Who said farmers don't have to study?

Hello! This week’s article is related to the publication of the integrated pest management (IPM) guide for olive groves, this document arrived in my email a couple of days ago. Here I leave you the direct link to the magrama website where this and 3 other guides are available for download.

As it literally says in the introduction of the olive grove guide, “this document is prepared considering that the main recipients of it will be the producers who are exempt from the obligation to hire a phytosanitary advisor”, this means that, this The guide is designed for all farmers who own or are responsible for managing this type of crop.

The document consists of 181 pages in which there is great information of interest that every farmer should know, so if you have olive trees, I advise you to start with it as soon as possible. Because of this document this question came to mind: Who said that farmers don’t have to study? Unfortunately and much to my regret, from time to time I hear comments like this:

“If you work in the fields it is because you are not fit to work anywhere else”
“The countryside is always there, what you have to do is study and look for a good job”
“Anyone can work in the field”

Not everyone can work in the fields.

This is a truth like a great temple, the first of all is that the person must work on what they really like, it doesn’t matter if it is in the field or in an office, this way they feel fulfilled, enjoy their day Every day, she is able to improve because she wants to go to work and seeks self-improvement, this means that she is capable of producing more and doing better work.

Anyone cannot work in the field or rather, anyone should not work in the field, I repeat, neither in the field nor anywhere else. Each job requires specific preparation that takes a few hours or days to assimilate and adapt.

It is true that there are jobs in the field that are less complicated, the same happens in a cardboard or plastic factory or in an office, but they all require prior preparation that in most cases is insufficient because experience in a Work is acquired by practicing it over a long period of time that can be up to years.

The current farmer must be a prepared and trained person

Let’s leave the clichés aside and recognize the current reality. Nowadays, a farmer must be a prepared and well-trained person, and I am not just referring to knowing how to perform a specific job such as: staking, pruning, grafting, felling, debudding, etc.

With every day that passes, the countryside is modernizing in terms of legislation and the farmer must be up to date if he does not want to get more than one unpleasant surprise. Who said that anyone can be in the field?

No, it is not true and I pity the people who think that way, as a farmer that I am, I feel very proud to say it here, I am not ashamed to admit that I work in the field and I think that no one should do it because it is not a job. dishonorable, just the opposite, they are our roots, it is the beginning of everything. Most of our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents have dedicated their lives to cultivating our fields, let’s pay great tribute to them by feeling proud of who we are. Greetings and see you next week!

By Rafael Espejo.