Winter 1995 (v7n1)
A new publication from UC SAREP shows farmers how to diversify their operations to keep employees busy throughout the year. How to stabilize your work force (and Increase Profits, Productivity, and Personal Satisfaction) brings together the strategies, benefits and challenges encountered by farmers who keep workers employed year-round. Funded by SAREP and authored by two agricultural economists, a UC Cooperative Extension director, and two farm advisors, the 44-page handbook includes information gleaned from extensive interviews with 35 California farmers.
The authors tried to identify the underlying principles that make some farmers' systems work. Activities used most often include crop diversification and rotation, staggered planting, labor sharing with other farmers, selective mechanization, saving work for the off-season and value-added activities like wreath or jam-making. "These farmers do this both to level out the peaks and valleys of seasonal employment and to increase profitability," said Gary Johnston, director of UC Cooperative Extension in San Joaquin County.
Johnston's co-authors include Suzanne Vaupel and Melissa Cadet, Sacramento agricultural economist; Franz Kegel, farm advisor emeritus, San Joaquin County; and Gregory Billikopf, area farm advisor for Merced.
"No easy formula for year-round cropping systems can be given, due to different climatic regions, soils, markets, costs, risks and local conditions," Vaupel said.
She noted, however, that one of the benefits of the benefits of successful systems is generally lower unemployment insurance and worker compensation rates. "A steady work force is more likely to be familiar with the farm operation and equipment and therefore is less likely to be injured," she said. Although this theory is not always true, the three farmers interviewed most extensively had workers' compensation rates well below 100 (the average for the industry), and two of the rates were in the 50s, meaning that they are paying half the usual rate for the particular agricultural activity.
The handbook is available from UC SAREP, University of California, Davis, CA 95616; (916) 752-7556. The cost is $6, with checks or money orders payable to "UC Regents."
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