Where is everyone #5

I'd almost take a beating over playing painter.

 

She actually brings the cows to the barn, without a rider. I'm waiting for the picture of my daughter sitting on the cow to show up.

 

So what kind of pay rate do the farmers have? Is it enough to live on for a year? Do they have work for full time or is it just a part time job. Just curious.

I see these businesses with now hiring signs out and the never take them down. Well the pay is the first problem, it's 1990's rate and everything else has quadrupled in price. The second is the way they treat the employees, like pond scum. Third, oh why bother im sure it's because they are lazy and don't want to work, but that's not always the case.

 

Back in the mid 80's, 10 cents a bale was great money for square bales. 5 cents in the field and 5 cents to stack it in the barn. We were bummed when the farmers just left it on the wagon and parked it in the shed. There went half our profits.
20 years ago, we couldn't get high school kids for $10/hr.

You aren't kidding about putting anybody in equipment. My FIL has older equipment that has auto steer stuff on it. He tried to explain over the phone how to set it up. By the time we were done talking, I told him I'd just drive straight.

 

That's it right there.

Part of our remodel taking so long is the, "I've got this tore out, so I may as well fix this, and this, and this, and that.............."

 

Make sure you get a picture...I have no doubt it's gonna happen.

 

My exhaust manifold has slobber all down the block underneath..... That's new. Think I'll re-torque them bolts.

 

Kind of depends on a lot of factors. What you raise (crops, livestock, hay), how willing you are to diversify, how big your operation is, market conditions, fuel prices, seed prices, commodity prices, breakdowns, the list goes on. Many similarities to trucking.

I worked for several farmers growing up who had cows and crops. Another farmer I worked for had hay (2,000+ acres) and crops. My FIL had an alfalfa and corn/bean rotation. He farmed all spring, summer, and fall, then trucked hay in the winter to different feed yards and dairies. He basically had work year around. There's a lot of people in my area who run trucks to help the farm out. Some legally, others not so much.

The feed yard across the section sold 60,000 bushels of rye to another feed yard in Nebraska for $16/bushel a few years back. A lot of people hate rye. Once it starts, it's really hard to get rid of. These guys made #### good money on it.

 

If it's not one thing, it's another.

 

Farm truckin' is all I have done, some say I have done OK. Thing is if you really wanna work you learn to be versatile. 1990's rates is about twice what the average hand that doesn't have sense enough to poor piss out of a boot before runnin' his foot in it is worth. Or the first time they are told a rain is coming we gonna have to bend a few and burn the midnight oil, then it's cry time HOS etc. Find a good outfit be willing to ride for the brand, good and bad times. Not just when it suits you.