JOB REPORT / 11-9013 · 30 TASKS

Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers.

Can AI do the work of Farm & Ranch Managers?

The records, scheduling, and resource math are automating. Reading the land, the stock, and the season stays yours.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS

How does this fit your work?

How many tasks do you use AI to assist with at work?

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The mark shows what’s typical for this job.

The parts of your job AI can already do most of:

Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms…
Plan planting & care schedules
Evaluate marketing or sales alternatives for products

Your free lesson plan builds the skills that keep you ahead of AI.

A free set of short lessons, about 20 minutes each, at your own pace. No payment, no experience needed.

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A guided certificate program in AI-assisted Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers work. It covers the 26 AI-affected parts of your job and ends in a capstone a person reviews.

WHAT WE LOOKED AT

Your job, task by task.

26 of 30 tasks reviewed

This job has 30 core tasks. We went through 26 of them, one at a time.

Task by task, from the work Farm & Ranch Managers actually do. How we describe AI use in each task is our own read of it, not a measurement of whether AI can replace the job.

TASK 01
Determine plant growing conditions, such as greenhouses, hydroponics, or natural settings, and set planting and care schedules.
AI DOES
Suggests schedules from conditions
YOU DO
Make the call on the ground
TASK 02
Collect and record growth, production, and environmental data.
AI DOES
Logs and charts the data automatically
YOU DO
Know what it means for the operation
TASK 03
Position and regulate plant irrigation systems, and program environmental and irrigation control computers.
AI DOES
Optimizes schedules from weather data
YOU DO
Read the land and adjust
TASK 04
Determine how to allocate resources and to respond to unanticipated problems, such as insect infestation, drought, and fire.
AI DOES
Models the options
YOU DO
Decide under drought, fire, and infestation
TASK 05
Manage nurseries that grow horticultural plants for sale to trade or retail customers, for display or exhibition, or for research.
AI DOES
Tracks inventory and orders
YOU DO
Run the people and the season
TASK 06
Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms or ranches.
AI DOES
Organizes records, spots patterns, and fills in standard forms from your data
YOU DO
Verify real field conditions and decide what numbers actually mean for your operation
TASK 07
Evaluate marketing or sales alternatives for products.
AI DOES
Pulls price comparisons, market trend data, and buyer options across channels
YOU DO
Weigh your relationships, cash flow needs, and local market knowledge before deciding
TASK 08
Coordinate clerical, record-keeping, inventory, requisitioning, and marketing activities.
AI DOES
Drafts purchase orders, organizes records, tracks inventory data, and suggests marketing copy
YOU DO
Decide what to buy, sell, and prioritize based on real conditions on your farm
TASK 09
Analyze soil to determine types or quantities of fertilizer required for maximum crop production.
AI DOES
Reads soil test numbers and suggests fertilizer types and amounts based on crop goals
YOU DO
Walk the field, notice what data misses, and decide what fits your land and budget
TASK 10
Analyze market conditions to determine acreage allocations.
AI DOES
Gathers commodity prices, demand forecasts, and market trend summaries to inform planting decisions
YOU DO
Weigh soil health, equipment limits, local weather, and personal risk tolerance before committing acres
TASK 11
Monitor environments to ensure maintenance of optimum animal or plant life.
AI DOES
Reads sensor data, flags unusual readings, and suggests adjustments to growing or living conditions
YOU DO
Walk the land, use your senses, and act on what machines cannot see or smell
TASK 12
Determine types or quantities of crops, plants, or livestock to be grown and raised, based on budgets, federal incentives, market conditions, executive directives, projected sales volumes, or soil conditions.
AI DOES
Pulls together market prices, soil data, federal incentive info, and budget numbers to suggest crop or livestock options
YOU DO
Apply years of local farming experience and personal risk judgment to make the final planting or stocking decision
TASK 13
Determine, administer, and execute policies relating to operations administration and standards, facility maintenance, and safety.
AI DOES
Drafts policy templates, summarizes safety regulations, and organizes maintenance checklists
YOU DO
Walk the land, inspect equipment, and judge real conditions before deciding
TASK 14
Negotiate with buyers for the sale, storage, or shipment of crops or livestock.
AI DOES
Looks up current commodity prices, summarizes market trends, and drafts initial offer language
YOU DO
Build trust with buyers and read the room during live deal talks
TASK 15
Obtain financing for and purchase necessary machinery, land, supplies, or livestock.
AI DOES
Researches loan options, compares equipment prices, and drafts financing applications
YOU DO
Visit farms, inspect animals and machinery in person, and build lender relationships
TASK 16
Hire, supervise, and train support workers.
AI DOES
Drafts job postings, screens resumes, and suggests training checklists
YOU DO
Meet workers face-to-face, read people well, and build trust on the farm
TASK 17
Direct and monitor trapping and spawning of fish, egg incubation, and fry rearing, applying knowledge of management and fish culturing techniques.
AI DOES
Analyzes water quality sensor data, flags anomalies, and suggests feeding or treatment schedules
YOU DO
Stay physically present to observe fish behavior, handle eggs carefully, and make real-time judgment calls
TASK 18
Devise and participate in activities to improve fish hatching and growth rates, and to prevent disease in hatcheries.
AI DOES
Analyzes water quality data, flags disease risk patterns, and suggests feeding schedules
YOU DO
Observe fish behavior up close and make real-time physical adjustments in the hatchery
TASK 19
Conduct inspections to determine crop maturity or condition or to detect disease or insect infestation.
AI DOES
Analyzes photos and drone images to flag possible disease, pest damage, or ripeness signals
YOU DO
Walk the field, use your senses, and make the final call on crop condition
TASK 20
Direct crop production operations, such as planning, tilling, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting.
AI DOES
Helps build planting schedules, analyzes soil and weather data, and flags pest or disease risks
YOU DO
Stay on the land to observe, decide, and adapt to what's actually happening in the field
TASK 21
Direct the breeding or raising of stock, such as cattle, poultry, or honeybees, using recognized breeding practices to ensure stock improvement.
AI DOES
Analyzes breeding records, suggests genetic pairings, and tracks herd health data
YOU DO
Observe animals in person and make judgment calls about individual animal condition and behavior
TASK 22
Coordinate the selection and maintenance of brood stock.
AI DOES
Provides research on breed traits, health records analysis, or genetic data summaries
YOU DO
Physically evaluate animals and make judgment calls based on what you see and handle in person
TASK 23
Replace chemical insecticides with environmentally friendly practices, such as adding pest-repelling plants to fields.
AI DOES
Suggests companion planting combinations and pest-repelling plant options based on your crops
YOU DO
Walk the fields, judge soil and plant health firsthand, and decide what to actually plant where
TASK 24
Supervise the construction of farm or ranch structures, such as buildings, fences, drainage systems, wells, or roads.
AI DOES
Helps draft project plans, timelines, or cost estimates you can review
YOU DO
Stay on-site to direct workers and make real-time safety calls
TASK 25SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Prepare reports required by state and federal laws.
AI DOES
Gathers data and formats standard sections
YOU DO
Ensure compliance and sign off
About this analysis
0% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium
TASK 26SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Provide information to customers on the care of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, and lawns.
AI DOES
Pulls up care guides and troubleshooting tips
YOU DO
Read the plant and customer's situation
About this analysis
0% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium

