Spraying for Neighboring Farmers

[adoty2001yahoo]

The deal I discussed above spraying for co op didn't work out. They tried paying me $5 less than what they were going to charge the growers for application fees. I know my trusted neighboring farmers will still want me to spray for them. In nevada it is legal to spray for me to spray other farmers fields, as long as no money changes hands, and the work is traded. Should I lease my sprayer to the farmers and have them buy non restricted chemical? How would you go about doing this? There are 3 other custom applicators that spray here and aren't licensed and buy the chemical and bill the farmer for application and chemical. That doesn't seem very smart. I'm not doing this to make alot of money, I'm just trying to help farmers I know because the quality of work here is very hard to find. Thanks

[sw363535]

Lets see what did you say.....

You want the coop to provide the customers, the licensing, the liability protection, the financing of the product, chemical and fertilizer storage and handling, guarantee of your payment whether or not the customer's check has cleared........

And you think you deserve all the application fee...???  Maybe they are not charging enough ..... Don't get me wrong you should not take a deal that does not pay for the hourly rate of your sprayer lease and a good hourly wage for your time. The money in spraying comes from acres per hour.  The hours are extreme and at odd times.  We get about 140 to160 acres per hour on the machine.  If your half that the pay is low.

IMO  you need to get the license and go into business for yourself.

If you try trading work you need to set a date in the future when you will evaluate how well you were paid.  Because if the $ per hour are so important at the Coop, how well is it going to go when there are no $ exchanged.. and what pays the lease.

If you are comfortable with your business management, then get the insurance and the license, advertise your services and go for it.

Otherwise do not flatter yourself by thinking the employer does not deserve anything for providing you a job.

[clayton58]

I second what Sw said. What was the coop charging for application? Yes as Sw said they need something to cover all they are providing but imo $5/ acres sounds a bit high. I would not go the t"trading" route. Get a license and do it legal

[JimMeade]

The danger of not going by the book is you open yourself to being turned in.  Your farmer buddies won't turn you in, probably.  The people who will turn you in are the competitors, the neighbors of the person you sprayed for, the activists and so forth.

[ECIN]

140 - 160 acres an hour ???? Dang it sw - Thanks for making me feel slow here - lol  Sounds like 120 booms and what ? 15 mph or so ?  About 700 to 900 a day is the best I can get , with 90's and 1,200 tank - but then you have fields that are 5 miles long and you can give her the reins !

2001 - Nothing much here for me to add - A lot of good advise above - One thing - The co-ops make - or most do - make money on the chemicals that you apply for them - that covers part of bringing you on + they get the acres covered - I can't think of to much that gets a farmers hackle's up quicker than NOT getting a field sprayed before it rains - then rain , then rains - lol   - They paid me the same as they charged - yet - I had the licenses - plus some of the insurance - 

I'm with sw - I would look at starting up your own business - There are some small time fert plants - on farms around here - matter of fact I do business with one  - they are covered up with work !!!

Just because the neighbors spray with out all the i's dotted means it's right that you can do it  - DO IT RIGHT ! it will open up doors for yeah !  reread what Jim said !

Leasing out ? Boy I don't know about that -  NOBODY - NOBODY  ! Drives my sprayer ! lol That comes from when I worked at Soil Service after college - In busy season - sometimes they would give me a day off - like a Sat or Sunday - and then somebody else would jump in MY truck !  As I had fixed it up pretty nice with High back bucks and a FM radio ! Then when I came back - MY truck was down ! One time a jackazz took out the tranny then I got to work on till  3 am dropping it out ! Another time they got it stuck and caught it on fire - SO had to rewire part of it - all in busy season - I finally took the keys out and with me ! Management was not happy with my decision on that one - lol BUT after a short talk with them - they laughed and said I did have a good point - but to leave the keys with them -

I don't know what the others think about this - But to me - it looks like a golden opportunity for a young guy to pursue !  Ken thinks - Go for it - with all insurance and licenses in place .

GOOD luck !

Ken

[adoty2001yahoo]

Thank you for your input, in nevada it is complicated to obtain a commercial spray licensce. I have pursued getting one but, I couldn't because the dept. Of ag requires 2 years of experience working with a non related blood relative, handling and applying chemicals, before I can even take the test. I have sprayed for my family for 10 years but that experience doesn't count because it's for my family.

[adoty2001yahoo]

I have a private applicator and an operators license, so i can spray under a commercial licensce holder.

[clayton58]

Wow. That does make it difficult. This may be off the wall but could you legally do business in Nevada with a commercial license from another state?

[adoty2001yahoo]

No, no out of state licenses, I have talked to the dept of ag until I almost get angry telling them I'm trying to get licensed in the proper way to custom spray, and they just say no your experience needs to be for an impartial third party. It gets really frustrating.

[adoty2001yahoo]

I really want to get in this business, but I don't have time to go work for a co op for two years to get "my experience" the department of ag requires, I have to take care of our own farms