mommaduck Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 How does a teenage boy (16/17) go about seeking a job as a farmhand? How does one find out if a farmhand is needed? What things do you look for in a farmhand? Any and all information along this line is appreciated, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Does he attend a farmer's market? That's where we usually meet our farm friends. It's a pretty tight community, so if you put the word out, it shouldn't take long to get around. All of our friends are organic farmers. If he wants industrial/commercial farming...I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 He would have to go ask the farmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Find out who the good farmers are to work for. Fair wages, good environment, etc. Then have your son offer his services for one day for cheap like $20/day. Tell them in advance that If they like him they can hire him, or they can tell their friends that he was available to work and what kind of work ethic he has. If transportation is going to be a difficulty then you'll need to stick around where you live, otherwise, if he has his own car he can get out into the more rural areas he might pick up even more work. Check with clergy if they know of farmers who need a hand. Find out where the local farmer hang out for breakfast/coffee and have your son make friends with the waitress. Ask if you could drop off a resume or at least find out when they are usually in for coffee and stop by the table for a few minutes and tell them you are available. Come with a simple page of past work experience, hours available, contact info, etc. Check on the boards at the local feed stores, farm supply stores for people looking for workers. Be careful of the huge farms where they are constantly in need of help, it could be a sign of a bad work environment. We have one local guy who has to use a hiring service now to get kids from the city, because no rural kid will go within a mile of his place because they know what he is like. Be prepared to get dirty, real dirty. So bring an extra pair of clothes, socks, etc. Pack a lunch and lots of water. No matter how the farmer talks, keep your language clean. Don't look at his daughters and thank his wife and be really polite to her. At our farm, if I don't like the young man he is out of here. I have to feel safe and respected by him otherwise he doesn't last. If you don't know, ask. If you think you know, ask anyway. I want you alive and safe at the end of the day, not trying to just save face as I take you to the hospital. Make sure that your son has his health card, etc with him even just photocopied in his wallet, cause if something happens that info will be needed. We look for hard workers who don't whine. Seriously, I hope your son understand that we don't break every hour because it's hot. We would rather have someone ask questions and LISTEN to the answer then have someone interrupt us and tell us they got it - when they really don't understand. If we say show up at 8:45am that means be ready to work at 8:45am not be pulling in and then have to put on your work boots, use the washroom, stow your lunch, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Find a farmer and ask. The agricultural extension service is a great place to start, but don't overlook stables and chicken farms too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 My dad usually hired FFA or 4-H members who had some farm experience. It would be harder to find that kind of work if you don't already know any farmers through church or community groups and don't have any experience. But if he can prove himself a hard worker who's trainable and willing to learn, they'd be happy to have him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 We hire kids occ. to do things like strip horse stalls or put hay up in the loft. Lots of it is word of mouth. Not knowing where you live, is he interested more in the animal type farming or crop farming or fruits and veggies? The local coffee shop or co-op would be a good place to catch some farmers. I agree that the work is HARD and it is HOT and sometimes the work just HAS to be done then so the hours can get long----like trying to get hay in before the rain or get crops planted at a certain time. It might even be worth it to ask if farmer if he could shadow them for a week or so and learn what is involved and help out a bit before deciding if this is what he really wants to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 24, 2013 Author Share Posted August 24, 2013 We have no farmers in our church and our church is not local...we have to travel 30minutes to church. This kid is not afraid of hard work and, in fact, it is great with his personality. He doesn't care what kind of farm work...just outdoors, hard work, keep him busy, let him sweat. I don't know any farmers though we do have a farm supply store. We are relatively new to the area. This kid does not have any experience other than wandering the swamps of South Carolina, fishing, and working on a boat dock (we aren't in the county for boat docks) (this is not my son, but my nephew that now lives with me). He's a good kid that needs activity and would love to earn money in any way possible (he's been out snaking at night, but hasn't had any luck and the crawdad's that are in the pond next to us are ones that we were advised not to eat or sell for eating). He doesn't have a car...I would drive and being on time is not an issue as I was raised military; on time is late...early