Listen to a conversation between a student and a professor.

W: Hi, Professor Rivera! Could I talk to you about the presentation next week?
M: Uh…
W: I need your advice on what I still need to do.
M: Okay, sure … uh … but I have a meeting in half an hour.
W: This won’t take long.
M: Do you have much left to do? I thought you were almost ready.
W: I’ve got data, photos and graphs of the mountain. I just want to know if that’s going to be enough.

M: Okay. Tell me what you’ve got.
W: For my introduction … uh … first, I’ll talk about how the geologists at Volcano Watch detected another earthquake—a tiny one—two weeks ago. They think that quake could be part of a series of small quakes that precede an eruption.
M: Hmm. All right.
W: Then I thought I’d give a history of the eruptions in that area.
M: How far are you going back?
W: Two thousand years. That’s the last time Stone Peak erupted. I won’t go over every little eruption, just the six or seven major ones. Then I guess at that point I’ll show my graphs—no, maybe the pictures first, at least the one of the bulge. Uh, does that sound like a good way to do it?
M: So far, so good. What pictures do you have?
W: A set of photographs that George Davidson at the observatory gave me. One thing I still have to do is make slides out of ‘em—and of my graphs, too—but that won’t take me long. I have some good shots of the mountain—you can really see how much the bulge has grown.
M: Interesting. How much has it grown?
W: A few inches a year, for the past six years. He—I mean George—said the bulge is forming ‘cause a chamber of magma below the surface is growing. Earth’s crust is being bent and bent—a few inches each year—and sooner or later, it’ll start to break open.
M: That could get very interesting.
W: Really. Anyway … uh … first I’ll show them the color photo, then the graphs showing the eruptions over the past six years … and after that, the black– and–white photos showing the bulge. The changes really show up well, much better in black and white.
M: Yes, I can imagine they do. So … um … after you show your slides, you want to make sure you allow time for discussion. Your pictures of the bulge and the cause of its formation—you are going to talk about that, right?
W: Of course.
M: That’s good, because you’re bound to get some questions.
W: Do I need more? I mean, do I have enough material? M: It all sounds good to me. Just finish your slides and practice what you want to say.
W: Okay.
M: See? You’re almost set to go.

Listen to part of a lecture in an ecology class.

M1: While we’re on the topic of relationships in ecosystems, there’s another relationship I’d like to talk about, one that can help in our understanding of climate change … and this is the link between weather patterns and the periodic biological phenomena related to climatic conditions … phenomena like the seasonal changes in trees. This is the science of phenology. Okay. We’re all familiar with the changing colors of the seasons: summer green, autumn red and gold, white snow cover, and bright new green in the spring. These colors mark the rhythmic cycles of weather. We know that animals have adapted to the seasonal color changes. Think about it. Animals have their young just as green plants are sprouting in the spring. Some animals change their color during the year to blend in with the seasonal colors. These changes, these physiological responses to the environment—it’s all like a dance, a complex interaction called phenology. The current research in phenology looks at how nature’s color signals can help us understand the feedback between plants and our changing climate. One way this is done … is … uh … by … um … by analyzing the forest as a collection of numbers … numbers like the mix of colors in the leaves … also, the amount of carbon inhaled from the atmosphere … and … uh … yes, Sophie?
W: Could you … um … maybe say more about how the researchers collect these numbers?
M1: I’m getting to that. Okay … uh … we measure how much a tree’s leaves reflect different wavelengths of light—a very precise way of measuring color. Different wavelengths can indicate different levels of stress experienced by the tree.
W: So, how exactly does color relate to stress?
M1: Sure. Okay, an example … well … uh … different pigments in leaves … uh … have different functions. Green is chlorophyll, which dominates during the growing season when photosynthesis takes place. Then, when the amount of daylight decreases in autumn, red and yellow pigments take control to help guard against stress. This is all in your textbook, by the way.
W: Okay. This is interesting.
M1: Good. And you asked how we get the numbers. Well, one very important instrument is a web camera on top of a tower that captures high–resolution images of the forest canopy. The camera collects these images every 30 minutes, during the hours of daylight. The camera then uploads these images to an online database. This huge collection of color data will increase our understanding of how ecosystems respond to climate change and, we hope, will make us better able to predict the effects.
M2: Leaves change color during the year, right? That’s pretty normal. So, how do we know if the changes are just normal seasonal changes or whether it’s the result of climate change?
M1: Nature’s colors are already responding to changing weather due to climate change. This is because phenology is sensitive to weather. For example, when spring is unusually warm, the leaves come earlier. We’re already seeing this in color data from the camera. We have data about warm years, cold years, wet years, and dry years. As we build up our color record, we can use this data to develop better models of how weather and phenology are related. We can compare these models against the climate forecasts. This will improve our ability to predict how the forests might change in the future. We’ll be able to put together a picture of landscapes in a world of warmer temperatures and changes in precipitation.

Listen to part of a talk in an agricultural management class.

Managers do many things, but mainly they’re responsible for seeing that an organization accomplishes what it’s supposed to. Managers direct resources to achieve the goals of the business. They’re responsible for managing an organization called a farm. Farm managers have a complicated job in a complicated world. Like other types of managers, farm managers are responsible for the resources under their control. But unlike many other managers, a farm manager needs to combine information from the biological, physical, and social sciences.

Depending on the type of farm, a farm manager needs to have knowledge in a variety of subjects. For example, a farm manager needs scientific knowledge about soil structure and soil microbiology. A farm manager has to understand animal nutrition, genetics, crop growth, plant and animal diseases, and insect control. A farm manager has to understand ecology. A farm manager has to know about farm machinery. In the social sciences, a farm manager needs leadership and communication skills. He or she has to understand human psychology. A farm is a business, so a farm manager needs an understanding of business organization, business law, strategic planning, and operations management. A farm manager also needs a firm grasp of economics and international food markets. In short, farm management is a complex and demanding job. Farm managers are responsible for the physical, financial, and human resources of the farm.

In general business terms, a farm manager is a general manager, that is, a manager who is responsible for many—if not all—parts of the business. As a general manager, a farm manager is responsible for all of the management and business functions, although he or she may not personally perform all those functions. For example, some farm managers select a capable farm operator who performs the management tasks of running the farm, such as planning which crops to grow, directing production, managing farm workers, and so on. Some farm managers just concentrate on the financial aspects of managing the farm. For example, they may supervise product marketing or be the one who projects the budget for the next year.

The farm business is characterized by changing conditions. Farming is full of uncertainties—changing prices, changing government regulations, and the uncertainty caused by the weather—so farm managers always have to monitor and adjust their strategies. They have to be experts at strategic thinking. In such an uncertain environment, a farm business needs a structured approach to planning. This is why there should always be a business plan. Having a written business plan forces a manager to make and defend choices. It also provides a document to show interested parties such as creditors, investors, and customers.

Writing a business plan ensures that important points are considered. The business plan includes a general description of the farm—where the farm is located physically, economically, and historically. The plan also describes the farm’s vision— both short– and long–term goals. It includes a plan for production and operations, a marketing plan, a financial plan, and a plan for organizing and staffing the business.

What I’ve just given you is a basic outline of farm management. This course will introduce you to all the management skills you need to plan, organize, and direct the farm business. You’ll also learn how to prepare a business plan. In fact, your major course assignment will be to research, write, and revise a business plan for a farm—either a farm you manage now, or one you’d like to manage in the future.