Government Contracting is Like Farming

When I’m trotting around DC, doing all the government contracting (gov con) things, most folks are surprised to learn about my extensive background in agriculture. I have a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, was a Rodeo Queen, spent almost a decade working in the industry, and raised horses and cattle.

It’s not what people envision when they see Brooks Brothers suits and graduate degrees in cyber and management. While marrying into the military meant putting my agriculture aspirations on hold for a few years, the lessons I learned from farming have been instrumental in shaping my readiness and ability to bootstrap a government contracting company.

Here are three ways government contracting is a lot like farming:

GovCon is a long game. 

I always get a laugh when people imply that I’m “lucky” when I win government contracts.

Ha! 

The “luck” they are referring to is spending years teaching myself federal acquisition regulations and exorbitant amounts of trial and error (emphasis on the error, because that’s how to learn what not to do so you can focus on what to do). I went years with regular pay, vacations, or medical care to make the “luck” happen. I put everything on the line for a potential investment that wasn’t statistically likely to happen; however, after almost a decade of extreme dedication to this path, I started to reap some rewards. 

If I hadn’t made all those sacrifices for the past decade, I wouldn’t be a partner in a successful government contracting business. Sure, there was a multitude of setbacks - 100s of bids I lost, the big primes stealing my Intellectual Property, contracts I lost money on, and a multitude of other life “stuff” - health crises, losing my house, deaths of loved ones, etc. However, I persisted and as a result, years later, I’m able to reap rewards. 

In farming, if you don’t sow, you won’t reap.

Same goes for government contracting - the difference is the time between sowing and reaping big is a lot longer than the few months growing cycle of a cash crop. And you’ve got to find a way to stick with it and finance yourself while sticking with it.

It’s an arduous journey, with little to no encouragement along the way. You have to come up with that for yourself too! 

Everyone thinks you’re crazy for starting a business…until you win something, then they all want to work for you. 

Read more: Entrepreneurship: I Did It “My Way”

You must go with the seasons. 

The cycles of government procurement are very seasonal. Certain services and products are purchased on a specific frequency - one that you have very little influence over. For many vendors, their offering may only be bought for a few weeks during the year, which means they have to be ready to take action when these opportunities come around, otherwise, they’ll have to sit out a whole nother year. 

In farming, it doesn’t matter what events you have scheduled for certain days - if harvest time or calving season falls on those days, you must defer everything to make harvest happen. Same with the government. My partner always says, “The business eats first,” - a good reminder of the priority paradigm that success in government contracting requires. 

Thankfully, my family is all engaged in the same sector, so we have a unanimous understanding of how this seasonal nature, and the pressures each season can bring. We plan our personal life events during the off times, as directed by the federal procurement calendar. When there’s an administration change, the seasons can be altered with no notice. Similar to when in farming, weather events, such as hurricanes, flooding, blizzards, and the like, can totally derail the expected times of big events - and farmers that want to survive must roll with it. 

This pace of life contrasts sharply with that of a typical employed 9-to-5.

If you’re looking for schedule stability and autonomy, save yourself a lot of heartache and bypass these industries. 

Read More: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey: Bootstrapping a Small Business in Government Contracting

Relationships make or break the harvest. 

In farming, no one farmer can harvest an entire commercial crop alone. It requires teams of people who are skilled in operating equipment and good at working together to harvest the year’s bounty. Lots of factors must be accommodated, such as weather, insects, fuel prices, equipment readiness, etc.

Good framers don’t wait till the day of harvest to recruit folks to help glean the fields; instead, they recognize that relationships are always a priority to both cultivate and nurture. This way, you’ll have some folks who can help you bring in the harvest when nature says it’s time. 

A good crew works hard, is diligent, and is very mission-minded - the same as in government contracting.

GovCon is very hard work, it’s rarely convenient, and it’s about the furthest thing you can get from a “get rich quick scheme”, again, similar to farming. There are a whole lotta easier ways to make money out there. If someone is looking for a “seat warming” job, they shouldn’t put positions in agriculture or GovCon on their list of potential career paths! Having a good team - people you can count on to consistently do the right thing can literally make or break your operation. 

As a partner in a government contracting firm, I’m always scouting for folks who display the characteristics and work ethic needed to make my contract teams a success. They must be able to work well with others, have an understanding of the importance of our work and the people whose lives it impacts, and are dedicated to excellence in everything they do. Also, like a harvest crew, they must be self-motivated and not require micromanaging to perform.

Trust is baked into these operational teams, as the impacts of a job well done can save lives, whereas failure on the job can cost them. 

Read more: Lessons Learned from the Rodeo Arena

Conclusion

Much like farming, government contracting is a high-risk, high-reward industry that demands patience, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to the long game. Success doesn’t happen overnight, and the journey is filled with setbacks, hard work, and unpredictability. But for those who are willing to endure the challenges, the rewards are worth it.

Both farming and government contracting require a deep understanding of cycles, a strong network of reliable partners, and the ability to push forward despite adversity.

If you can master these practices, you just might find yourself bringing in a bountiful harvest…eventually.