Yields should be higher and harvest costs lower. But that only holds if you stay on top of the pruning. If the canopies grow together, production declines.

GEM gets the most attention for high density plantings, but all 3 are suited to tighter spacing than standard Hass.

Like so many things, irrigation is largely about consistent execution of the basics!

It's been 8 years I think since I did a spring buckwheat cover. Might be time to do it again.

We use a pretty light implement which only opens the top 2" or so. I hope the infrequent cultivation and root growth from the covercrop offsets any compaction. Before we started our covercrop/mulch program our soil was much worse.

You never really know until it is harvested, graded and weighed. At this point in the pre-season, counting the fruit on sample trees allows you to estimate the pounds/acre yield. But avocados are very inconsistent, so even experts often end up +/- 25%.

It doesn't include the concept that small town/rural = farmer... that's another discussion.

Yes. We think of farmers as people who own, live on and work the land, but usually those are separate roles today.

That would be my guess, but I'm not an authority

It is an affectation to be sure, but one that I will admit I embrace. Although I use "farm" or "orchard" more commonly on social media than I do in everyday conversation.

I do usually make sure I'm wearing a plaid shirt on most occasions where I have to speak in public "as a farmer." And typically clean and shine my boots which have enough battle scars to be legit. Not cowboy boots though... that would feel too much like a costume to me.