Working Smarter or Harder?
#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk
This week, we moved the pigs onto the new leased land where the sheep are. I learned how to set up poly wire for the pigs. The pigs require a shorter electrical fence than sheep, as they can not
jump and are not as good at escaping as sheep. I learned how to do a clove hitch knot so that the electrical fence is adjustable. I also learned that pigs are more affected by current than sheep are,
as the sheep’s wool acts as an insulator. In this picture, you can see the pigs exploring their new pen. This week, we changed up the irrigation, so I was able to learn how to use connectors and
more in-depth on irrigation.
I took over her social media for her company and learned how she manages her accounts. I saw how she uses her social media to keep customers engaged and on her page as she updates them on her daily activities. My host also taught me a lot about plants this week as we would walk around and she would pick up plants to watch out for as they are poisonous to sheep. It is important to remove this so that they do not consume a large quantity. In the picture, you can see an example of a plant that is poisonous to sheep. She also taught me that certain plants in bare spots are thought to be an indicator of certain deficiencies in the soil. Most importantly, this week, I learned the importance of sunscreen, especially at elevation, after I got charred.
This week, I want to challenge the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.” Although this is true, hard work is also necessary. I believe that both are essential for being efficient and effective. Over the past four weeks, I have repeatedly torn down and put up the same electrical fence to rotate the sheep. This requires quite some effort as the process requires a significant amount of time. While I might not get around the labor, I have learned some techniques that makes it more manageable. By planning how I set up the fence and ensuring the sections align before I put them in the ground, I minimize the need for adjustments. I have also learned different ways to carry the
fencing that requires less effort on my part. Ultimately, this experience has shown me that balancing hard work with smart strategies allows me to be more diligent and intentional in my efforts. This proves that neither approach is better, but both are necessary for success.
My question for this week is about how my host runs her business. I would like to understand more about how she uses her social media to bring in customers. Social media is more confusing to me than basic email lists, as it has a specific algorithm. I want to know how the algorithm works and how she uses it to her advantage when she is trying to gain a specific audience. Social media is especially important as I believe people spend more time on these platforms than they check their emails, especially in our generation. Understanding a balance between keeping her customers wanting to watch her videos and also looking at her advertisements would be important to understand if I want to own a business one day.
Learning how different animals are affected by electrical fences is important information to know, as this could be useful if I have my own animals. Figuring out how to contain different species can be handy instead of having to figure it out on my own. I also did not realize how much information plants can tell you. Reading about different types of plants could be beneficial, especially figuring out what plants are poisonous to your livestock, as that can help reduce the amount of animals you lose. Finding a balance between hard work and smart work will help me all throughout life as I can become more efficient at using my body as a tool. As I understand more about her business and marketing, I can use this information in any business I am a part of or my own to gain and connect with my customers
Submitted by: Elizabeth Herman
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
