Here are some pre-thinning, thinning, and post-thinning pictures from the candycot orchard. Pre thinning counts average over thousands of fruit per tree! Post thinning, only hundreds of fruit remain per tree. If we don't do thinning, overcrowding results in inferior quality of fruit (small size, bruises, etc.).
Farming is not easy, not pretty, not wildly profitable. And I had no prior experience; then, why did I even get into it? I believe I felt a connection. Plus the challenge excited me - To be a successful farmer nowadays, one has to be equal parts entrepreneur and agronomist. As I dug into it, I also found farming to be fulfilling. That's how I branched into agriculture, as the Sanskrit aphorism "Vriksho Rakshati Rakshitaha" (Trees, when protected, protect you) took on a new meaning for me.