I'm a midwest boy who grew up on a farm, including working it from a very young age. Don't underestimate the farmer. Farmers will talk shop as much or more than programmers.
Feeding pigs is the tip of the iceberg. If you want to see some sparks fly, just sit down at the local cafe and talk about the comparative yield of soybeans and corn, and why anyone growing X percentage this year with the weather pattern is just plain nuts.
It's not quite the same as the family-farm days (most are now corporate owned), but those were the first debug sessions I listened in on as my grandfather held court among his colleagues.
Feeding pigs is the tip of the iceberg. If you want to see some sparks fly, just sit down at the local cafe and talk about the comparative yield of soybeans and corn, and why anyone growing X percentage this year with the weather pattern is just plain nuts.
It's not quite the same as the family-farm days (most are now corporate owned), but those were the first debug sessions I listened in on as my grandfather held court among his colleagues.