[menloparkbum]

I spent 18 years in a rural farming community and this seems phony. Any farmer who is that dialed in and successful has already been doing what all the other farmers in america do: use seasonal & migrant labor. The "free beef" part really pushed it past the point of believability. It reads like the author is practicing his writing skills to land a gig writing polemics for the National Review.

Assuming it is legitimate, this job sucks because whomever accepts it is becoming an indentured servant for a land-owning farmer.The skills the person learns are not transferable to any other occupation, and no other farmers are hiring this sort of person. If something goes sour in the relationship, the worker doesn't just lose a job, he loses a house and is stuck in rural Kansas.

[whatwoulddadsay]

This was at a family reunion, maybe he was kidding about the free beef, but it sure didn't seem that way at the time. He is working himself to the bone. And, I am not trying to land any gig. GLH

[menloparkbum]

I apologize if it was legit. This is a hard position to fill. Mostly because farming is more of a lifestyle than a "job." It is going to be hard to find someone interested who didn't grow up in the culture, even if the pay and perks seem good.

[whatwoulddadsay]

Just read this over again, and want to make sure you realize it is not a free home to KEEP, just one to live in while you are working there. It was not my intention to get into any debates, but I found it interesting because my day job has to do with the employment industry and I was feeling frustrated with how hard it is for people to find great jobs. This just hit me at the right time, and I thought you would like to read about it, is all.

[Tichy]

"He is working himself to the bone."

Why is he doing that?

[jrockway]

Why do people do anything? This isn't uncommon, though; plenty of people here work themselves to the bone on their software projects. When you own your own business, you get ahead by working.

[Tichy]

It makes him sound like some kind of hero, though. Maybe he is, but in general, I think ruining one's health through working too much is not a good idea.