is on time. We don't have a local coffee shop. We have a town with two gas stations, a Subway, a Dollar General, a post office (with no board), a police station, and a car wash. There is a farm supply outside of town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Considering the fact that a lot of farmers and ranchers that I know these days are complaining about how hard it is to find a kid who genuinely wants to work, I'd sell myself that way-- "I don't know anything sir, but I want to learn and I know how to work." In addition to places already mentioned, I'd also do a little mingling at the local sale barn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 24, 2013 Author Share Posted August 24, 2013 How would I find a sale barn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Farmers around here would LOVE to have a hardworking boy, who knows not to wear a tank top and shorts when he's baling hay ;) . I saw on our local orchard's FB site they are looking for apple pickers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I made an ad on kijiji looking for my dd to get free riding lessons in exchange for farm chores, and I was contacted by a few people looking for a farm hand. But I that is not what we were looking for so we turned them down. All were willing to train her on anything just to have an able bodied teen ready for manual labor, which she was just not to that extent this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Stop at the local feed stores then or check out local farmer's markets I like the quote above about saying "I will work hard and am willing to learn". If you have any local 4H clubs you could check there. Is your local fair done for the year? We just had fair week and the barns are full of farmers that just might need some help--even if just for the week at fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 24, 2013 Author Share Posted August 24, 2013 Yes, the county Rice fair is already done and over. There are mostly corn and horses where we are at in the county. The nearest farmer's market is 30mins across two counties and they mostly have home grown tomatoes and little garden stuff...the rest is crafts or trade tables (nothing really unique from what I could see). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Go meet the rural mail person. Our mail lady knows everyone and can tell you who is good to work for and who to avoid. Also, she might be willing to spread the word as she runs into people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Around here, it's farmer's markets. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Truth be told, if we're talking about an inexperienced kid, I wouldn't get too hung up in who's good to work for and who isn't. Experience will be gained from both. And, if an employer IS a turkey, saying you managed to work for him for 6 months or whatever, is testament to one's diligence because other people will know he's hard to work for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Go meet the rural mail person. Our mail lady knows everyone and can tell you who is good to work for and who to avoid. Also, she might be willing to spread the word as she runs into people. Not our mail lady. As soon as she found out we were Orthodox instead of Baptist, she decided we weren't good enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommaOfalotta Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 He would have to go ask the farmer. :iagree: Seriously. Around here you just walk up to the farm :) The farmers market is a good idea , too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 2 of my kids were farmhands for about a year. Friends of ours from our co-op were looking for help that would not spend their time on their smart phones and get the job done. I'll tell you- they are both hard workers, out door types and it was the hardest job either of them have ever done. If all else fails, they could put an ad in the area paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrygal Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Best is just to go ask farmer, IMO. They'll be straight up if they need or want help. Ask friends, too, if they know anybody. Have him think of what kind of work he wants to do (milk cows, drive equipment for crop farming or feeding animals, working in a chicken barn, etc.) Make sure he wants to work hard! Farmers just want someone who is willing to learn and work hard at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erin Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 This thread is timely. Buck is actually starting a new ranch job tomorrow. A neighbor just sent his boy off to college a few weeks ago and is feeling the hole from that missing kid. lol My boy has been out of work since another neighbor finished a fence project, about 6 months ago, so he's pretty stoked about this. He has more than half of his school work for tomorrow already finished and has the rest of it scheduled in to Thursday and Friday. (His mother is a grump and told him school comes before work when you're 13! ;) ) Tomorrow is spraying trees on the river....at 100º+ But Buck knows that if he shines, he can work into haying, moving cows, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 This kid is willing to do school work just so he would be able to go work. He likes to get his hands dirty and keeping him busy is the BEST thing for him. I may have some leads finally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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