Finding farm help has been very challenging. Here, in the oil patch, unskilled workers are paid 20 to 25 dollars an hour as a starting wage. No one wants to work for less and farm labour is impossible to find. Skilled trades people command very high wages and can pick and choose their jobs. So can fencers.
I have waited 2 years to have the fencing done. 4 times now, the locators have come and marked the lines because the fencers said they would come and they did not. Instead they got a better paying easier job and went there without bothering to let me know. That is how it is here. Plumbers command extreme wages and only show up when they are ready. Life is like that. So, the lines were located a month ago and many rains later, the paint is no longer visible, with only the flags still standing in some places. The fencers did not want to do the job and though they said they would come, they did not. A second crew came to look at the job, said they would let me know one way or the other by Wednesday and now, it is Friday and there has been no words from them.
So, my cousin, who has been helping around the farm, has volunteered to supervise and assist to do the fencing. He is retired and loves the farm, the animals and taking his quad out in the bush. In exchange for these small pleasures, he works hard repairing, building, fencing, moving and so on. My son and his friend have also come out and will give me a hand before they secure jobs. I am grateful for these men to help me. I surely wish for the fencing to be complete, but I see that I will have to do some myself. Learning new skills is always a good idea and I will give it a whole hearted try. But, I surely do wish farm help was easy to come by. I do.
I have waited 2 years to have the fencing done. 4 times now, the locators have come and marked the lines because the fencers said they would come and they did not. Instead they got a better paying easier job and went there without bothering to let me know. That is how it is here. Plumbers command extreme wages and only show up when they are ready. Life is like that. So, the lines were located a month ago and many rains later, the paint is no longer visible, with only the flags still standing in some places. The fencers did not want to do the job and though they said they would come, they did not. A second crew came to look at the job, said they would let me know one way or the other by Wednesday and now, it is Friday and there has been no words from them.
So, my cousin, who has been helping around the farm, has volunteered to supervise and assist to do the fencing. He is retired and loves the farm, the animals and taking his quad out in the bush. In exchange for these small pleasures, he works hard repairing, building, fencing, moving and so on. My son and his friend have also come out and will give me a hand before they secure jobs. I am grateful for these men to help me. I surely wish for the fencing to be complete, but I see that I will have to do some myself. Learning new skills is always a good idea and I will give it a whole hearted try. But, I surely do wish farm help was easy to come by. I do.
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