Agribusiness Management
Farm and Ranch Managers
11-9013.02
Median wages
$44,020
Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, or supervise farm workers or contract for services to carry out the day-to-day activities of the managed operation. May engage in or supervise planting, cultivating, harvesting, financial, or marketing activities.
- Inspect orchards or fields to determine crop maturity or condition or to detect disease or insect infestation.
- Direct crop production operations, such as planning, tilling, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, spraying, or harvesting.
- Monitor activities such as irrigation, chemical application, harvesting, milking, breeding, or grading to ensure adherence to safety regulations or standards.
- Plan crop activities based on factors such as crop maturity or weather conditions.
- Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms or ranches.
- Direct the breeding or raising of stock, such as cattle, poultry, or honeybees, using recognized breeding practices to ensure stock improvement.
- Obtain financing necessary for purchases of machinery, land, supplies, or livestock.
- Inspect farm or ranch equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Negotiate with buyers for the sale, storage, or shipment of crops or livestock.
- Analyze soil to determine types or quantities of fertilizer required for maximum crop production.
- Evaluate marketing or sales alternatives for farm or ranch products.
- Prepare budgets or financial reports for farm or ranch operations.
- Determine types or quantities of crops or livestock to be raised, according to factors such as market conditions, federal programs or incentives, or soil conditions.
- Demonstrate or explain working techniques, practices, or safety regulations to farm or ranch workers.
- Hire, train, or supervise workers engaged in planting, cultivating, irrigating, harvesting, or marketing crops, or in raising livestock.
- Select or purchase machinery, equipment, livestock, or supplies, such as seed, feed, fertilizer, or chemicals.
- Analyze market conditions to determine acreage allocations.
- Inspect farm or ranch structures, such as buildings, fences, or roads, ordering repair or maintenance activities, as needed.
- Supervise the construction of farm or ranch structures, such as buildings, fences, drainage systems, wells, or roads.
- Operate or oversee the operations of dairy farms that produce bulk milk.
- Plan and direct development or production of hardier or higher-yield hybrid plant varieties.
- Buy or sell futures contracts or price farm products in advance of future sales to minimize risk or maximize profits.
- Monitor and adjust irrigation systems to distribute water according to crop needs and to avoid wasting water.
- Monitor pasture or grazing land use to ensure that livestock are properly fed or that conservation methods, such as rotational grazing, are used.
- Direct livestock or crop waste recycling operations.
- Replace chemical insecticides with environmentally friendly practices, such as adding pest-repelling plants to fields.
- Accounting software — AgData Blue Skies Accounting; Datatech The Farmer's Office; Specialized Data Systems Ultra Farm; Vertical Solutions Easy-Farm Accounting
- Analytical or scientific software — MapShots EASi Suite; SST Development Group SSToolbox; Sunrise Software CropSave
- Data base user interface and query software — Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced; Cattlesoft CattleMax; TapLogic FarmLogic; Trimble Farm Works
- Electronic mail software — Email software; Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software — i.Agri LandMark Farm; International Response Technologies CowChip - Ranch House; Midwest MicroSystems Cow Sense; SAP
- Industrial control software — AGCO Advanced Technology Solutions Fieldstar; ZedX AgFleet
- Internet browser software — Web browser software
- Map creation software — DIVA-GIS; ESRI ArcPad; Geographic resources analysis support system GRASS; TatukGIS Editor
- Mobile location based services software — Global positioning system GPS software
- Office suite software — Microsoft Office
- Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
- Time accounting software — Countryside Data Ag Payroll; Payroll software
- Word processing software — Microsoft Word
- Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operation Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Persuasion — Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Negotiation — Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Operation and Control — Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Personnel Resources — Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
