# Feeling pretty gnarly right now!



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Between this super cool spring, wet weather, and several hired help letting me down, I getting pretty down in the dumps.

First, we've had quiet few weird weather years in a row, but this year has taken the cake. 44 this morning! Cloudy, a lot of little rains, but the ground is dry--not enough rain to account, but enough that it keeps me from taking care of my hay.

Second, bumper crop of hay, more acres than I need, can't get to it, can't sell it.

Third, two youngsters that were "helping" have become no-shows. This is a first for me! But it seems that people in the last year say they will, then don't--and I'm hearing this from other farmers and businesses in my area.

I attribute the help problem to the government policies over the last two years, so, I'm taking the attitude if you don't want to work now, you won't work for me in the future. If you don't want to do a good job, don't show up.

I've already figured out one way to save the employee expense because the person didn't show up--which I guess was a blessing in disguise.

I now need to figure out other ways to get the jobs done without relying on any more help than is absolutely necessary.

Bottom line--I'm pretty tired of BS, or, to quote a famous movie: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Enough for the moment.

Ralph


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

Many of the fast food places around here are having the same problem. Sometimes it can be a 15 minute wait because they're shorthanded, and other times they will just close up and go home.


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## mstuck21 (Oct 4, 2019)

That sounds like quite the unfortunate start to the season Ralph. Hoping it improves for you quickly.

The labor issue is one we know all too well with trying to get help on our vegetable side of things. For the last several years we haven't known how many worker we will have on any given day until they show up and get out of the car.

Our great state of Illinois is going to $15 Per hr minimum wage regardless of what the rest of the country does and everyone thinks more $$ will motivate people to work. I can tell everyone first hand that offering our workers/high school guys more cash as a form of motivation has only cost us more money. Lazy people who are horse$hit workers aren't magically going to become employees of the month. I had a couple high school cowboys want to help a couple years ago who were all in way over their heads. I told them if you aren't going to do it right I'll go to burger king myself and get you an application. They lasted a month.

We look at the cash we spend every year on labor and wonder if it was worth it? I tell dad no one cares if we take in 1 million dollars if it costs us $950k to do it. At those margins we might as well be a greeter at Walmart and be home for dinner.

Sadly I'm confident it's going to get worse before it gets better.


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## MTB98 (Feb 13, 2021)

A local Facebook chatter site recently had a posting up looking for someone to pickup square bales out of a field for $20/hour. It took them quite awhile to find someone. If I was teenager I would have been all over that.


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

I was doing that work for $4 an hour and thought I was doing pretty good. Early 90s.


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## mstuck21 (Oct 4, 2019)

Problem is every high school guy around here wants/does have a power stroke, duramax or Cummins ... I'm not that old but I was just happy to have wheels.

I was lucky and had an late 80s square body Chevy that I worked to pay for with a little lift and fancy wheels. Cleaned up real nice and thought I was the cats meow. When I got married I tried to sell it and had a heck of a time finding a taker. Practically gave it away. High school guy who works for us drives twice the truck I have now. Something wrong with this picture.


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## ttazzman (Sep 29, 2019)

cold...hot...drought....too wet....labor issues....equipment issues....buyer issues...fuel prices...fert prices....insects....animals......diseases.....the struggle is real

.....the choice is that or go work at MacDonalds


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## mstuck21 (Oct 4, 2019)

Agreed with the list of potential pitfalls .. after a while you kinda get used to the pain of hay making.. if you want some real agony plant vegetables! 

There’s just something about labor issues that eats at a guy worse than most of the others on the list.

Weather - can’t control it
Weeds/Bugs - there’s a spray for that
Equipment Issues - all you need is $$$

But labor problems are 10 out of 10 times just someone being lazy, greedy or unreliable. Really becomes magnified and personal when it begins to effect the way you make your money.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Ox, I'll take you one lower, I was doing it for 1.80-2.00 in the late 60s. I gave up on the hay labor issue here 20 years ago. We have a rural subdivision, probably 15-20 families next door. Many teenage boys there in the last 20 years. Not one would think of doing hay. It's parents that are too well to do and give their kids too much money with no expectation of work ethic that's the real problem. Remember when you thought you lost farm labor to cushy jobs at fast food? Those folks are steadily being replaced by technology. At least robots don't spit on hamburgers! I am 72, and one of the last guys in my county doing small squares. Very few large squares but rolls everywhere.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I understand your thoughts perfectly. I started working at a tavern for 25 cents a day, filling beer coolers, sorting bottles, etc., at about 11. I graduated to doing hay, hoeing beans, shoveling manure, etc., for $1/hour.

Moved to Chicago in 1967 and got a job for $3/hr--thought I was in hog heaven!!!

I recall getting a nickel an hour raise and my wife and I celebrated like we won the lottery!

I've been thinking about several ideas on the labor issue:
1) If you don't want to work for me now, I won't hire you when you get hungry and come begging for a job! 
2) What would it take to mount a robot arm on a trailer and have it load/unload small square bales?
3) How could I put wet hay in "totes" (the 4x4x4 bags that is sometimes used for seed delivery) and have it keep?

I keep thinking but I've got too many things to think about nowadays.

Ralph


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I must admit that I am growing weary of square bales.....and I even am contemplating going to beans and corn in suitable areas for two reasons. To cut down on my work load and to see if I can starve out a quack grass infestation that is getting out of hand on a 35 acre parcel. I have even considered planting walnut trees on some lands for my grandchildren to harvest near their retirement age.....provided they or their parents don't sell out beforehand. 😉 I could easily prevent that but I suppose it really doesn't matter after I step away.

Regards, Mike


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Vol said:


> I must admit that I am growing weary of square bales.....and I even am contemplating going to beans and corn in suitable areas for two reasons. To cut down on my work load and to see if I can starve out a quack grass infestation that is getting out of hand on a 35 acre parcel. I have even considered planting walnut trees on some lands for my grandchildren to harvest near their retirement age.....provided they or their parents don't sell out beforehand. 😉 I could easily prevent that but I suppose it really doesn't matter after I step away.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I'm considering things similarly. My cousin and I, average age 77, are slowing down a touch. Half-days (12 hours) are getting a little tougher to handle.

Ralph


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