Capital [work] — Seasonal Working

Ninety days. That meant if she delivered cherries in July, she wouldn't get paid until October. No factoring company would touch a 90-day invoice without crushing fees. And no bank would lend against a contract that took a third of a year to pay out.

"Start a reserve fund in the fall. Take the cash from your harvest and set aside 20% in a separate account. Don't touch it. Use it next spring instead of me. You'll lose the opportunity cost of that cash sitting idle for six months, but you'll gain control." seasonal working capital

Dante Mercado ran a small, aggressive factoring firm called "Harvest Bridge Capital." He wore sharp boots and a sharper smile. He didn’t care about her tractors or her land. He cared about her receivables—the contracts she already had with three regional grocery chains for the July cherry harvest. Ninety days

She signed. The money hit her account at 8:14 AM the next day. By noon, the pump was whirring. By dusk, the first seasonal crew from Oaxaca was setting up tents in the bunkhouse. And no bank would lend against a contract