How to find labor for your growing farm

Hiring new employees is a tricky endeavor for any company. For small farmers, the prospect of bringing in strangers to help run your dream job can be a frightening prospect. New faces, responsibility, and financial strains are a lot to swallow.

But at Upstart University they believe that any successful farm should be able to grow its talent just as well as any vegetable. They believe that with the right approach, a little research, and careful budgeting, any farm can get the extra hands it needs to succeed.

However, there a few challenges to hiring new personnel.

Lack of potential candidates
If you’re growing in a small town or community, it could be tough to find a lot of candidates. Don’t be shy about recruitment; cast a wide net over the surrounding region to collect candidates for the position.

Labor costs
For most companies and businesses, employee salary and benefits represent a major part of any budget requirements. (About 60% of farm costs are made up of labor.) Consider carefully whether your farm and business can support such a large expenditure. The benefits of more labor must outweigh the cost.

Some critical questions to ask are, “How much more could I grow with another pair of hands?”, “How many more customers could I gain and serve with another person helping?”, “How much revenue would that bring in?”, and “What’s the difference between the cost of employment and the gains?”

Regulation and code
More employees means more regulation. This can mean more formal processes and higher regulation costs. You’ll probably have to have some training in place for employees that are involved in processes like spraying pesticides or packaging.

Make sure your farm is safe and up to code before hiring employees.

Read more at Upstart University.