Gav836 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Everyone has to start at the bottom and work their way up Jordan, I was on £96 per week back in 1997 when I first went on the farm and have now worked my way up to a respectable amount of money a month now, still not a fortune compared to other industries but you'll never get that working on the land. It may be worth talking to your employer about gaining more experience but on the other hand they could be testing your staying power by giving you the jobs they are to begin with until you prove yourself to them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 i dont know how much more i can prove myself after 7 months on the broom and shovel. even the other guys that work there have said for the hours i work and the work i do i should be on more than i am. its like i went from being at the top straight to the bottom as where i previously worked i was even left in charge of the farm for 2 days straight when the manager had to go up to nantwich to see family in hospital. i did everything from milking and moving cattle and setting paddocks up to loading lorries with grain and hauling bales through the harvest on a 40ft dolly setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 they just wont give me the oppertunity to show them what i can do and how much of an asset i can be, i just feel like im being used i would stay on £3.60 hour if they improved the work i was doing but they just are not doing that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB1 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 they just wont give me the oppertunity to show them what i can do and how much of an asset i can be, i just feel like im being used i would stay on £3.60 hour if they improved the work i was doing but they just are not doing that you bl00dy kids are never happy . yer lucky to get near tractors of the like you have nowadays , many of us were shovel & brush boys for more than 2 years without a snif of getting a drive in the crappiest tractor let alone air con CD equiped cabs . nobody owes you a living , stop winging & work yer way up like many of us had to , we all got cars to run, petrol to power them & stupid insurance rates , you add all the utilities, mortgage , & a pension to pay into then have yer moan. if the rates in agriculture were up there with the rest of the industries , most of us would be still there , & you'd have to keep yer shovel & brush for a few more years as you wouldn't get a look in pah tractor drivers i $h!t em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere-est Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Jordan for what it's worth I think it seems quite a good way of doing it and it puts the responsibility on your shoulders to make sure you can be as efficient as you can thus taking more of the £38.50 home. It's easy to put your boot into the floor, rev the engine at any given moment to hear the engine note bounce of the buildings - we've all been 'younguns' and have all played at work. This way though ensures any wastage is on you and not at the employers expense. It's better than load bonus where you are inclined to nail it all day for that extra load. You'll soon learn how much a machine costs to run and how to get the best out of it if some of it's usage comes out of your pocket. It could be better for you in the long run... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 Jordan for what it's worth I think it seems quite a good way of doing it and it puts the responsibility on your shoulders to make sure you can be as efficient as you can thus taking more of the £38.50 home. It's easy to put your boot into the floor, rev the engine at any given moment to hear the engine note bounce of the buildings - we've all been 'younguns' and have all played at work. This way though ensures any wastage is on you and not at the employers expense. It's better than load bonus where you are inclined to nail it all day for that extra load. You'll soon learn how much a machine costs to run and how to get the best out of it if some of it's usage comes out of your pocket. It could be better for you in the long run... very true tris, its not that though, and as mjb1 says us younguns not being ungreatfull its just we want to show what we can do, i have worked in agriculture for about 5 years and for at least 4 of that ive been a brush boy and i just want to do something different to cleaning. my jobs for the summer are cleaning the stores yes thats it, pressure washing potato stores, enough to send anybody up the wall when there are 16 to do and they take about 1 1/2 days to do. im happy to do it but i want to do other jobs this summer aswell not just store cleaning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 you bl00dy kids are never happy . yer lucky to get near tractors of the like you have nowadays , many of us were shovel & brush boys for more than 2 years without a snif of getting a drive in the crappiest tractor let alone air con CD equiped cabs . nobody owes you a living , stop winging & work yer way up like many of us had to , we all got cars to run, petrol to power them & stupid insurance rates , you add all the utilities, mortgage , & a pension to pay into then have yer moan. if the rates in agriculture were up there with the rest of the industries , most of us would be still there , & you'd have to keep yer shovel & brush for a few more years as you wouldn't get a look in pah tractor drivers i $h!t em Well put Marcus,thats the feeling I've got from a few of younger members over the years.Like Marcus I started cleaning out grain silos and pulling weeds for 1 pound per hour while looking over the farm seeing the other guys through the dust drilling barley on a MF188 with no cab and thinking wish I could do that.You only get a head on your shoulders with age. You offten read statements on here like.... "I've