carlsoncl - 11/27/2014 09:31

In high school I worked for my dad, a neighboring dairy, and as a mechanic at our local Chevrolet Dealership. They all treated me well.
I have worked as a hired man on a 6000 head feed yard (summers in collage) He paid me well. He worked me to the bone.....Paid for sophomore year at SDSU in 3 months plus some spending money.
I worked as a envelope machine adjuster for 3 years. Pay got better and benefits were decent, Shift work was not for me........I hated it.
Then the last job I had was working for Farm Credit Services of America. Pay and benefits were excellent, the work environment was great and the people I worked with were outstanding. The stress level was just unreal. I was the lead crop insurance salesman for 3 offices. After 9.5 years of that I could not do it any more (was feeding 650 head cattle and farming 500 acres when I quit......I did have a part time hired man)

I know some of you on here have never left the farm..........Have never been an employee. Being someone's employee would change a lot of perspectives.

To keep a good hired man is very hard, too find a good hired man is impossible, to let one go because you don't have enough work for him/her is a management decision.........to let a good one go over a few $$$$ is just stupid. Let your good man go over a few $$$$ and hire some flunkie that wrecks more equipment in a month than his annual salary is what you'll get. IMO When my hired man gets back from boot camp and AIT....We are going to start a small cow heard say 40 cows that will be owned 50/50 between him and my 10 year old son.......gives them both some ownership and a vested interest in something. I will carry the note and write up a contract to both of them repayment will be the calves. I am hoping the hired man I have today is still here when my son is in charge and I'm the one off buying cattle....he is a keeper for sure.