According to a Farm Journal Pulse Poll from December, 88 percent of farmers use word-of-mouth as their primary way of finding employees.
After that, ads at local community college (5 percent), employment sites (3 percent) and social media (3 percent) make up the other major ways farmers recruit people looking for work.
According to Betty Berning at the University of Minnesota, farmers cannot use just one way to recruit new employees.
“The next thing to think about is recruitment. How do you recruit? Do you simply place an ad that says, ‘looking for a tractor driver’ in the local paper, or do you write a compelling ad that provides a little bit of information about the job and your farm?” She wrote. “Be sure to communicate responsibilities and competencies needed for the job, along with a little bit about your farm’s values.”
Berning also recommended going to job fairs, working with local community colleges and FFA programs, as well as getting referrals from other employees.
“Your image lets potential employees know what it might be like to work for you,” she wrote. “Building a positive image will attract people to your farm.”