done my time as the boy and have the skills to handle a claas 600 lexion for 18hours a day even though I'm 15"......feck off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 Well put Marcus,thats the feeling I've got from a few of younger members over the years.Like Marcus I started cleaning out grain silos and pulling weeds for 1 pound per hour while looking over the farm seeing the other guys through the dust drilling barley on a MF188 with no cab and thinking wish I could do that.You only get a head on your shoulders with age. You offten read statements on here like.... "I've done my time as the boy and have the skills to handle a claas 600 lexion for 18hours a day even though I'm 15"......feck off. im not saying that, ive done all of the cleaning business and weed pulling and working on a grader 15 hours a day for weeks on end sorting spuds, i just want to get into the field, i dont think i have the skills to handle big kit i just want to learn how to opperate it to gain experience for later on in life. i work my ass to the bone and all my previous employers will tell you that and thats how i get good references, i just feel that i need to gain this experience before i make any decisions on what direction to go after college. i can then go to my employer and say yes i can and have opperated this kit or yes i can and have opperated the store fans and computers ect... im sure you guys would prefer to take on an experienced worker to save you the time and hassel of training them up i am one of these people that feels it best to get first hand experience than just sitting infront of a white board and somebody saying this is how you do it, good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow legs Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 at 16 you cant be put on a 300hp tractor and drill etc, as others have said you need to work your way up the ladder, im 31 and own my own contracting buisness and im still learning, yes there is only so much sweeping you can do but your 16, keep going it will work out in the end. as an extra, i did a 5 year aprentiship in parts/stores, was on crap money, had 10 years out doing farm work, now started part time at a john deere dealer, lets say the poor wages back then are well worth it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 at 16 you cant be put on a 300hp tractor and drill etc, as others have said you need to work your way up the ladder, im 31 and own my own contracting buisness and im still learning, yes there is only so much sweeping you can do but your 16, keep going it will work out in the end. as an extra, i did a 5 year aprentiship in parts/stores, was on crap money, had 10 years out doing farm work, now started part time at a john deere dealer, lets say the poor wages back then are well worth it now! very true, i was only hauling seed potatoes and it was in a fendt 718 not a 300hp tractor (not sure who said that) and i was accompanied!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrol Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think the best thing in these situations is to try and get a few little bits of experience on everything. Have a chat with the boss and see if you could get 1/2 hour once a week sitting on a different machine with the usual operator (unpaid for the 30mins if necessary). No doubt many of the operators will stick you in the driving seat so they can have a break/laugh and you'll get a go at using all the kit. Whatever you do, try to keep it varied as it's really easy to get pigeonholed. As a harvest casual I always wanted the easy life of corn carting but in my second year, due to illness of the older guy on the farm i got put on a power Harrow drill combination to drill the rape. From that moment on, wherever I went for the next few years, as soon as soon the boss heard I could run a drill, I'd get stuck on that for the whole season. Barely saw the combines and carts! And didn't get the breadth of experience I'd hoped for. Saying that - drilling is a good job, but it's always good to have some variety when you're learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think the best thing in these situations is to try and get a few little bits of experience on everything. Have a chat with the boss and see if you could get 1/2 hour once a week sitting on a different machine with the usual operator (unpaid for the 30mins if necessary). No doubt many of the operators will stick you in the driving seat so they can have a break/laugh and you'll get a go at using all the kit. Whatever you do, try to keep it varied as it's really easy to get pigeonholed. As a harvest casual I always wanted the easy life of corn carting but in my second year, due to illness of the older guy on the farm i got put on a power Harrow drill combination to drill the rape. From that moment on, wherever I went for the next few years, as soon as soon the boss heard I could run a drill, I'd get stuck on that for the whole season. Barely saw the combines and carts! And didn't get the breadth of experience I'd hoped for. Saying that - drilling is a good job, but it's always good to have some variety when you're learning. thats exactly what i was hoping to do, im not expecting long shifts on machinery just long enough opperating it to get the grip of it and know how to opperate it. obviously id start with the more simple kit and work my way up but i do want to keep working around the yard aswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere-est Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I think the best thing in these situations is to try and get a few little bits of experience on everything. Have a chat with the boss and see if you could get 1/2 hour once a week sitting on a different machine with the usual operator (unpaid for the 30mins if necessary). No doubt many of the operators will stick you in the driving seat so they can have