I came in tonight grabbed a kitchen fork and stuck it the calender. It's Done, finally ! The major part of the farming is over for 2000 and I wish I was a piece of equipment. Just change my fluids, park me, and don't even look at me till Febuary. It was a good year for crops--bad year for prices. I took way too much work on and help was hard to find, actually it was non-existant. I spent very little to no time on/with my family and that is the last year for that.

I'm going to spend a week with my wife and try and remember just why I do it. I'm going to write that article and mail the pictures of that grain mill that I promised Steve two months ago. However, that is farming. I don't know why people say--"Be a farmer, you only have to work 3 months a year"--but I sure fell for that myth, years ago. Anyway, Thank God for the great season--Thank's Uncle Sam for nothing !

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), October 08, 2000

Answers

Hi Joel! Yea!! Enjoy your time with your family and this time of rest (probably not enough, but its something!). God Bless! Wendy

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), October 09, 2000.

Joel, You're lucky you can even take some time off. Enjoy it.

I want to comment on your help problem. We have a small home based business and we can't keep help at all. If someone stays for a month it is a miracle. This work is not rocket science, it is just physical labor, but not back breaking. Mostly we get people who work for two weeks and then simply disappear. One time a worker got stung by a bee and walked off the job without even coming back for his pay.

We talk to others in the area and they are all having this problem. Construction bosses can't get anyone to work unless they promise them more than the going wage, a 401K, medical insurance, gas money, and lunch. Then they work for two weeks and say the work is too hard and they leave or hit themselves with a hammer and go on disability. We are appalled at the lack of work ethic in this country in this day and age.

My husband works at physical labor from sun up to sundown and is truly exhaused. He can't take time off much because he has made obligations to people who depend on him.

I have a son who hires people for an office setting type job in Colorado. He says he has to promise bonuses to the employee simply for arriving on time every day! If he doesn't, the employee comes in late and leaves early. It is so outrageous.

Your comment struck a nerve. Sorry if I went off. But I think sometimes that I wish Y2K did happen to make these sluff offs get some idea that a good day's work is important for their own value to themselves. But I guess the government would have simply handed out bread to these people.

Mary

-- Mary in East TN (barnwood@preferred.com), October 09, 2000.

hire help what a joke!! we also own our own company, we go through help faster the mc donalds. so far this year our employee count is around 10 most stayed 1 week then off they went. we are very seasonal so the 40hr. work week is not an option. we had a 16 yr. old tell us he wanted 18$ an hour +time and 1/2 + 1 week paid vacation, gas money , money for work shoes and a monthly bonus... sure get right on that one. our best guy{ha ha} lasted 3 months had to be picked up and dropped off everyday could not drive and ended up in jail 2x and ended up stealing money from his sister ,he wanted an advance to her back,we said no so he is now awaiting trial. we cant find good help if our lives depended on it! i sure hope my kids grow up w/ better values then the scum we run into.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), October 09, 2000.

Joel, Be glad you don't live where I do. My wife has decided to build the walkway grid , high production gardenspot, complete with greenhouse rafters and vertical training supports. I have to build the hothouse control. Her plan: 12 month produce yield. By this time next year I'll be planting winter crop seedlings. Scary part is that it'll work, so this will be my last end of season vacation.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 09, 2000.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You and your family have been in my daily prayers, hope you don't mind. Have a wonderful week with your wife, you both deserve it. Why do you do it? My unsolicited answer would be, (don't holler too loud now) you love farming. Love & blessings to all...

-- Phyllis (almostafarm@yahoo.com), October 09, 2000.

Is it really that way everywhere? We are also in NE TN, and I thought it was maybe regional, not being able to hire workers. We've tried several times (at least we did in the first year), to hire help to build our house. Most would come for a day, sometimes a week or two. Some of them have even become good friends, but can't hire them to work. The best guy we had was just 20-ish with a 16 year old wife, baby, and one on the way. He was really smart, worked very hard, good to talk to, but...demanded to be paid daily, and if they spent it without buying gas, they'd come and ask for gas money in advance. We lasted about a month before we got tired of babysitting these "adults". We haven't hired anyone since. Maybe I was just out of touch with our society after being military for so long.

Joel--rest when you can. I've got to build fence this winter.

-- Teresa (otgonz@bellsouth.net), October 09, 2000.

just wait if bush gets elected in 6 mos. you can hire all the help you need for mim.wages. pay is usually the only reason you cant hire anyone. Bob in s.e.ks.

-- Bob Condry (bobco@hit.net), October 09, 2000.

Same help situation here. Fairly high unemployment, but help is dang hard to find and good, reliable help is extremely difficult. For most of the summer I used a guy who would work for me on Monday- Wednesday, then he worked for someone else Thursday-Saturday. That is, when he showed up. I knew he was shorting me hours since he was doing unsupervised work on the farm. Twice saw him in town when he was suspose to be repairing fences. Tried to keep him until all the fences were repaired, but finally told him I didn't need him any longer. Who knows what next year will bring.

If you pay in cash, make sure they understand $7 in cash is about $10 at another job since no deductions are taken out.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), October 10, 2000.

Joel, enjoy your rest! As for the people who say farmers only work three months...they are probably the same ones who say "Own your own business! It's easy!" Lies, lies and more lies! Yes, you can move your schedule around a bit, but due to the media and governmental socialist influences, seems like most people feel they are OWED a great wage and that paying your dues is a two week process.

It's almost impossible to get good help. I have had several 20-24 year old guys come to work for me and they seem to thinkt hat they should be making $10 an hour or more when they don't know how to do the job and my personal hourly wage annually works out to about $2.50- $3.00. Pretty funny! Oh well, I think it just proves that if you want something done right you have to do it yourself.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), October 10, 2000.

<<--"Be a farmer, you only have to work 3 months a year"--but I sure fell for that myth, years ago>>

Joel, I think they meant that you will work 3 months IN A WEEK. :-) Still praying for our farmers in this area...

-- Terri Miller (tchr4hm@juno.com), October 10, 2000.

Hi Joel, glad the crops are in ! We are still trying to get the rest of the second cutting hay done, it rains every little bit, usually when my husband takes time off from trucking (we own our equipment at least taking time off is possible!) and proceeds to be 80 degrees and sunny for 5 days straight when he got a load to California and will be out for a week or two! This is better than the last three years of drought however! At least there is plenty of hay to bale now! We have had the best luck with hiring homeschooled teenagers for hay,yard,fence and other general farm chores, none of the local high school boys wanted to mess with hay, we square bale, and it is hard work, but you'd think they would be used to that, we are in a very rural area of SE Ohio, at the edge of the Alleghenys, and you would think that hillbilly boys wouldn't be afraid of hard work! Also, we have had good luck with using Amish workers, however, you usually have to arrange transportation for them, but it's worth it. Enjoy your time off. Annie in SE Ohio.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), October 10, 2000.