6/9/08 Progressive Farmer spread >> Olsen Custom Farms

Olsen Custom Farms

Recent 2008 OCF Diary News

10/10/08 Harvested some corn

Good morning. We took out a small field of corn late yesterday afternoon. » read more

Recent Photographs

» View More Photos

Weather Forecast

6/9/08 Progressive Farmer spread

Print this page | Return to previous page

From Oklahoma into Saskatchewan and back home to Hendricks, Minn., the custom harvesting crews of Olsen Custom Farms cut about 120,000 acres each year. Nearly 180,000 additional acres are harvested with combines that the business rents to farmers who prefer to run their own machines.
With U.S. labor shortages, recruiting operators and staff willing to shuttle a fleet of 30 combines and related equipment across North America from May to November is no small feat. Typically, most of the employees who sign on for the custom harvesting crews’ nomadic existence come from South Africa.

“If we could find people with experience from around our area who would work for nine months out of the year, we wouldn’t need to seek foreign help,” says Travis Olsen, the company’s financial manager. “Understandably, most people are looking for 12-month employment, so the foreign help really makes the harvest season work for us.”
Olsen brushed up on his own labor management skills as a 2008 DTN scholarship recipient for The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP). The course is administered by Texas A&M and teaches mid-career producers a wide range of advanced agribusiness skills, including human resources management.

“The ability to attract and retain skilled labor is becoming more of an issue,” stresses Danny Klinefelter, ag economist with Texas AgriLife Extension and director of TEPAP.
The program’s human resources sessions are among the topics that garner the most attention from attendees. The sessions are designed to help producers improve employee recruitment, retention and motivation. “The No. 1 reason people leave their jobs in this country is because of their relationships with their managers,” says Klinefelter.

Recruiting foreign workers. Founded by Travis’ older brother Chad in 1992, Olsen Custom Farms isn’t just a custom harvesting business. Chad and his wife, Pam, farm a 5,000-acre grain operation near their hometown of Hendricks, Minn. They also haul pigs and raise alfalfa to sell to a local dairy. In 2006 they launched a formal combine rental business.

Comments »

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the views of Olsen Custom Farms.

Bernie

June, 11 2008 02:06:54

Hi Chad,Travis and the rest of the Olsen family. From a cold and rainy South Africa,I see it is back to business for all of you.Gustav ask me to send his best wishes to all of you and the "old faces"for the 2008 harvesting season, without any machine brake downs,hurricanes & rain.He said he would rather be with you than with his nose in the books.He said if you want him back next year he will be their for sure. He passed all his subjects x 3 for the first half of the year,now for the next 3 subjects - until Nov`08. Good luck and God bless. Regards Bernie & Gustav