Beet Harvest

[PeacefulSoul]

I am getting ready to head up to North Dakota for the beet harvest on 9/20/2015.  This will be my first experience of it.  Has anyone else done this?  Is anyone else going?  Looking for any feedback anyone has.  Must say I have investigated it pretty thoroughly and it looks like a pretty good gig.  12 hour days, time and a half after 8 hours.  Light industrial setting, not hard labor, just long days.  I know they are still hiring for it if anyone needs a job.

 

[Canine]

Gentle soul,Where are you working in N.D.?Me and Vic are headed to Drayton on the 24th.

 

[PeacefulSoul]

Gentle soul,Where are you working in N.D.?Me and Vic are headed to Drayton on the 24th.

Ha Ha! I will be in Drayton on the 22nd.  Super great.

 

[Canine]

See you there.

 

[Canine]

Packing supplies and clothes,getting ready to pull out Sunday morning for ND.Took the panels off the roof.I won't be needing them this trip.Prolly take the little HF 800 watt genny to run the frig a couple of hours a day.Going to take 4 days getting there.Have my 3 free campgrounds located and marked.Hopefully gas prices won't be too high.

 

[PeacefulSoul]

I just unpacked and repacked the whole shebang!  I'm heading out on Sunday to get there on Tuesday.  Have not decided where I will sleep yet, probably Walmart on the way.  Looking forward to meeting you. Safe travels.

 

[Canine]

Made it to the beet harvest.Gentle soul,If you are here,I'm in spot Number 28.Stop by and say hello.

 

[ramblingvanman]

Hey guys post about everything that goes on if you don't mind. I plan to be there next year.

 

[akrvbob]

Hey guys post about everything that goes on if you don't mind. I plan to be there next year.

I totally agree, I'm very interested in your experiences there.
Bob

 

[Canine]

Got to meet Peaceful soul yesterday.A very nice person.We got here Wed.,had safety orientationon Thur. and training Fri.Supposed to start work Mon.Our last free campground on the way up cost us $50.(A casino).Pay is $12.48 straight time.Time and a half over 8 hrs.Time and a half all day Sat.Double time on Sun.So far,we've met a lot of nice people.

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

Hate to sound naive....but...is this standing all day long bent over at the waist yanking up beets out of the ground and tossing them into a container ? Don't think my back could handle that.....
KinA

 

[highdesertranger]

Ken it's in the processing plant. beets are harvested mechanically. highdesertranger

 

[Canine]

Sounds like it"s mostly going to be standing around with a shovel and when a few beets fall off the conveyor,we shovel them back on.I'll know more after tomorrow.The pay I quoted was for a laborer.(Me and Vic.)Bobcat operators make a couple bucks more per hour.Returning employees get $2 an hour more.Don't have any internet at camp yet.Supposed to get it tomorrow.I'm sitting in front of the bar in Drayton now.

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

....I'm sitting in front of the bar in Drayton now.

Finally something I KNOW I can do.......and what's IT pay ?

KinA

 

[Canine]

Got the first day done and seems to bea pretty easy job.If I come back next year,I think I'll try to hire on as a truck driver.$20 an hour and no CDL needed.Not much shoveling,Mostly just signing the truckers ticket and pushing a button and taking a sample about every 3rd truck.One more 8 hr day tomorrow and then its 12 hr shifts 24/7.People are still coming in and hiring on. Hopefully,the weather stays nice.Talked with peaceful soul today.Such a nice lady.We have wifi at the campground now,so she may be signing in.Next year we are supposed to have cable tv.

 

[Canine]

One thing I forgot to mention was the variety of people here.People are living in everything from cars to $200,000 motor homes.One couple living in a school bus has two dogs and a goat.Haven't saw any chickens yet.

 

[Jim Plow]

Those are my kind of people!

 A little goats milk with your cereal and skim the cream for your coffee.

What more can anyone ask outa life?

 

[Canine]

Well,the harvest is over and it's time for a report.Adding the pay up and subtracting the gas money going and coming back,we averaged $15 an hr.The job wasn't hard at all except for being on your feet for 12 hrs with a couple of pounds of mud on each boot.I don't think in our case it was worth it.Someone else may feel different.We'll probably go back next year for the potato harvest and then stay for the beet harvest.But,I'll be driving a truck.

 

[ramblingvanman]

Do you know anything about the driving positions? I have a CDL

 

[cyndi]

Thanks for the info, Bob!