# Field Notes No. 5

By Jeff Stowell · 2026-04-30 · Insights

> I'm revamping Field Notes... but the reading pile has grown too large and you really need to start working your way through it or you're going to get behind! Cheers.

# Field Notes No. 5

I'm re-working how Field Notes comes together after getting some valuable feedback from you, dear readers. More on that soon. In the meantime the backlog of "Something I'm Reading" is becoming unwieldy. So...

## Something(s) I'm Reading

This [piece from Slate about the collapse of the Florida citrus industry](https://slate.com/business/2026/04/florida-state-orange-food-houses-real-estate.html) from citrus greening disease is shocking.

> In 2003, the mighty Florida orange industry produced [242 million boxes of fruit](https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/10439-the-demise-of-orange-juice?p=1#:~:text=Orange%20production%20in%20the%202003%2D04%20season%20was,record%20after%20244%20million%20boxes%20in%201997%2D98.), with 90 pounds of oranges per box, most of which went on to become orange juice. Now, not even 25 years later, the United States Department of Agriculture was forecasting a pitiful [12 million boxes of oranges](https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Florida/Publications/Citrus/Citrus_Forecast/2025-26/cit0126.pdf), the least in more than 100 years, the worst year since last. A decline of more than 95 percent.

* * *

A professional web-scraper [left a computer open to the Internet and this is what happened](https://arman-bd.hashnode.dev/i-left-port-22-open-on-the-internet-for-54-days-here-s-who-showed-up). This is easily the most fascinating thing I've read in quite a while. The internet is ALIVE... and dangerous. This is what happened in just 54 days!

![Screenshot 2026-04-30 at 2.46.03 PM.png](https://xgbjnrbbeyobvyshlkxg.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/content/1777581982774-r4kdhgn1vnl.png)

* * *

Finally, I was reminded this week of [this "Handle Hard Better" speech from Duke Basketball Head Coach Kara Lawson](https://youtu.be/oDzfZOfNki4) and I found it inspiring (again). And also I got to show it to my kid so he could roll his eyes at me.

* * *

I should have a revamped Field Notes for you beginning next week! Until then....

/JLS

---

Canonical URL: https://hayseedcapital.com/blog/field-notes-5
Site: The Hayseed (https://hayseedcapital.com) — writing, coaching, teaching, and early-stage investing by Jeff Stowell. Operated by Hayseed Capital, LLC, Park City, Utah.