This year has been full of learning opportunities on the farm. Some of those lessons have come through success. Others have come through mistakes.
The picture above is evidence of one of those mistakes.
Earlier this season, I managed to fry a cutting in the greenhouse. What surprised me was how quickly it happened. On a sunny winter day, it can be 30°F outside while the greenhouse climbs well above 100°F. In this particular case, it reached roughly 115°F. What felt like a safe environment for growing plants turned into something very different in just a few hours.
At first, experiences like this are frustrating. We invest time into starting seedlings (or in this case, a cutting), setting up infrastructure, and caring for plants, only to watch something fail because of a decision we made or a variable we did not fully understand. Nobody enjoys those moments.
As I reflected on it, though, I realized that this is simply part of learning how to work with a new system.
This year, I have been experimenting with new equipment, new growing techniques, and new crops. The greenhouse has opened up possibilities that did not exist before, but it has also introduced new variables that I am still learning to manage. The only way to truly understand those variables is through experience.
That fried cutting taught me the importance of developing new routines. It reinforced the need to open greenhouse doors and windows at the right time. It reminded me that plants in that environment often need more frequent watering. It also helped me recognize that some crops are better started on basement grow racks before being transitioned into the greenhouse later in their development.
Those lessons were not found in a manual. They were learned firsthand through observation, adjustment, and experience.
The more time I spend farming, the more I realize that mistakes are often part of the tuition we pay to gain practical knowledge. Every season teaches something new. Every setback provides information that helps shape better decisions the next time around. While I would certainly prefer to avoid mistakes altogether, I have come to appreciate that many of the most valuable lessons arrive through failure rather than success.
Standing in the greenhouse yesterday made me think about leadership and growth within our team at ThreeWill.
Growth Through Experience
One of the lessons I continue learning as a leader is that people develop the same way farmers do. Reading, training, and coaching are all important, but there are certain lessons that can only be learned through experience.
As leaders, it is often tempting to step in and protect people from mistakes. We see challenges coming before they do. We know where the risks are. We know how we would handle a situation because we have already lived through similar circumstances ourselves.
The challenge is that growth does not happen when we do everything for others.
Growth happens when people are given opportunities to step into situations they have never encountered before. They develop confidence by navigating uncertainty. They develop judgment by making decisions. They develop wisdom by reflecting on what worked and what did not.
Recently, I gave Kirk Liemohn the opportunity to lead a conversation that he had not previously handled on his own. He had the raw material. He had the experience. He had the capability. What he needed was the opportunity to put those things into practice.
Could I have joined the call? Absolutely. In truth, I had my own call to prepare for, which forced me to let go a bit and created the opportunity for Kirk to step forward.
But part of leadership is recognizing when someone is ready to take the next step and then trusting them enough to let them do it.
What I have found over the years is that people often rise to the occasion when given that opportunity. They may not do it exactly the way I would. In some cases, they may find a better approach altogether. In other cases, they may encounter challenges that become valuable learning experiences. Either outcome creates growth.
The funny part is that the team immediately recognized what was happening.
When they learned Kirk was taking on this new opportunity, Tim Coalson joked, “Kirk, I bet you’ll be in this week’s Sowing Success newsletter.”
If you know Tim, you can probably hear exactly how he delivered that comment.
His observation made me laugh, but it also reinforced an important point. Growth opportunities are often visible to those around us. They are the moments where people are trusted with something larger than they have handled before. They are the moments that stretch our capabilities and prepare us for what comes next.
Learning by Doing
As I reflect on both the greenhouse and the business, I keep coming back to the same conclusion.
There are some lessons that can only be learned by doing.
No amount of reading would have taught me exactly how that greenhouse behaves on a bright winter day. I had to experience it firsthand. In the same way, no amount of coaching can completely replace the experience of leading a difficult conversation, making a tough decision, or navigating uncertainty.
Experience has a way of turning knowledge into understanding.
The goal is not to seek failure, but to recognize that mistakes are often part of the learning process. They help us refine our systems, improve our judgment, and build confidence for the future. When we approach them with curiosity rather than frustration, they become valuable teachers.
That fried cutting may not have survived, but the lesson certainly did.
And that lesson will continue paying dividends long after the memory of the mistake has faded.
Until next time,
Cheers from Farmer Tommy!
This post first appeared on May 29, 2026 in Sowing Success, my weekly LinkedIn newsletter on leadership and organic farming. Read the original on LinkedIn.