START LEARNING AI

Practice AI.
Use your judgment.

There are 26 short lessons for this job, about 15 minutes each. Each one starts from a task above and teaches the part that stays with you.

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AT A GLANCE

Occupation: Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
SOC code: 11-9013
Tasks reviewed: 26 of 30

How we assess

PAY & OUTLOOK

Compare pay by state

Median pay (national): $89,900 · BLS OEWS 2025
Median pay (Colorado): Not reported for Colorado
Employed (national): 6,500
Employed in Colorado: Not reported for Colorado
Job outlook: −1.3% by 2034 · ~85,500 openings/yr

Wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. National figures cover the United States. Job outlook is national.

How does this fit your work?

Earn a certificate in your job

Your job, task by task.

Determine plant growing conditions, such as greenhouses, hydroponics, or natural settings, and set planting and care schedules.

Collect and record growth, production, and environmental data.

Position and regulate plant irrigation systems, and program environmental and irrigation control computers.

Determine how to allocate resources and to respond to unanticipated problems, such as insect infestation, drought, and fire.

Manage nurseries that grow horticultural plants for sale to trade or retail customers, for display or exhibition, or for research.

Maintain financial, operational, production, or employment records for farms or ranches.

Evaluate marketing or sales alternatives for products.

Coordinate clerical, record-keeping, inventory, requisitioning, and marketing activities.

Analyze soil to determine types or quantities of fertilizer required for maximum crop production.

Analyze market conditions to determine acreage allocations.

Monitor environments to ensure maintenance of optimum animal or plant life.

Determine types or quantities of crops, plants, or livestock to be grown and raised, based on budgets, federal incentives, market conditions, executive directives, projected sales volumes, or soil conditions.

Determine, administer, and execute policies relating to operations administration and standards, facility maintenance, and safety.

Negotiate with buyers for the sale, storage, or shipment of crops or livestock.

Obtain financing for and purchase necessary machinery, land, supplies, or livestock.

Hire, supervise, and train support workers.

Direct and monitor trapping and spawning of fish, egg incubation, and fry rearing, applying knowledge of management and fish culturing techniques.

Devise and participate in activities to improve fish hatching and growth rates, and to prevent disease in hatcheries.

Conduct inspections to determine crop maturity or condition or to detect disease or insect infestation.

Direct crop production operations, such as planning, tilling, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting.

Direct the breeding or raising of stock, such as cattle, poultry, or honeybees, using recognized breeding practices to ensure stock improvement.

Coordinate the selection and maintenance of brood stock.

Replace chemical insecticides with environmentally friendly practices, such as adding pest-repelling plants to fields.

Supervise the construction of farm or ranch structures, such as buildings, fences, drainage systems, wells, or roads.

Prepare reports required by state and federal laws.

Provide information to customers on the care of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, and lawns.

Practice AI.Use your judgment.

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Practice AI.
Use your judgment.