Ranch Hand

Work description

Employees perform mixed farm operations on 5000 acres of dryland and 1000 acres of irrigated ground on the Rocky Mountain Front, supporting wheat, chickpea, pea, barley, sunflowers, and flax production, along with a seed plant that cleans and processes seed to add value to the crop and a 200-cow cow-calf operation. Fieldwork begins in the spring with preparing fields for planting using tractors and attached tillage equipment under SOC 45-2091, then continues through planting, seeding, and spraying crops, including spraying weeds and irrigating crops during the summer. Crop handling also includes driving a farm truck to haul grain from the field to storage, operating harvest equipment to harvest grain, and completing general cleaning and farm maintenance, along with routine repairs and maintenance on equipment and irrigation systems. During the summer months, employees also assist with fence maintenance and repairs as part of ongoing ranch upkeep. Livestock duties under SOC 45-2093 center on the cow-calf operation, where cattle are confined for calving and brought in from pastures in January when calving starts and remain in close care through June; during this period employees assist with birthing and deliveries, caring for cattle, and assisting with breeding activities and pregnancy checks as directed. After June, cattle are returned to pasture and no care is needed until the next calving season. Employer may provide pay increases for performance, longevity and/or experience at employer’s discretion. Employer may provide performance bonuses at the end of the contract at the employer’s discretion.