[Dkay04]

What do you do?
I was a farmhand now I am probably the same but also a beginning farmer.

Do you like it?
I love it, i couldn't think of another thing i would rather do.


What makes you in particular well-suited or poorly-suited for your work?
I am Well suited because i grew up around farming, i know what needs to be done and when. I am also a decent problem solver and can usually fix things without panicking.


What kind of people do best in your work?
Most of the time you need to have grown up around it and have people willing to help you, you also need good credit.


What qualifications are necessary for people considering work in the same field as you?
You need a general knowledge in equipment operation and maintnence, a knowledge of crop production and marketing, some accounting knowledge, and a good work ethic.

What is a typical day like?
It changes around planting and harvest times and seasonally, basically in the summer I get up around 5:30 drive to town and eat breakfast and then check well motors and Sprinklers, if anything is on row water I change that. Then eat lunch, between Plowing and spraying there is always tractor work to be done so I get on a tractor from ~1-8:30 or 9 and then go eat supper and sit at the bar until 12 and go home and sleep and repeat the next day. Weekends I just check water and sleep or whatever.
In the winter I check cattle, pump water and put out hay and am usually done by noon.

What kind of problems do you encounter?
Everything changes, one day it can be a well broke down and one day it can be tractors tore up or bugs in fields, you definetly need to learn to roll with the punches.

What are the biggest (most common) sources of frustration and elation?
It is a low stress job iif you learn to take everything as it comes, the weather seems to be the biggest source of frustration.

How much do you make?
Last year I made about 45,000 after paying back some loans and including a weekly check for woking for family. I had to pay taxes on 175k.

How much can one expect to make in your position?
Anywhere from - figures to over a million depending on how good you manage things and how much land you own.