Tough loss, but we kept moving forward.
Years ago, I faced a tough loss on my vineyard. In a series of unfortunate events, someone drove off with my tractor in plain sight. This isn’t a sad country song, it’s a true story:
This wasn't just any tractor. It was a beautiful John Deere (JD 7810). I had invested over $20K fixing it up, making it a beast that saved us so much time each year. Neighbors would admire it as we drove it through the vineyards.
To this day, imported machines cost a premium in Argentina. Not something I could just drive to a dealer and easily replace.
One day my farm manager gets an email. Someone was interested in paying a good price for the tractor.
Along with this, the thief even impersonated me, using a fake email to convince my farm manager that I wanted to sell and payment was wired. Thinking it was me, he went along with it.
The scammers show up to look at the tractor. Thinking money has already been wired, my farm manager hands them the keys and watches them drive off. I was ignorant of almost all these events. (Out of the country)
When we realized what happened, my farm manager was distraught. This was a lot of money. It was yet another tough blow in this farm journey.
Not only did we lose one of our most important pieces of equipment —spending on a replacement felt out of the question.
My farm manager was ready to resign out of shame. He was responsible for losing more money than he would make in a few years’ salary.
Did I fire him? No. He was tricked by savvy thieves and he owned it.
In my mind, the only thing to do was press on. Source some cheaper tractors (70s Fiats). We made it work.
My farm manager, although no longer working with me, remains a friend. He moved on to new opportunities, and I've continued to grow.
This experience taught me valuable lessons in trust and communication. Always double-check, and never let setbacks define you.
Probably the most important was being able to forgive and move on.
I saw my former farm manager recently. He’s doing well even through the hard times. He still greets me with a smile when we meet.
