these Australians gave farm jobs a go.

[davidc4430]

When backpackers went home, these Australians gave farm jobs a go. Here's how they went

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-14/when-backpackers-went-home-these-australians-tried-farm-work/...

[chameleon54]

So Chloe, a 14 year old school kid made $14 per hour. Thats more than she would have been paid at McDonalds, going by what my kids made working the fast food joints while at school recently.

Another in the piece didnt take a decent water bottle with him. Newsflash, you are working in an orchard in the middle of a farm. There isnt hot and cold potable running water under every tree. You take enough water from home with you each day. Its the same anywhere on a farm. I take two 2 litre fruit juice bottles of water with me every day. Its just common sense. Something sadly lacking these days.

Another on piece wages, didnt work hard and didnt earn enough money. My shearer ( on piece wages ) earned over $700 per day while at my farm a few weeks ago. ( award wages ) and in the winter he prunes vines. The same job as the backpackers and Vietnamese do. He gets paid the same rates as them too. He averages over $500 per day in his vine pruning job.

My teenage son worked on a horticultural property upon leaving school fairly recently. He was driving tractors and forklifts for vegetable harvesting. He averaged over $1000 per week. Way more than any of his class mates where making in suburban jobs. 

these people and many others like him didnt get mentioned in your fluff piece. Not the story they wanted you to hear is it. The moral of the story is if you are slack, lazy or simply dont know how to work, you dont earn any money on farms. If you work hard, turn up on time and put in a solid days work, you are usually rewarded with good wages, regular work and an interesting working life.

[chameleon54]

Its all about work ethic. Something that seems to be lost on most Australians these days.

My teenage daughter is working in hospitality at one of the high profile, holiday destination pubs. She has just gone through her first Christmas / New year period and is working with a number of kids she went through school with. Its flat out and they have to really hustle. Some of those kids doing half the hours my daughter is doing, have gone out with stress. They simply didnt know how to work and move around. As they drop off, the daughter has had to pick up more hours, Last week she worked over 50 hours and made over $1800. She's just a kid, straight out of school.

The difference ? We have instilled a work ethic in our kids. A couple of others there also have it and the difference between them and the also rans who have never been taught to put in a bit of effort is chalk and cheese.

[repentatleisure1952]

Interesting you mentioning a busy pub.

My son here in Central West NSW has an extremely busy bistro in his pub.

He has any amount of local juniors pestering him for a job.

He gives all but the total numpties an opportunity.

His churn is staggering. They all want the job/money yet many come to work hoping for a quiet shift & their work ethic is appalling (not all of them).

[chameleon54]

While the town we live in is quite large at around 10,000 - 15,000 people, most people get to know each other one way or another. The local bosses soon spot the good employees when visiting other businesses etc. and they are in high demand when they seek work. 

The same thing happens on farms. If an employee works hard, uses some initiative and is reliable, they build a reputation over time and can pick and choose where they work and are paid well for their effort. Likewise the useless, go slow, slackers also build a reputation.

Work ethic, a bit of initiative and reliability. Its pretty simple, but it appears to be too much for some and they are the whingers you hear from in the media. The good solid workers earning a good solid income never get a mention..

[repentatleisure1952]

100% agree.

We are only 3500 here...and that is debatable as at any time 500 are in jail & 500 are visiting them...lol

My son has a small group who worked for 2/3 years as juniors & now work as seniors during hols from uni. He pays them well over full tote odds & is happy to do so as he knows how well they perform.

Heck he even pays a good backpacker 15% over the award & includes accommodation & meals.

As an aside I am 70 next birthday & spent 4 weeks in a header during the harvest just finished...mates just were unable to source reliable staff...when the time comes I'll jump into a road train to move grain stored on farm that the receivers were unable to handle during this record harvest.

Best regards.

[chameleon54]

Its interesting that possibly the only two regular forum posters currently involved in commercial agriculture have got a completely different story to tell compared to the city orientated, anti farm ABC puff piece.

Its got to the stage where its difficult to find any reliable news source these days. Everything seems to be tainted by bias of one sort or another.

[domino-710]

Well - the topic is ' farm jobs ' - and we have been told by the ' Thread Guard ' - to stick to it. LOL

[domino-710]

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@chameleon54 wrote:

Its all about work ethic. Something that seems to be lost on most Australians these days.

My teenage daughter is working in hospitality at one of the high profile, holiday destination pubs. She has just gone through her first Christmas / New year period and is working with a number of kids she went through school with. Its flat out and they have to really hustle. Some of those kids doing half the hours my daughter is doing, have gone out with stress. They simply didnt know how to work and move around. As they drop off, the daughter has had to pick up more hours, Last week she worked over 50 hours and made over $1800. She's just a kid, straight out of school.

The difference ? We have instilled a work ethic in our kids. A couple of others there also have it and the difference between them and the also rans who have never been taught to put in a bit of effort is chalk and cheese.

---

Most Australians - well - there's a broad brush.

It's good to read of teens getting off their butts to earn a living - what is not so good is the never ending $$$ amount - added - which seems to go against - the purpose of the post - which is simply motivation.

Seems a little time off was spent - with more brass instrument lessons.

The teens - in my experience - got off their collective butts - worked while studying -  some in excess of 10 years at Uni - several pieces of paper later - an HEX debt to die for - all now in secure positions of employment - in their chosen fields.

FIELDS - lol - pun intended.

Those ' teens ' are now not only looking after your health - putting their lives on the line (these days) - they are designing the machinery you drive around on - on your acres - they are solving significant issues - in Banks - looking after your financial interests - they make sure you can chew - with good dental - they are running their own businesses - etc etc etc.

It's not only a matter of be good to farmers - without them you would be naked - hungry - & - sober. 

[davidc4430]

its pretty sad with no evidence some will attack some young people for telling their story as hogwash beat up rubbish told by lazy kids with no work ethics

stories of how wokers hired to pick fruit ect have been treated like slave labour have been documented for as long as i can remember

its not just since the virus came

there IS a reason both back packers and islanders will do the work for so little

they are willing to live like slaves to make a few bucks, islander men can make enough to take care of their 3rd world families for a year

(we would call it a pittance)

backpackers only need to feed themselves and mostly live rough alongside what us normal people live like

so we hear the stories, you work in the hot sun for a day and the money you earn, 90% goes to pay your rent and food

and the farmer wont even supply water to drink, that farmer is a bum