Thursday, May 7, 2009

Scouting for Employees

One of our employees is leaving, so I placed an ad on Craig's list for dairy help. We got several replies. One 20 year old sent this amazing resume (she later confessed that her boyfriend doctored the resume). Not knowing that is was BS, I asked her to come meet with me and take a tour of the farm. She had some general knowledge but lacked experience. We are used to this and were willing to train her. I spent several hours with her showing her the farm and explaining the new technology we use. She realized that she was in over her head and started to chicken out. I told her that we would not expect her to know everything, but it would come with time. She said OK. She would be here 5 o'clock Friday morning.
She emailed me today to quit before she starts. But offered to work for 2 weeks until we find someone else. Now why would I put the effort into training someone so that they can leave? Did she need some more BS to put on her resume. ......I worked on a 500 head dairy farm. (cough, cough)
So I emailed her back and said "no thanks" it isn't worth the effort to train someone for them to leave. Then she starts sending me these long emails again telling me how qualified she was but she didn't like the long commute. Ok! Great move on. Then she sends me this one:
"I had also considered you guys in that going $500 into debt every day would be increased if I were to work there. But I guess if you aren't that desperate then it isn't that big of a deal to be losing that much money per day... I just can't comprehend losing $500/day, it seems like a lot to me."
HELLO. Yes it is alot of money to go into debt. But what are our options? Kill the cows? Don't feed the animals? Let them loose to roam free in the streets of Scranton, PA? - That would make a great "The Office" show. Five hundred head of cattle, calves and youngstock wondering around stopping traffic and fertilizing the Steamtown Mall.
This is a farm that was started generations ago, but because Politicians and the Americans that put them in office, have no clue about what it costs to put that gallon of milk on the grocery store shelves we get comments like the ones she made.
So what do you suggest our options are. We have a mortgage. We have a feed bill. We have to milk the cows. We have to feed our family. Where are you going to get your milk if every farmer in America decided that she was right and we shouldn't go into debt one more cent?
If you watched the Michael J Fox special tonight, one of his stories was about the eternal optimism of the American dairy farmer. We stay in business hoping that things will be better tomorrow. Tomorrows a new day.
Maybe when the grocery store shelves are empty, people will appreciate what we do and the sacrifices we make for each and everyone of you.

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