Best Careers on the Farm

• Dana Vinson
• February 03, 2017
• Newsletter Article

Do you want to solely work on a farm but don’t own land? From crop scout to herdsman, there are still several opportunities for individuals to work on a farm.

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Do you want to solely work on a farm but don’t own land? There are still several opportunities for individuals to work on a farm without owning it. Some great examples of jobs on the farm are below. These types of jobs are often on the AgCareers.com website throughout the United States and Canada.

Best Careers on the Farm

 

1. Farm Manager - Runs operation or part of operation, management lead employees, compiling records on crops, procuring quality land, planning season and off season activities such as planting, irrigating and harvesting.


2. Farm Assistant - Serve as general laborer or farm hand, assist manager in duties above


3. Farm Equipment Operator - Ability to drive tractor, cotton picker, combine, forklift, tractor trailer, etc.


4. Herdsman - Milking, feeding, and gathering of livestock. Give medication and IV, rotational grazing, mowing and fencing. Operate equipment such as tractor and skid steer.


5. Equipment Maintenance Technician - Install, inspect, maintain and repair equipment.


6. Custom Applicator - Makes sure that spray equipment is working properly and applies pesticides or fertilizer in fields, typically self-employed.


7. Livestock Farm Workers - Responsible for the care of animal production facilities for food consumption.


8. Breeding/Multiplication Manager - Responsible for all aspects of a company or organization’s breeding departments. In the swine industry, these professionals are known as Farrowing Managers.


9. Penrider - Monitor and move cattle around a feeding operation. Most of their daily duties are completed on horseback.


10. Crop Scout - Inspect farmers’ fields and records weed, insect, disease, and other observations. This is an important role to help farmers make timely, informed, and economical field crop decisions.

 

In preparation to hold one of these careers on the farm, an applicant would need to make sure they have knowledge and experience in these areas. Certifications such as CDL license, Fork Lift certification, OSHA compliance certifications are also an added plus (sometimes required). Most farms are looking for people that are independent, self-starters but also works well with others. They are looking for people with the ability to troubleshoot problems and analyze issues to come up with viable solutions. They must be able to plan and execute duties to meet critical deadlines while also following necessary safety standards.

Remember, many times job opportunities are seasonal or offer internship type positions. Applicants should be willing to work long hours and weekends. On rare occasions, you can find that there are some farms that do not have the next generation to take over so there can be opportunities to work your way up and run the business. Some added perks to working on a farm can be housing, phones, company vehicles, and more.

Create a profile on AgCareers.com to begin searching for the widest selection of farm jobs on the Internet.

This article was first published in the AgCareers.com Career Cultivation blog. Check out the blog for more employment advice for your career in agriculture!