Experience 04 / Agricultural operations
Winkler Ranch
Ranch Hand
Overview
Cattle operations, equipment operation, mechanical repair, and practical field testing in the environment where many independent projects were developed.
Contributions
- Performed cattle handling operations, including herding, sorting, and transport.
- Operated and maintained tractors, skid steers, and utility vehicles for feeding, fencing, and land management.
- Diagnosed and repaired mechanical systems to reduce operational downtime.
- Designed and field-tested practical tools for water systems, planting equipment, and electric fencing.
Related case studies
Projects inside the role.
3 detailed case studies
Winkler Ranch · Product redesign March — September 2024
Electric Fence Reel Parts
I redesigned a broken electric-fence reel's spool, ratchet, planetary gearbox, and latch, then printed and beta-tested the replacements in daily ranch use.
- Role
- Design, fabrication, and field testing
- replacement cost
- $102 → $25
- redesigned systems
- 4
Winkler Ranch · Agricultural design August — September 2024
Corn Seed Disc Meter
I designed and produced a six-slot PETG seed-meter disc that adapted a high-rate brush meter for an 8,000–10,000 seed-per-acre dryland corn target.
- Role
- Design, prototyping, and production
- singulation
- 90%
- skips in testing
- 0
Winkler Ranch · Geospatial prototyping September 2024
3D-Printed Ranch Elevation Map
I converted elevation data into a color-stepped physical terrain model that made gravity-fed water routes easier to evaluate from existing dams.
- Role
- Data preparation, fabrication, and route planning
- grass made accessible
- +30%
- estimated feed cost avoided
- $100k
Additional engineering work
Supporting projects and responsibilities.
- 01
Equipment Operations and Repair
Operated agricultural equipment, diagnosed field failures, completed repairs, and evaluated custom tools under real operating conditions.
Tools and methods
- CAD
- 3D printing
- Heavy equipment
- Mechanical repair
- Rapid prototyping