Farmer or Farm Manager
On both large and small farms, farmers and farm managers are in charge of crop production, livestock management, and dairy production.
They typically do this to produce food, planting, and harvest crops, and purchase and sell cattle. They cultivate and harvest using a wide range of various machinery.
A farmer or farm manager is what?
People who work as farmers or farm managers frequently have the following duties:
- By analyzing market conditions and choosing crops to produce to promote high profitability, plan farm outputs each year.
- Purchase animals to maintain on farms and sell them to purchasers of animals or butchers
- Harvest crops, milk cows, and engage in other production-related duties.
- Utilizing a range of various types of heavy machinery, plant and harvest crops.
- Farm animal care, birth assistance, and ensuring that animals are appropriately cared for
What a Day Is Like
Both large and small farms are run by farmers and farm managers. They may concentrate on raising cattle, growing crops, or making dairy products on their farms, or they may combine these activities in some way.
On small farms, a single farmer could work with one or more farmhands to do all the necessary responsibilities.
Farm managers are responsible for managing a variety of agricultural staff and overseeing all operations on larger farms. Many farmers run small to medium-sized family farms where all decisions are made by members of the same family.
Farmers make plans for the following year’s crops at the start of the growing season. To do this, they examine the state of the market to ascertain what may be grown and will be the most profitable for the year.
They design fail-safes as well to lower risk. For instance, although maize might be the most lucrative crop, a farmer might also cultivate tobacco to lessen the danger that the corn harvest will be harmed or infected and rendered unsalable.
The farmer begins planting after it has been planned, and once the crops are fully grown, he or she harvests them.
Farmers and farm managers often take care of dozens or hundreds of cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals that are raised for food on livestock and dairy farms.
They build surroundings that encourage health, growth, and reproduction and they buy the necessary livestock from livestock buyers or auctions. Farms raising livestock work year-round and are less impacted by the seasons than farms raising crops.
Although the majority of contemporary farmers produce food for food-processing businesses, the rising popularity of farmer’s markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs have boosted their capacity to increase profitability by selling vegetables and meats directly to consumers.
Regular Work Hours
The majority of farmers and farm managers put in at least full-time hours, while overtime is frequent in this line of work. Particularly during the harvesting seasons, many people work from daybreak to sunset.
Crop farmers may put in larger hours during the planting and harvesting seasons and fewer hours during the winter, but they also spend time planning for the following year during the off-growing seasons.
Specializations in Farm Management and Farming
Farmers typically oversee operations on small, medium-sized, and family-run farms and specialize in growing particular crops.
Managers of farms or other agricultural enterprises are in charge of managing activities on properties owned by other people, notably farms that are part of food distribution businesses.
Ranchers typically focus on raising livestock, and they may keep dairy cows, food cows, horses, lambs, poultry, and other animals that can be sold to butchers or create marketable goods.
Common Employers
Self-employment is prevalent among farmers and farm managers. Those who aren’t self-employed often work as farmhands or agricultural employees for farmers, farm managers, or food distribution businesses.
How to Start a Farm or Manage a Farm
Only having a high school diploma, many farmers and farm managers can obtain employment in the industry. Many farmers were raised on family farms where they learned the ins and outs of farming and ranching.
After graduating from high school, they either take over the management of these farms or buy their own.
Others start as farmhands or agricultural employees for other farmers and later on in their careers, after getting sufficient professional experience, transition into farm ownership or farm management.
However, more ambitious farmers are choosing to seek college degrees to learn business skills in addition to their understanding of farming because it is getting more and harder to run a viable farm.
Aspiring farmers are better equipped with the knowledge and abilities they need to analyze market conditions, make wise and profitable purchases and decisions, and market their goods and produce within the community with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as business or agricultural management.
While a degree is useful, becoming a farmer is best accomplished through finding employment on a farm.
You’ll have the skills you need to be a successful farmer on your land or a farm manager on someone else’s land later in your career if you work alongside an experienced farmer or manager and assist with production, management, and harvesting year after year.
Data on Farm Manager or Farmer Pay
The information below will help you learn more about this profession. The editorial material and recommendations on this page are based on our research, while the income and growth information is based on newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Low Range for National Annual Salaries
The average income is $69,880; the highest range is $113,140.
Nationwide minimum wage
Low $22/hour, Average $34/hour, and High $54/hour
How does farmer or farm manager pay compare to those at other American jobs?
According to the most recent data on employment in the country, farmers or farm managers may expect to earn an average yearly salary of $69,880, or $34 per hour.
They can start up making $45,930, or $22 per hour, depending on the state you live in or other factors.