Wanted: Hired hand to work on our farm. Should be in good health,
preferably young, mechanically inclined, good with animals, hopefully with a
CDL (Commercial Driver's License), experienced in driving tractors, able to quickly absorb new technology and
apply when needed. You should be able to
follow instructions, and there might be some yard work and wood cutting
involved during off-peak seasons.
Any takers? That’s
who we are looking for here at our farm, and a person who meets all or at least
most is very hard to find.
20-30 years ago, we might not have had such trouble, but it
is getting harder and harder to find someone who will commit to the strange
hours, often time hot/cold/wet/dry weather conditions, and like-mindedness of my
farmer.
Why are we looking? I
suppose if you know that we farm 1800 acres and feed out 130 cattle for beef
production, you would think we need at least ten people to get it all
done. With today’s new, larger equipment
and ground management methods, it really can be done by two people IF both are
young, healthy, and have no other obligations.
Grandpa and I are the ones looking. The girls are getting busier, and we both are
getting older. The girls are still a bit
young to drive the tractors; although I know some kids out there are sitting in
the driver’s seat. We do have a
gentleman or two to help out during the crazy parts of planting and harvest,
but Tall Guy carries the brunt of all the work, and this is his last year to be
on the UP side of the hill. Grandpa and
I are already working our way careful down the other side of it. Remember what happened when I tried to climb up our bins? (This link includes a great view of the ground we farm around the house!)
We are lucky, though, to have one of TG’s cousin's sons come out to
help and learn. It’s fun to sit back and
watch Tall Guy teach this young man, we will call him YJK (young Jedi Knight) about the “behind the
scenes” aspects of farming, like making a new hot wire fence to go around our
new addition. He’s also great at
scooping out bins (Grandpa and I are especially happy about that!), and he is
learning about filling semi’s and taking care of the cattle. The only thing is he is a bit too young to
have his CDL, the license needed to operate a semi. Yeah, don’t look at me! I can usually drive them around the barn lot
and a bit down the road if we are in a pinch, but I have enough road rage driving in Lafayette and
surrounding areas in my van. I don’t
think anyone wants to see me coming down US 52 from the top of the hill in West
Lafayette, over the Wabash, and in to Lafayette proper!
1800 acre farms are not as big as they sound if you have
the right set of work skills to cover all your needs. So we will keep on looking for the
mysterious, elusive, CDL carrying hired hand, AND continue to work with YJK. A lot of promise he has!
Yes, good hired men are hard to find! Good luck with your search!
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