Some farmers are concerned about attracting and retaining employees ahead of the 2023 season. North Central Indiana Farmer Scott Smith raises corn, soybeans, and processing tomatoes and says it’s becoming more challenging to find seasonal workers. “We depend a lot on seasonal labor and there’s a shortage of that. It seems to be harder every year, but we need reliable help and it’s just very hard,” Smith says. “We need labor for about 30 days in the spring and about 60 days at harvest, and to find an incentive to get workers to do this kind of work is challenging. It’s getting harder to get these workers today.”
The Tipton County farmer, who is currently serving as President of the Indiana Corn Growers Association, says technology can only do so much. “Technology has reduced some of these numbers, but the need for these workers is very important to the American farmer,” said Smith. “I’m only speaking from the perspective of my farm. We raise corn mainly for ethanol, soybeans for seed, and processing tomatoes. These different crops require some seasonal labor for us.”
In a similar vein, Central Indiana Farmer Phil Ramsey says the agriculture industry requires specific skills that are sometimes hard to find. “Labor is always an issue. It’s just really hard to find anybody to work and who has the ability to be able to operate equipment without a lot of training,” says Ramsey.
The Shelby County farmer says retaining employees is another challenge. “We have trouble after we hire an employee getting them to work every day and to realize how important it is to come to work and communicate with us. We have a lot of turn-over. It’s hard to get employees who can do the job that we need done right now. Labor is probably our number one issue, but we’ll deal with it and we’ll move on and work a few more hours and we’ll get the job done,” said Ramsey.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
This message is familiar to many businesses, not just agriculture. Finding reliable, hard-working employees with the ability and willingness to complete the job, is truly a challenge. The issue is not a new one, however, it is safe to say the severity of the problem is growing and becoming a larger concern for farmers and ranchers across the country. More troubling, no-one seems to have a good, solid answer for this dilemma. Farmers and ranchers often look to technology and automation as a partial solution. We see more and more innovative technology being applied to farming and ranching operations every day.
You can help them overcome some of their needs by emphasizing AgPack®. Yes, AgPack® offers products and services that can help fill some of the gaps and make their lives just a little easier. In addition, farmers/ranchers can realize up to over $30,000 in savings through exclusive rebates and discounts – a huge ROI for their truck purchases. And remember you can use AgPack® to conquest sales from non-CAD dealers. It is truly a win-win!
