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Today's Poll: If you were out of work, would you apply for a farm labor job?

By Howard B. Owens
Chris Charvella

I'd do it to support my family if I had to. I certainly wouldn't volunteer for that kind of work if I had other options though.

May 4, 2010, 9:56am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Bob; I'll confess it would be very near the bottom of my list of jobs I'd accept, mostly due to the pay, but if that's all I could find, then yes I'd do it. There's nothing wrong with honest labor, I worked on farms as a teenager. i think a lot of people, such as me, don't apply for farm jobs because they don't have to. I've been able to find other employment that involves less physical labor and more pay.

May 4, 2010, 9:58am Permalink
Bob Harker

Good points, Chris and Dave. I'm just figuring that there are opportunities out there that are less physical and pay more. Flipping burgers, Walmart, etc. Certainly not the best jobs (or income) but I just don't know if I could handle the physical demands of farm work anymore.

May 4, 2010, 10:35am Permalink
william tapp

i would and have apply for a farm labor job. and i did like the work, farm work is not as bad as people make out it to be.but if you are looking for a job farm work is not for you, but if you are looking for work then farm job is not that bad.for the most part i love it. i have run the big tractors and drove truck . so you American men and women , looking for work, get a farm job, its healthy and good work and for the most part not bad pay.so get off your lazy buts and get to work

May 4, 2010, 10:50am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

There's another option besides take a job you're not qualified for: Start a business.

I've been out of work four times in my adult life. All four times, I started on the path to being in business for myself -- once as a free-lance writer (which eventually lead to launching a local news site); once starting an online community for RV owners (made my living on this for about two years, and had NO money to start it with); started another possible website business but got a FT job before it launched); and when I lost my last job, I took over this already established (but almost zero revenue at the time) website.

There are lots of ways to make money if you're willing to put the effort in, take some risk and think creatively about what your opportunities are. You don't have to have a bankroll to get started, either, if you think creatively, put in the effort and take some risk.

May 4, 2010, 10:53am Permalink
Robert Bennett

ok so here's 5 of the 191 Yes votes. I'm calling BS on the rest. Lets be honest here, farm jobs suck. I've done farm work as a kid. If unemployment ran out, which it won't, and my house was getting repossessed I'd rather let them take it and leave this state.

May 4, 2010, 11:51am Permalink
JoAnne Rock

My very first job was working on my cousin's muck farm in Lynwood, NY at the age of 13. The days were very long and physically demanding, but I loved everything about it.

Sitting on an overturned onion crate, waiting for sunrise, sure beats any time clock that I've ever had to punch in on.

I had to answer no to this survey however, because I know that I could not do that kind of work now.

May 4, 2010, 6:04pm Permalink

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