are employees. We've lived with, and been raised by parents who lived with, a system where work and pay were closely and immediately associated. You do work, you get paid, right away.
But consider the farmer. If he plants in March and harvests in July, he has a lot to do in the months in between. He spends thousands acquiring the tons of seed he plants, knowing that many of the seeds will never germinate. The seeds are purchased, shipped, loaded into hoppers, and sown. He makes no profit.
He spends thousands more on pesticides or Integrated Pest Management or GMOs, knowing that without it, his seeds will never grow into healthy plants. Specialists come and advise him, and leave with big checks, having done 8 hours of work and receiving for it 8 hours of pay. He makes no profit.
He needs to deploy machines to disperse thousands of gallons of water during the hot months, to insure that his produce isn't mal-nourished or scorched by the sun. They run all day while his bank account dwindles. He makes no profit.
His workers inspect the crops, drive the machines, and oversee the growing process. They get paid every day. He makes no profit.
Sometime in June, he suffers a setback. The month has been dry, and his analysts now tell him that he will not get the yield he expected. The soil had too much clay for the crop he tried to grow, he should have chosen a different one. He's crushed. He doesn't know how to tell his wife. He doesn't know if he has the strength to continue. Nobody gives him any encouragement.
This is the Desert-of-Desertion. It's a lonely place, but it's also a place where our field-hand experience can mislead us as we try to transition and become farmers. Using field hand logic, the thing to do would be to cut and run, to immediately bow out and try to make up losses somewhere else with a better job or a new idea.
The farmer has to know better. If the farmer gives up, all those months, all those thousands of dollars and hours, really were all for nothing. There is no pay for time served. There is no prize for quitting half way as a farmer. If he packs up, everything he planted dies. Everything he did is lost. Everything he spent was for nothing. It really was all a waste.
Don't give up and switch to something else in the desert. It's not like giving up as a field hand. You don't get paid for making it most of the way and moving on to something else. If you give up even one step before the finish line as a farmer, every step of the race, every heartbeat, every ache and pain was entirely for nothing. You will never see or know any measure of success until you are willing to finish crossing the desert despite the lack of positive encouragement, and get to the point where you can make your first sale. You can't rely on your field hand instincts. Being an employee is for people who need fast gratification for their work. Producing is the long game, and it's all or nothing. To quit in the desert is to never see any harvest. To quit and change projects quickly is to die in the desert.
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