Anyone Have Connections To The Farming Industry?

[Interested In Farming]

Hi!

My name's David and I currently live in Vancouver, BC.

I like hard, physical work (been tree planting and was recently working construction), and I want to try my hand at farm work.

I was wondering if anyone here works on a farm, or has friends or family who work on a farm, and might be able to get me into contact with a farm-connected individual.

I worked on my Uncle's Organic Farm for a while and it was fun.

I'd like to be doing that again, though working with animals would be great (my Uncle didn't have livestock, we just worked his small fields).

Thanks.

[CaptainQuint]

Go to the feed store or farm store in your area and look for a bulletin board where people post things to sell and such. Post your info and ask around. Get the word out in those areas that you're looking for work.

One thing that always worked for me to get my foot in the door in a new area was offering to work the week for free. If the farmer didn't like my work then he wasn't out anything. Yes, I was taken advantage once or twice for free work but it got my foot in the door with some good employers.

[tencubed]

We have a place in Washington State but are not currently hiring. Most smaller farms around here don't hire much help this time of year. Summer work is usually available but this time of year it's mostly just feeding cattle and working on equipment.

The idea of posting a message at the feed store is a good one, lot's of small communities also have a restaurant or two that the local farmer frequent for coffee and breakfast in the early mornings. Stop and visit with those folks as they are always ready to visit and can give you some ideas of who may need help.

We used to have a steady string of collage age kids stopping by each spring looking for summer work. Now it is seldom we have anyone stop by, makes me wonder if most young people are afraid to put forth much effort to get ahead. Glad to see you don't fall into that category.

[Interested In Farming]

Hi CaptainQuint!

That seems to me reasonable and I would volunteer my work for a week free, but, I live in Vancouver, and there aren't a whole lot of farms around.

Actually, I wanted to work on a farm in Alberta.
I was hoping for a change of scenery from the Mountains to flat plains.

I remember that volunteering to work for a free for a bit was a good way to get one's foot in the door when doing construction work too.

I think it's a good idea, but, I really would need to have a place to work and live at while in Alberta.

I'm a fit guy and a hard worker, so I don't see anybody having a problem with me when I get to it.

Hi tencubed!

Thanks for the thought!

It probably will be simpler for me to work in Canada anyways, seeing as I don't have to go through the trouble of getting a Work Visa or Green Card or whatever the appropriate documentation is called.

I think the idea of posting an Ad in the local feed shop is a good one too.
Just not too applicable in my case.

I'm not college age anymore.
Kind of old, I guess.
I'm 29. I guess that's old, but, I'm thinking that people should live at least to be 100, so thinking that way, I'm not yet a third through my life.

As for kids not wanting to work, my experience hasn't been that.

I planted trees for 2 seasons and the young people who showed up were willing to haul tushy to get those trees in the ground.

As for other kids...
y'know, if people are inspired, they will work their butts off.

Personally, I think it's just that for the past 2 or 3 generations, young people have come to realize that simple, monetary remuneration for work done just isn't enough.

It's not enough just to get "paid".
It's too hollow.
It doesn't make a person feel special.

Speaking for myself, I don't think of any job as just a "job".
That would drive me nuts.
I view my jobs as learning experiences to make me grow, to make me stronger, all with the greater goal of becoming an excellent human being and having a direct impact on making the world a better place.

Telling kids,
"Hey! You can look forward to slaving away 9-5, paying a brutal mortage off, probably getting divorced and being so tired by the time you retire, you can't enjoy it anyways."

If I thought like that (and I think too many poor kids do) I wouldn't want to work either.

Just my 2 cents (ok...more like 20 bucks. sorry. , _ , ... I have a lot to say)

David.

[Deputy_Swan]

I grew up on a large farm all my life and seen both sides of it, yeah it can be very rewarding financially, but some years it was not.. planting, harvesting times and hay making would put in average 14+ hour days 6 sometimes seven days a week weather permitting. Dairy Farm/Grain so everyday of the week there was work to be done, cows did not take off on holidays and still had to be milked. My dad worked on this farm my whole growing up and no longer works there, but does sometimes on weekends and part time to help out. When i make it home I go there and pull a shift or find something to do there becuase I miss it, but not enough to go back there full time! 400 Milk cow heard, average 600 feeder cattle, 5,000 acres of crop land and 1600 prairie... thus ATVS got good work outs lol.. the farm owner was big on Honda and we would go through average one four wheeler a year, like at the end of year it would be running funny if at all and leaking oil and bent/beat/scratched to hell... He has since wised up and got Polaris ATV/UTV s and those seem to be working out a little better then Honda.

next time i go back have to take some good pictures







Honda Rubicon:






Farms homeland security force, hybrid Holsteins:

[pwillie]

wHAT BREED IS THE DOG?

[Deputy_Swan]

Holstein


lol. no some Black lab and something else... not really sure

[Turfguy]

Kinda looks like your starting a new bread!!

[tencubed]

Kind of looks like Lab and that cat!

[KWhitelaw]

Keep an eye on agcareers.com it is mostly office or lab type work but have also seen on farm jobs posted. Good Luck.