BTO

Don't work for one any longer than you have to. And don't leave your last day with them owing you anything.

Sounds like there's a story behind this advice. Care to tell us about it?

I used to think that way but I've learned since then. I started renting to a guy and ran it under his kid they paid 1/2 what the rest of the neighborhood got used the buddy system to keep it locked. When I switched renters it ended up in a lawsuit . He also passed on a chance to eventually own this farm at a fraction of what it's worth.
Now it's rented to one of the biggest operators around or rather his kid. He is replacing the waterways that the previous renter tore out . Yesterday they had 2 hired men with bulldozer and bobcat cleaning fence rows and trees how much don't worry I told him I should give you a longer rent he said don't worry. Grandparents drove over with there truck anytime he shows up he has a couple rug rats with there very family oriented and they love the land a complete change from the last renter. I can say more but am unhappy with big operations ? I've am sad that you can't find people anymore that love the land and family I've got Amish next to me they are not that way.

Never worked for anyone that didn't need the help and broke people don't write paychecks.

Lousy communication, things not getting fixed due to said lousy communication, being lied to when I tell him there's something that needs checked over on a truck "I'll have it looked into" but it never leaves the yard. 2-3 hours worked per day on wage while the hand on salary is working 8-10, being busy just long enough to get caught up from the last time we were slow, if I'm lucky. Being the only hand during harvest because they won't let a guy they want to hire use enough pasture for his dozen cows.

Being told there is nothing wrong with the trucks because the shops can't find anything wrong with the trucks, when they are only told that there is a problem, but not what the symptoms are. That keeping brakes properly adjusted is why they hang up (never mind new drums and shoes going in with 20 year old s-cams and old rusty hardware), and I need to use the engine brake instead of the air brakes (which only worked on 4 of 6 cylinders). Steer tires that were perfectly good tires yet (with 3/32 tread left, legal minimum is 4, had to threaten to not drive it to get his attention on that) and I couldn't drive in a straight line on gravel with new drive tires and old steers. Being told all I do is b**** about stuff when I'm turning wrenches putting shock absorbers on it that I bought myself so I could drive it more than 20 minutes a day without a 4 day migraine. I did get paid back for those.

If things would have got fixed and communication would have been better and I got thrown a bone now and again (let me drive a nicer pick-up or one of the smoother riding 4-wheelers) I'd have stayed, even though I was making 2/3 of what every one else his size is paying.

But at some point you have to say enough. I can't afford the tickets that would be in my name if I was in a wreck. And I know darn well he wouldn't pay any of them.

Of course he got mad when I told him I can't expose myself to the liability any longer to save them a couple thousand dollars. Thought we were on good terms when I left but now I can't get him on the phone or catch up to him to get the money he owes me for a parts truck I sold him because I had no place to put it.

There's big operations, and there's big time operators.

Unfortunately, the people who are friendly to me now that I no longer work there, wouldn't clue me into him being the operator and not the operation, while I did.

Ok I gotcha sounds like some factories I worked. The guy that has my farm is real good with his help throws a super Christmas party for help and renters feature entertainment is grandkids runs nearly all new equipment. I think he knows to get peak efficiency and to hang on to rented ground is to keep everyone happy. The sad thing is guys like yours give everyone a bad rap we had one around here to he's no longer farming the word finally got out. Don't worry he'll get in the long run.

There are good employers and bad employers, just like everything.

My son in laws oldest brother is trying to be a BTO. Couple of years ago he planted a rented field into alfalfa with oats as a cover crop figuring that the land owner would have to rent to him for the next four of five years. In Aug right after he harvested the oats he got notice from the land owner that he wasn't going to rent to him again :lol: ! He tried to sue but failed because he had not informed the land owner that he was putting in the alfalfa!

Rick

Some of the BTO's here in NW Indiana have been denied borrowing any operating money from the banks this year and some other BTO's have only been approved to borrow 60% of what they wanted.

There were some around here that did that
with winter wheat if planted in the fall
the were able to keep it next year.

I bet that was not limited to BTO's, but anyone needing farm credit.

I talked to another guy who said from what everyone tells him I'd be worth over half again what I was being paid and he'd put me on if corn was still up around $5 but he can't do it at $3.

I'm trucking a lot more where I am now, but I'm being paid a lot more for it too. And I get to do some other stuff, some of it a bit of a challenge, which right off makes it more interesting and enjoyable. Even sat down and had a beer with the new boss's brother last night, talked about the job and how it's going. Never did anything like that at the last job.

When you've got someone who knows your operation and doesn't tear up equipment cowboying it, you need to pay them enough to get ahead, communicate, and cover ER bills when a cow gets his foot chasing him over a panel (I got a "sorry it had to happen") to keep him around.

Maybe that I had been the first to call him about the job after 6 months of looking for someone should have been a clue?