Farm Labor

[Cedarmoore]

I am planning on having a small cattle operation, about 50 cows, next year. I would like to barter rent on a farm house for experienced farm labor. The house would rent for around $400 per month, so I would probably expect an average of 10 hour per week labor. I just posted an ad in classified section. Does anyone know of other publications or websites where I could post ads? I have also asked friends and neighbors to ask around.

Has this type of arrangement worked out for other board members? Or is it the same routine where you rent a place, they tear it up, steal everything, and move out with a 24 hour notice? Just looking for a little advice and life experiences that y'all have had. Thanks.

 

[kerley]

Most of the time you won't even get the 24 hour notice

 

[somn]

I would like to barter rent on a farm house for experienced farm labor. The house would rent for around $400 per month, so I would probably expect an average of 10 hour per week labor.

Around here you will never get experienced farm labor for $10.00 per hour. Even the idiots who can't make change at McDonalds even when the register does it for them will make more than that here.

 

[JMichal]

I would like to barter rent on a farm house for experienced farm labor. The house would rent for around $400 per month, so I would probably expect an average of 10 hour per week labor.

Around here you will never get experienced farm labor for $10.00 per hour. Even the idiots who can't make change at McDonalds even when the register does it for them will make more than that here.

Thats right. One of the reasons I left MN in !993 is because the cost of living there. That same house probably rents for at least 1000/mo. A 2 bedroom Apt within 1 hr from twin cities is 700/mo. That place eats money. I had my own buisness there and barely made ends meet. Moved to NW Ark and 15 years later am very comforatable. Due to cost of living.

 

[larryshoat]

One of the best things you can do is have them agree to let you run a credit check, that will eliminate a lot of trouble .

Larry

 

[tncattle]

Where are you located?

 

[Cedarmoore]

Where are you located?

I sent you a PM

 

[hillrancher]

You will most likely get your rent if you rent the house for $ and pay them if they work for you. The arrangement you want never has worked for me.

 

[GMN]

house would rent for around $400 per month, so I would probably expect an average of 10 hour per week labor

10 hours a week, to work on a farm, seems like it would be more hours to do the work. I have heard of arrangements like these, but I think the house is included along with a certain wage, that could be for a full time herdsmen or milker supervisory position.

GMN

 

[JD5210]

Iam a land lord and the landlord normally gets the short end of the stick. Better to just rent the house and hire hands as needed. Of course renters are different but hard to find good ones just like help. Also Iam no tax expert maybe someone can chime in if there is any difference on the taxes with the proposed arrangement. Good luck, I got a tore up place now...

 

[Jogeephus]

I will agree there are a lot of deadbeats in the world but there are also a lot of good people who have had a bad stroke of luck and would appreciate the opportunity of a job and a place to live. I know of four people who have such an arrangement and for the most part the people living in the houses are assets to the farms with most being treated as family. I guess it really just depends on the person. There are some good people out there. Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[TXBobcat]

Yes, it could work, but you have to find the right person.

I am in nearly the exact same situation as you describe (money/house wise), except I am on the other side of the table. I am the hired hand instead of the landlord/ranch owner.

Initially I moved to the ranch to lease a small amount of acerage and a house; however, in addition to my town job, I have ended up managing a registered herd. The owner's primary residence is not on the ranch, and he is probably a 70% absentee owner. Shortly after I moved here, he asked if I would be willing to look after some cows, and I said sure, I could handle that. Shortly thereafter he got into the Registered Longhorn business.

Now my duties include:
- Keeping all records on registered cattle
- Developing and maintaining ranch website
- Winter feeding - putting out hay and caking cattle
- Fence repair, and new fence construction
- All welding jobs - Built new set of pens with medina hinge to restrain Longhorns
- Branding and vaccinating cattle
- Weaning calves
- Shredding pasture in summer
- Plowing and planting oats
- Clearing brush with JD 450C dozer
- Delivering cattle and handling customers questions

I sure ain't doing it for they money because sometimes I think I am working for less than $1.00 hr, but I enjoy the ranching way of life and I believe it is a good way to bring up my daughters.

 

[Brute 23]

Depending on where you are will depend on the labor.

Down here you can get an all out cowboy for $2K a month.

I would offer the house and like $1K and work them a regular 40 hour week. Find some thing else to make money they can do. Plant pecan trees and make them sell them on the side of the road or some thing.

