A Question for Those of Us Who Are Not City Children . . .

[overnighter]

Is it possible to get a summer job, in high school and college, working on a ranch or farm

Comments

[overnighter]

What, you don't think cattle rustler would be a good job? :)

[overnighter]

Oh, days behind. We're Russell-Crowe-level good. Without the psychotic sidekick, or the face-biting, of course.

We're safe down Mexico way before they even know we're gone.

[ctoan]

I thought maybe you were expanding your job search.

:)

[overnighter]

Yes, I've decided to embrace the whole "California, America's Table" thing and work on a farm.

The cows are the ones you milk, right?

[rose_in_texas]

Yes, farmers hire summer help. What the summer help does depends on what the farmer does. I started driving tractor at age 14. Generally, ranchers don't hire summer help, though day laborers may be hired for specific "big" days, i.e. branding, shipping days.

Kids who want summer jobs working in farm/ranch conditions but who don't themselves live on the farm/ranch would generally get jobs at the local feed store or farm store, bucking hay bales, loading sacks of feed, pushing broom, etc.

In smaller communities, where everyone knows everyone else's business, if you worked for Jim Jones who happened to be a farmer, everyone would know that. When you referred to your time, you would say "when I worked for Mr. Jones."

If you have specific questions, I might be able to give you more specific answers, though there are regional variations depending on crops, local traditions, urban encroachment, etc.

Feel free to e-mail.:)

[overnighter]

Awesome! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

If you really don't mind, I may e-mail you later with more specific questions.

You're a huge help. Thanks!

[rose_in_texas]

Feel free! If you can tell me what kind of scenario you're imagining, I might be able to help more w/ details.

[elzed]

When I read this post, I immediately tought of you and I was going to tell overnighter to mail you if you hadn't been on her flist...

I am intrigued as to where this is going...

[silverweave]

I worked on an animal sanctuary (donkeys featured a lot) after high school for a summer.

I described it as working at an animal sanctuary, "Or remember that summer when I smelled of horseshit?"

Good times, doing good.