a break/laugh and you'll get a go at using all the kit. Whatever you do, try to keep it varied as it's really easy to get pigeonholed. As a harvest casual I always wanted the easy life of corn carting but in my second year, due to illness of the older guy on the farm i got put on a power Harrow drill combination to drill the rape. From that moment on, wherever I went for the next few years, as soon as soon the boss heard I could run a drill, I'd get stuck on that for the whole season. Barely saw the combines and carts! And didn't get the breadth of experience I'd hoped for. Saying that - drilling is a good job, but it's always good to have some variety when you're learning. That jogged my memory of being 17 and on my middle year on a farm. "Fancy having a ride with the plough?" You bet! John Deere 7810 with an 8f semi mounted reversible wagon plough with packomat presses - probably something like an RB100 or something. Either way, quite a bit of kit. Anyway, after a couple of times riding in the passenger seat one day the driver said, when we get to the end we'll swap round. I grinned from ear to ear piloting that thing for a few acres. Loved it, only time even now I have used a plough that big and will always remember going up through the full powershift from the headland turns. Beautiful! However, nearly all my experience came from a 500ac arable/beef farm Jordan. I was the only worker and if I couldn't do something (which started with not being able to drive a tractor I might add!!!) the farmer taught me how to do it. I worked there for six years minus college time and the time spent on the farm mentioned above. By the time I left I was spraying, drilling, calving cows, fabricating barn doors (which still hang and open close with perfection! ), combining.... the lot. We didn't use contractors for many jobs. The trouble with working for a large company is you get blinded by the machinery, it's all nice and shiny stuff and will attract many job seekers - however, if you can't do something there is always someone else who can hence progress is slow. You're a bright lad and I get what your saying, you don't expect to be getting onto big tractors, expensive kit and so on in the blink of eye like some suggest many young farm workers are. You've done well to stick to what you've been doing if you ask me and little reward wouldn't go amiss for you. It may pay (if you're looking for a change) to look for a smaller operation, slightly less ambitious. If you follow Martin's (NH2) topic, he is working on a small Scottish unit and like me is the only bloke working there - he has done a lot in his time on the farm already, not just machine operating but but proper farming. Nothing wrong with seeking a few extra hours with another farm if you can mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB1 Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 sometimes jordan it's better to hang back a bit like tris said , maybe a smaller outfit would suit you just keep an eye out , opertunities usually come from the most unlikely turn of events rush of blood to the head ,sorry about my previous rant , but sometimes it's how it comes across , but all better now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordantaylor Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 i can agree with you there as where i worked previous to griffiths was an 800 acre dairy and arable farm, and it is where i had gained nearly all the experience i hold now as i did everything from fencing to tractor driving as there was only 3 of us working there. the farm manager taught me how to do things when they needed doing and so when they needed doing again i could do them by myself. i will say that i have sent my cv to local farms that are considerably smaller ( 400-1200 acres) to see what happens as i just dont feel comfortable as of yet in such a large setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 mate im 45 and still learning,as others have said,smaller farmsmaller buisness is the way to go,you will gain so much experience,its took me thirty years to drive the likes of big fendt and masseys and quadtracs,they can still be daunting now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJB1 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 mate im 45 and still learning,as others have said,smaller farmsmaller buisness is the way to go,you will gain so much experience,its took me thirty years to drive the likes of big fendt and masseys and quadtracs,they can still be daunting now me too i learned a long time ago i should have been an accountant ,or banker then maybe i wouldn't be so bl00dy poor ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deere 7810 Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 on the estate where i work i was employed to take over from a bloke who was retiring he did the heavy land work, oh how plans change! at the time we had two gangs, ie two ploughs, two powerharrows and two drills well management decided to simplify the arrangment and did away with two gangs and just have one modernised gang. this backfired for me at the time because the lad in the other gang got the job i was taken on to do, obviously i was a bit narked. had started at the bottom and had been there 2-3 years by the time this happened but looking back i still had a lot to learn! now am still working on the same estate and quite happy now, been here approx 14years now and would say its only in the last 5 years i have started to do what i was taken on to do. i feel its been worth the wait and have proven to them i can do it and am now the proud operator of a 11plate challenger! yes it might be frustrating to think you can do more than what you are doing at the moment but like me your time will come it just wont happen in a few months!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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