The Price of Arrogance
About seven kilometers northeast of the Brentwood cherry orchards, a vast, sprawling walnut farm stretched across the plains.
Brandon stepped out of his truck, his brow furrowed. As he unloaded the pressure chamber from the back of the truck, the scent of metal mingled with the breeze. It was a new piece of equipment—nearly the same model that Brian used.
He told himself he didn't need to learn anything from that Asian genius anymore.
“Today, it’s going to be perfect.”
Brandon connected the chamber to a walnut tree branch. After trimming the leaves and securing the rubber cap, he slowly increased the pressure, watching the gauge needle climb before recording the data in his notebook. His notebook was already filled with a graph showing consistent readings for the past week.
“See? I can do it too. Scientifically.”
A smile spread across his lips. The farming methods Brian had preached seemed old-fashioned at first, but applying them one by one had yielded clear results. The problem was that his father followed every word that young Asian man said without question.
“If that guy just says one word, my father changes everything...”
Brandon gritted his teeth. Even though he had inherited the farm, it felt as if the decision-making power still rested in the hands of that man, ‘Brian Choi.’
He acknowledged the guy’s ability to handle everything with ease, but he despised the way his father looked to that Asian man for every major decision.
He drove his truck around the entire farm. The walnut trees on the south-facing slope had lush, dark leaves, and unlike last year, the fruit drop rate had decreased. Everything looked good, and he was certain he was doing a great job.
However, when he arrived at the area where the laborers were gathered, the atmosphere was strange.
“What’s going on? Why is everyone just standing there?”
At his question, Luis, the veteran farm manager, took off his hat and spoke with a look of regret.
“Mr. Brandon... look over there.”
Where Luis pointed, walnuts lay scattered across the ground. The outer husks were scorched black, and some had their peels half-stripped away. When he picked one up, the shell crumbled, and the meat inside was stained pitch black.
“What is this...?”
“It looks like sunburn. The temperature has risen sharply since last week.”
“That’s impossible... the SWP is normal...”
Brandon hurriedly opened his notes. The Stem Water Potential (SWP) he had recorded daily was constant, and there were no kinks in the irrigation schedule. Yet, the trees were withering.
“Turn on more water! Increase the irrigation!”
His voice rose, but the laborers replied with even darker expressions.
“Understood. But that’s not all.”
Luis led him to another section of the orchard. There, the walnuts didn't just have scorched husks—they had holes in the kernels themselves. It was clearly the work of insects.
“Uh... this...?”
Tiny moths had laid eggs in the crevices of the shells, and the hatched larvae had eaten their way inside. Some were already starting to smell of rot.
“This makes no sense... I followed the pest control schedule perfectly...”
“It seems the timing was off. The rain ended early last month, and the sudden heat caused the pests to multiply all at once.”
Brandon sat down under a tree, dazed. The walnut husk residue on his fingertips fell to the ground. He glared at the SWP graph before finally crumpling the paper into a ball.
“What is all this... it was perfect...!”
The laborers watched him in silence. He had thought he was perfect with the moisture data, but he had failed to take the initiative in other areas of prevention. He hadn't been constantly monitoring how hot the sun was beating down, how dry the wind was, or whether pests were active.
His heart sank, and Brandon was overcome by a sense of dread. He rushed to his truck and pulled out his phone. His hands were shaking so hard he couldn't press the numbers correctly.
After a few beeps, the call connected.
“Father... something terrible has happened.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The walnuts... they’re all scorched. The husks are discolored, and there’s pest damage. Right now... I think half of it is ruined.”
His father must have been shocked, as a silence hung over the line for a moment. Then, a low, heavy voice followed.
“I see. I’m coming right over.”
Even after hanging up, Brandon stood there, dazed for a long time. In the distance, the sound of cicadas poured out, and there was no wind at all. In his field of vision, under the scorching red sunlight, the blackened walnut orchard rippled.
“I was sure I did it right...”
Brandon slowly dropped his head. He had followed that Asian guy’s lead to do things scientifically, but he was realizing for the first time that it meant nothing in the face of nature’s whims.
The vineyards of Ironwood Cellars. Having been acquired for a large sum and now part of Redwood Winery, the place was in the middle of a busy season due to canopy management.
The Cabernet Sauvignon was entering veraison—the period when grapes turn from green to purple. Since the thickness of the grape skin and the balance of acidity are determined during this time, controlling shade and light is crucial.
I lifted the leaves one by one with my gloved hands to check the direction of photosynthesis. If the leaves overlap too much, ventilation is blocked; if you remove too many, the grapes are exposed to direct sunlight and the skins get scorched.
“This row has had too many leaves removed. The clusters will burn like this.”
“Should we tie them back up then?”
“Yes. Lift them above the stems and tie them. Keep the sunlight to the sides, and avoid the top.”
The laborers moved according to my instructions. On a sunny afternoon, I checked the Stem Water Potential (SWP) with the pressure chamber. -11 bar. There was no water stress. The tree leaves were healthy, and photosynthesis was functioning well.
‘This is a perfect balance...’
I was writing in my work log while drinking water in the shade next to the trellis when the phone in my pocket vibrated. The name ‘Fredrick Harris’ appeared on the screen.
“Yes, Mr. Fredrick.”
“Brian, I’m sorry, but can you come over right now?”
“What’s the matter?”
