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Unit 3: Managing the Farm/Ranch Business for Long-Term Success

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

At a vineyard near Salem, Oregon, employees pour grapes into harvest bins that the vineyard will deliver to wineries. (Lynn Ketchum, OSU EESC)

The success of the business depends on all those who work there, whether they be family members, regular staff, seasonal employees, interns or volunteers. Click on the labor issues below for a list of common questions related to hiring and managing farm labor. The most difficult questions often concern how to work with family members.

• Hiring

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• What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring employees?
• What are my temporary labor options: interns, volunteers, custom operators, others?
• Where can I go for sample job descriptions?
• Where can I find qualified seasonal labor?
• What do I need to know about hiring migrant workers?

• Compensation

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• What level of compensation is fair?
• How much should I pay seasonal hired help?

• Legal Responsibilities

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• Can I take a tax write-off when hiring family?
• What type of tax and workers compensation obligations come with hiring?
• Do I have to pay workers compensation for myself, as the owner of the business?

• Family