 

[Cedarmoore]

Thanks for all the feedback. At one time my farm had three houses that I rented out. One house was right on the road and I sold it after a couple of years of renting it. I let my sister live in another. The other was rented until a few weeks ago. The last time I rented the house that my sister is in, I rented it for three years to same couple for $350 a month. After they moved, I had to spend about $10,000 to get it back in the same shape it was before they moved in. I think I have lost less money raising cattle. Anyway, I just thought I would try something different with this house and just wanted to know if this arrangement had worked out for some of y'all. I have been talking to a couple of very good prospects from my ad in the classified section. If this doesn't work out, I have neighbor with a bulldozer who can take care of my problem for $65 per hour. Again, thanks for the advice.

 

[john250]

Thanks for all the feedback. At one time my farm had three houses that I rented out. One house was right on the road and I sold it after a couple of years of renting it. I let my sister live in another. The other was rented until a few weeks ago. The last time I rented the house that my sister is in, I rented it for three years to same couple for $350 a month. After they moved, I had to spend about $10,000 to get it back in the same shape it was before they moved in. I think I have lost less money raising cattle. Anyway, I just thought I would try something different with this house and just wanted to know if this arrangement had worked out for some of y'all. I have been talking to a couple of very good prospects from my ad in the classified section. If this doesn't work out, I have neighbor with a bulldozer who can take care of my problem for $65 per hour. Again, thanks for the advice.

$65/hr is a bargain, IMO.

 

[Crowderfarms]

One of the best things you can do is have them agree to let you run a credit check, that will eliminate a lot of trouble .

Larry

I'd have them run through NCIC. My family had some folks in a tenant house for years. If it was not nailed down, it was prone to disappear.

 

[JMichal]

Thanks for all the feedback. At one time my farm had three houses that I rented out. One house was right on the road and I sold it after a couple of years of renting it. I let my sister live in another. The other was rented until a few weeks ago. The last time I rented the house that my sister is in, I rented it for three years to same couple for $350 a month. After they moved, I had to spend about $10,000 to get it back in the same shape it was before they moved in. I think I have lost less money raising cattle. Anyway, I just thought I would try something different with this house and just wanted to know if this arrangement had worked out for some of y'all. I have been talking to a couple of very good prospects from my ad in the classified section. If this doesn't work out, I have neighbor with a bulldozer who can take care of my problem for $65 per hour. Again, thanks for the advice.

Use a match. Better yet get guido to use a match. Then you will get alittle of all that cash back you have been doling out to the Insurance Industry over the years. :shock: :shock:

 

[csutton]

Not all renters are bad. We have a house that I was trying to sell (it sat on the market for 6 months). So to try to offset the cost of repairs and carrying costs, we decided to rent. After meeting several folks interested in renting, We found a young couple that was real interested. Knock on wood they have paid on time everytime (sometimes early). I get no complaints from them, They thank us everytime we see them that we "let them rent" our house to them. Like I said, so far so good. I really didnt want to rent because of the horror stories I heard, but SO far I have been proven wrong about it. In different circumstances I would have loved to find a place to live "free" and work on the farm. Kinda like the King Ranch.

 

[TheBullLady]

$65 per hour is cheap for a dozer. With the cost of fuel, hubby is charging $100 per hour. Depends on the size of the machine as well.

 

[larryshoat]

Thanks for all the feedback. At one time my farm had three houses that I rented out. One house was right on the road and I sold it after a couple of years of renting it. I let my sister live in another. The other was rented until a few weeks ago. The last time I rented the house that my sister is in, I rented it for three years to same couple for $350 a month. After they moved, I had to spend about $10,000 to get it back in the same shape it was before they moved in. I think I have lost less money raising cattle. Anyway, I just thought I would try something different with this house and just wanted to know if this arrangement had worked out for some of y'all. I have been talking to a couple of very good prospects from my ad in the classified section. If this doesn't work out, I have neighbor with a bulldozer who can take care of my problem for $65 per hour. Again, thanks for the advice.

Use a match. Better yet get guido to use a match. Then you will get alittle of all that cash back you have been doling out to the Insurance Industry over the years. :shock: :shock:

Then when you get caught you can live in prison for free .Who says there ain't any opportunities .

Larry