“Haa, well... there’s a problem at the walnut farm. It looks like sunburn and pest damage. The laborers are in a panic, so could you come and take a look?”
Fredrick had been running a walnut farm for a long time. Naturally, if it were something he could solve, he wouldn't have sought me out, so the fact that he called meant the problem was serious.
“Please send me the location. I’ll be right there.”
“Right, thank you.”
I took off my gloves, hopped into my old pickup truck, and headed to the address Fredrick had sent. Before my regression, I had mostly stayed in university labs, so I didn't drive much, but now I felt like I was driving hundreds of kilometers a week.
It was my first time at the walnut farm, and when I arrived at the entrance, Chloe and Brandon were standing there alongside Fredrick. Brandon’s face was pale and stiff, suggesting the problem was quite severe.
As soon as Fredrick saw me, he grabbed my hand and shook it.
“Thanks for coming, Brian.”
“You said the condition was serious.”
I glanced at Chloe; usually, she would have been relentlessly criticizing her brother for failing to manage the farm, but she was keeping her mouth shut. I couldn't tell if she was just uninterested because it wasn't my farm anymore.
As we entered the farm and went deeper, the problems on some of the trees became obvious. The leaves of the affected walnut trees looked scorched, the uppermost veins were already turning brown, and dark brown spots were spreading across the walnut husks.
Fallen fruit lay scattered at our feet. Looking closely, there were holes in the surface.
“This is completely scorched.”
“Is it sunburn?”
“That’s part of it, but... there are pests too. It looks like the Navel Orangeworm.”
I split a walnut in half. The inside was hollow. It was a trail left by the larvae eating through it. I turned to Brandon.
“Did you do any leaf thinning recently?”
“Yeah, to improve ventilation... I removed a lot.”
I nodded.
“That’s the cause of the sunburn. You might have improved ventilation, but the shade is gone. Under the summer sun, shade acts as a protective barrier. Especially on days like today, when it’s over 35 degrees...”
Currently, the California region was experiencing occasional heatwaves, with some days even exceeding 40 degrees.
“But the SWP was normal, and I matched the moisture...”
“SWP only tells you the moisture status. It can’t prevent heat stress. The problem is the canopy.”
“......”
“And when did you apply pest control?”
“Two weeks ago. It was so hot, I finished it early.”
“You were too late. This is the time when they hatch from eggs. Besides, the eggs mature much faster in this heat.”
Brandon’s expression twisted painfully.
“Then is this all... my fault?”
His voice, stripped of words, sank like a shadow. I shook my head with a regretful look.
“Everyone goes through this when farming. The important thing is knowing the reason. That way, you don't repeat the same mistake.”
But Fredrick knew that was just something I said to comfort Brandon. And comfort doesn't help solve problems.
Fredrick asked in a low voice.
“Then what should we do right now?”
“First, you need to restore the canopy. Tie the branches together and install partial shading nets over the fruit. If you block the direct sunlight for even two or three hours in the afternoon, the damage will be significantly reduced. And use micro-irrigation nozzles under the canopy only twice a day, at 10 AM and 3 PM. Humidity control is important.”
However, seeing my face stiffen, Fredrick asked with a sense of foreboding.
“What about pest control?”
“Hmm...”
As I couldn't easily open my mouth, I could see Brandon’s face turning even paler.
“Why? Is there no way?”
“For now... the pests are nocturnal, so spray the insecticide at dawn tomorrow. It’s too hot right now, so it won't be effective.”
“I’ll do that. But complete pest control will be difficult, right?”
He knew. Having farmed walnuts for a long time, he knew the situation was serious just by hearing ‘Navel Orangeworm,’ but he seemed to be hoping I might suggest some other method.
“Yes. As you know, if holes start appearing in the walnuts, it’s already... too late to start pest control. You have to focus on minimizing the spread and reducing the damage as much as possible.”
The fact that there were holes in the walnuts meant the pests had laid eggs, and those eggs had hatched, allowing the larvae to enter the husks. From this stage on, even if you spray insecticide, the medicine won't reach them.
Even if you can't see them now, countless pests were likely laying eggs and boring into the walnuts. Therefore, even if you spray insecticide now, a dramatic turnaround is unlikely.
“I see... alright, I understand.”
I wanted to help, but even with my knowledge from before the regression, there wasn't much I could do in this situation. This is why it’s said that when you see the bugs with your own eyes while farming walnuts, you’ve already lost the war.
Fredrick patted Brandon’s slumped shoulders once, then gathered the laborers and gave them orders.
“Thanks for coming all this way.”
Chloe had a bitter expression. I looked at Brandon’s back as he trudged after the laborers and said, as if it were a new realization.
“You’re not fighting with your brother today? You used to be like... you know.”
“I want to say a lot of things, but... the farm is like this. My brother must be the one who’s most upset.”
“Wow... you’re even empathizing with a farmer’s heart now. You’ve completely changed.”
“Is that so?”
She tilted her head and chuckled.
“It certainly is. In the past, I would have lashed out. I would have said it happened because he was stupid and lazy. But seeing the farm, I can’t say that. What do I do...”
I patted Chloe on the shoulder.
“Farming can’t always be a success. You learn from failure and achieve success. Brandon will grow. The walnut harvest will be better from next year.”
“Will my brother really be able to grow like that?”
“...... Who knows. That’s why you can never let your guard down in farming. Keep that in mind.”
“... Ah, yes!”
Chloe pouted at my final warning.