Steer Planet - Show Steers and Club Calves Forum

I have never had help on the farm, but am considering having someone help us feed and do some farm chores for us.  It would only be an hour a day at the most, but really most days only long enough to feed in one or two barns.

I know a guy looking for odd jobs and work who said he would be glad to help, but what does something like this pay, or what should it pay?

In my area part time work pays 10-12 per hour.  Be sure and call your insurance agent and let him know you are adding some part time labor.  In most states and on most farm policies you can add an employers liability onto your farm policy for a very limited amount of premium.

Same thing here in Saskatchewan, Canada.  If you want to work and are reliable you can get a job with a good wage, especially in any of the trades involved with construction.  Everyone I talk to, that owns a business, would be happy to find people that are hard workers and reliable, they don't care if you have the skills, they would be glad to train you.  I know a dry wall contractor that is paying his men $44.00/hour.

I agree with this. It is not hard to find good employment here in Southern Saskatchewan either. I was talking with a young guy a few days ago, who works driving a truck for a Gravel and Sand company here. He told me he made $120,000 last year. One of my friends owns a Plumbing business and he has gone from 8 employees 5 years ago to 32 workers today, and he tells me they can't keep up with the work and have to turn down new work on a daily basis.He has been bringing  workers in from Britain because he  can't find enough here.  I hear ads on the radio for electricians needed for a potash  mine expansion. The radio ad says they are looking for 600 electricians and the starting wage is $120,000 annually, with full medical benefits and 6 weeks of holidays each year from year 1. In my home town I would guess that there are help wanted signs in the windows of at least half the businesses. I have a friend who started selling real estate here 9 years ago. He recently told me that home prices have increased $250,000 in  the 9 yars he has been selling. A home that sold for $50,000 9 years ago ( that had been properly maintained) would sell today for $300,000. Likewise, a home that sold for $250,000 9 years ago would bring $500,000 or more today. 

There is so much new building going on that it is incredibly hard to find anyone to do repair work. I was 6 years  finding someone to replace the roof on our barn, and I was about to give up trying when I finally got the job done. The economy here is booming, which is a good thing, but it does bring a new set of problems. If you can find a good farm worker, you should consider yourself very fortunate and you better be willing to pay them properly, or they will move on. It is virtually impossible to even find a highs school kid to come and help part time getting cattle ready for a show or sale. You end up doing it all yourself. They all have part time jobs it seems.