Farm Mechanic needed at 700-acre Family-farm & Homestead in south-central Missouri

Filled / Expired

7 Springs Farm

Email

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Phone

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Location

Mansfield, MO

Job Type

Full Time, Year round

Salary

TBD

Date Posted

April 24, 2024

Housing Offered

Yes

Experience

2-5 yrs

We have a Farm Mechanic position available on our 700 acre family farm & homestead in South Central Missouri. To give you an idea of the kind of work, the projects we currently have are a tractor that needs to be split to install a clutch, a backhoe that needs a ring and pinion, plus smaller everyday repairs/maintenance.

About the Farm

We are a very diversified operation with 40 horses, 100+ beef cattle, family dairy cows, hogs, sheep, goats, chickens, and a large garden. We run several businesses on the farm including boarding retired horses, selling grassfed/pastured meat, operating a bulk feed business, and running a sustainable lumber business. Our personal residence is also off-grid. We live in a very, very beautiful place. Being able to live on a 700 acre farm is an opportunity few people get. There is really something special about this lifestyle. Being close to nature, self-reliance, being surrounded by beautiful open space, independence, and community are all things we enjoy and value on a daily basis. We are looking for someone who will appreciate these things as much as we do.

About the Position

We are looking for someone who loves to work outside, that doesn’t mind doing something different very day, and who has a wide skillset. Because our operation is so diversified, we have a lot of equipment, thus a lot of maintenance/repair work. The main duties of this position would be working on tractors, haying equipment (round baler, square baler, haybine, hay rake), heavy equipment (such as backhoes, track loaders, wheel loaders, skidsteers), trucks, cars, semi trucks, 4 wheelers, lawn mowers, weed eaters, etc. Basically all the different equipment it takes to keep a farming operation going. Making repairs and doing regular maintenance on all of these things could keep a person busy. We are also looking for someone who doesn’t mind stepping away from the shop to work cattle, help feed animals in the winter, help put up hay, helping load or unload bundles of lumber, or any other number of things that’s part of farm living. We all try to help each other on the farm. Someone might give you a call to see if you can help them put up some cows that got out. Or if you need someone’s help holding something so you can pull a radiator out of a truck, there will be someone to give you a hand.

We’re not looking for a master mechanic for Caterpillar or anything! We are really looking for a farm mechanic; someone who has worked on a bunch of different equipment or who has worked on farm equipment to keep the farm running. Tasks might include replacing starters, alternators, water pumps, making hydraulic hoses, changing brakes, fixing flat tires, fixing lights on trailers, rebuilding hydraulic cylinders etc. Most of our equipment is diesel, so must have a good understanding of diesel engines. We do a couple engine rebuilds a year, but not a lot.

The owner of the farm has worked on equipment his whole life. Now he just doesn’t have the time to do it all. This is a pretty relaxed job. There is always something to do, but this is not like working in a full swing mechanic shop where there are quotas and deadlines, every hour of every day. We do, however, appreciate someone who is proficient with their time. There are times when a necessary piece of equipment is broke down and we need to get it fixed so we can finish a project.

We farm by the seasons. So in the summer, we have long days, get up early, take a break in the heat of the day if we need to, and sometimes work late. Spring and fall are fairly normal. Winter is the balance to summer with short days, and finishing work early when it gets dark. Farming is completely different from an 8-5 job! This is a farm lifestyle. For example, it’s staying up late to fix the baler that broke down in the field that day, so we can get the rest of the hay put up before the rain.

This position would be perfect for someone who wants a slower pace of life, living on a farm, doing something a little different every day, not in the rat race. There’s lots of places you could go to make more money. This is not a high paying position. This is more of a low stress, enjoy the lifestyle kind of position. You’ll get to enjoy fresh milk, eggs, and produce from the farm. You will be a part of our little farm community here. We have several family members who live on the farm as well as a couple other workers. We like to get together and do a BBQ or bonfire.

Housing is included with this position. We have a very nice 1,000 sq. ft. 2 bedroom, 2 bath house on the farm with a 20’ storage container next to it for your use.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

Want to live the country lifestyle!
Proficient in mechanics, including diesel.
Can confidently & safely drive tractors, skidsteers, truck/trailer, etc.
Can get up early on your own and start work on time.
Doesn’t mind working long hours when needed.
Be a self-starter, but also doesn’t mind asking questions when you’re unsure.
Good time management skills.
Can keep an organized shop and not lose tools!
Must have a valid DRIVERS license (not a state ID).
Have a reliable, working cell phone and be good at answering it.
Easy going, gets along well with others.
Absolutely no heavy drinking/drugs.
Be able to pass a background check.
Flexible and willing to help out outside of the shop.
Must be able to safely exert a considerable amount of physical effort to stoop, crouch, and lift 50 pounds or more.
Must be friendly to farm clients.

Things to Consider

We are a very kind, straight forward, pleasant Christian family. By you coming here you are an extension of our family and it is important that everyone gets along and there is good communication. We have 4 young kids and we want to make sure there is a good example set for them. We are not interested in high-drama individuals. They are just not a good fit here!

The perfect candidate for us would be someone that is easy going, loves farm living, who wants this lifestyle. We always do a 30-60 day trial to make sure it’s a good fit for both of us. We would love to find an individual or couple who is looking for a long term position, to come and join our team. We also ask for a 4 week notice if you plan on leaving. This will give us time to find a qualified person and possibly have you help train them before you leave.

The exact salary amount will be decided depending on the individual and their skill set.